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    A Study Guide for Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate's "Sundiata"
    A Study Guide for Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate's "Sundiata"
    A Study Guide for Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate's "Sundiata"
    Ebook51 pages53 minutes

    A Study Guide for Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate's "Sundiata"

    By Gale and Cengage

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    About this ebook

    A Study Guide for Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate's "Sundiata," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Epics for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Epics for Students for all of your research needs.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCengage Learning - Gale
    Release dateSep 20, 2016
    ISBN9781535834346
    A Study Guide for Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate's "Sundiata"

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      A Study Guide for Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate's "Sundiata" - Gale

      10

      Sundiata

      Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate

      Introduction

      This tale tells of the great thirteenth-century ruler of Mali, Sundiata. The story has been passed down through the centuries from a long line of oral historians, or griots, who are charged with keeping the memories of the past alive. Once only available to those who could understand the native language of the griot, which in the case of Sundiata is Mandekan, the Sundiata intrigued Mali historian Djibril Tamsir Niane. He transcribed the words of the griot Djeli Mamoudou Kouyatéand produced a French translation in 1960. (Naming the people and their language, from which this epic comes, is a difficult matter. This entry uses Malinke as the name for the people and Mandekan for the name of their language, following the preference of John William Johnson, a translator of the epic and folklore scholar.) An English translation by G. D. Pickett appeared, which first appeared in 1965, was published by Longman in a revised edition in 2006.

      The Sundiata illustrates the anthropological importance of saving the words of the oral historians before the advent of literacy extinguishes their memories. The griots and many other oral historians work for a particular patron, and as the patronage system falls into decline, these taleweavers are less and less able to support themselves with their words. The significance of these oral historians is underlined in the epic itself: A griot plays an important role in helping Sundiata defeat his enemy Soumaoro.

      In addition, the story of Sundiata contains important lessons for people of all times. For example, it cautions that appearances can be deceiving: Sundiata's physically repulsive mother becomes an honored queen, and Sundiata himself overcomes a severe handicap to become a great warrior. Another lesson is that hospitality pays, as those rulers who receive Sundiata well during his period as an outcast are rewarded under his reign. Above all, readers learn to respect their own history and ancestors, for they are the link to their past and to their own identity.

      Author Biography

      The story of Sundiata, the thirteenth-century ruler of Mali, was preserved through the patriarchal line of griots, bards whose function in their society is to preserve the oral history of their people. This account was told from father to son for generations. It was first written down by the historian Djibril Tamsir Niane (b. 1932), who transcribed the story as it was recounted by Djeli Mamoudou Kouyaté.

      The stories told by griots are not fixed in the way that written texts are: Each recitation or performance may include additions or deletions and can feature embellishment of some episodes and the downplaying of others. The griot may choose to play up the accomplishments of the distant ancestors of audience members as a sign of respect or to ensure that they will like what they are hearing. Thus, while the basic story derives from multiple storytellers who shaped it over time, the version that Niane wrote down is distinctly that of Kouyaté. Kouyaté is a modern day griot of the Keita clan,

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