StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
Sundiata Keita was an important part of Mali’s history as he managed to do as it was prophesied by African traditional magicians: he united the twelve kingdoms of Mali. This, in turn, created a powerful empire in Africa because he was able to incorporate Islam and African…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98% of users find it useful
Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali"

Download file to see previous pages

Several arguments have been put forward to explain this great epic. Apparently, there are major conflicting views on the pertinent issue of culture. One difference is the issue of Islam as a religion. Quite clearly, this religion has been alluded to until later on in the text almost at the very end of the chapters. The importance of religion in this dynasty is clear through reference to African traditional religion which is clouded with the presence of witchcraft, sorcery and prophets (McKissak 49).

However, other criticisms state that Islam is an important part in the creation of Mali. The ancestor of the Mandigo people was a Muslim. At one point, Sundiata’s mother even complains of the town of Sosso going against the word of Allah who is a respected prophet in the Islam religion. From the text, it is possible to say that it seems that Islam was only used to predestine power. Religion was not very important as fate was greatly applied. According to McKissak, one griot says, “each man finds his way already marked out for him and he can change nothing of it” (15).

This clearly states the great beliefs in prophesy and fate. This is what probably gave Sundiata hope and strength to do what he did despite his past. Another conflicting view is the importance of griots as put in the text. While some critics state that they are only traders and spreaders of information, their importance in shaping Sundiata’s life during his exile are recognized by other critics. First, this tale has successfully been told over the years orally without any publications. The griots have played an important role in this because as they moved around doing their trade rounds, they told the unchanged story over and over again (McKissak 209).

During his exile period, they showed Sundiata around and this was one way with which he got exposure. Their undoubted importance is further expressed by the author who refers to

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1608767-sundiata-an-epic-of-old-mali
(Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 1)
https://studentshare.org/literature/1608767-sundiata-an-epic-of-old-mali.
“Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 1”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1608767-sundiata-an-epic-of-old-mali.
  • Cited: 1 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali

African Americans and the War for Independence 17631783

Today's Mande people are heirs to an extremely rich and vibrant historical legacy,the high point of which was the mali people.... Today's Mande people are heirs to an extremely rich and vibrant historical legacy,the high point of which was the mali people.... he Mande people's own story about the origin of the mali Empire is usually known as The Sunjata Epic named for Sunjata Keita, who is credited with founding the mali Empire....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali

The paper “Sundiata: an epic of old mali” discusses one of the most well-known traditional narratives of West Africa that provides an account of Sundiata Keita, a historical heroic figure renowned as the founder of the Mali Empire.... And, interestingly, the very text of "Sundiata: an epic of old mali" is itself a beautiful example of the oral form of the communication between epochs that have been used for centuries for the preservation of historical memory....
4 Pages (1000 words) Book Report/Review

Personal Reflection to The Epic Sundiata

Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali.... However, Sandata's destiny rings a bell on how hard it could be to Personal Reflection to “The Epic Sundiata” The Epic Sundiata of mali is full of mysteries.... I expected the birth of a hero to be extraordinary, but it happens birth of epic heroes including Sundate is always odd (Niane 12).... From this epic hero story, it is striking how much mother's love can assist in a child's achievement....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Literary Analysis

Sundiata: an epic of old mali.... Simultaneously as griots are oral traditionalists, the epic also emphasizes the importance of storytelling in keeping mali's history alive.... Niane introduces the Sundiata epic saying that it may enlighten more than one African and make him learn Malian history from the ancient teacher of wisdom and history – the griot, himself (xxiv).... This shows that the epic is much more than Sundiata's historic tale....
1 Pages (250 words) Research Paper

The Ethos and Culture Norms of a Nation

Sundiata: an epic of old mali.... The questions about creator and the purpose of creation cannot be answered through an exclusive reading of the epic of Sunjata as the epic deals with the life and achievements of Sunjata and his people and their famous war with the magician king, Soumoro .... In order to get answers regarding creator and purpose of creation we have to rely on source titled” Background to epic of Sundiata” which gives us some information about the religion, culture and history of the people....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

An Epic of Old Mali

The essay "an epic of old mali" states that The Sundiata is an African epic.... To be able to compare and contrast the two major female characters in the epic, it is imperative that they each be identified and described first by who they are in terms of how they were related to Nare Fa Meghan.... It is in this epic that a woman can be seen as a formidable force that can shape the fate of a man and define his being – by being mothers.... Sogolon is an ugly maiden brought by the hunter to the king and the mother or sundiata....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

World Literature Questions

The author of the "World Literature Questions" paper examines The Five Helpers' story, An Elegy, a mournful, plaintive and melancholic poem, Sundiata, an archetypal epic hero, foreshadowing literary device, Petrarch Sonnet xv, and The Long Exile by Leo Tolstoy.... hellip; Parody is a text that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect....
12 Pages (3000 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us