01.
INTRODUCTION OF THE NOVEL
Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali is a
novel that tells the story of the 13th-century West African hero, Sundiata
Keita, who found the Empire of Mali in pre-colonial Era.
This epic of Sundiata is told by the
griot (storyteller, keeper of story or an oral historian) of West Africa who
accompanies his or her tales with music.
The griot, Djeli Mamadou Konyate,
begins the story with Sundiata`s father, Meghan Kon Fatta, who is the king of
the city of Niani. One day, a soothsayer visits Kon Fatta and foretells that
Kon Fatta will produce a great ruler through the marriage of an ugly woman.
That ugly old woman is called Sogolon.
The king takes Sogolon for his wife.
Sundiata is born. And in his childhood, Sundiata does not walk until the age of
7 which makes it difficult to fulfill the prophecy. Despite his physical
disability, Sundiata is a wise son and his father sees that. But when the King
dies, the eldest son, Dankaran Touman, is given control by the elders, who do
not see much future in the cripple boy.
One day, when Sogolon is embarrassed
by the queen mother, Sundiata uses a rod to help herself stand on two legs and
from the day onwards,
Later, Sundiata stand on two legs
and starts to gain. After this, Sassouma Berete exiles Sundiata his family.
They travel for several years, and Sundiata learns new peoples, customs, and
fighting techniques.
Finally, Sundiata gather the army,
gets many allies and defeats various armies who come against him.
After defeating the enemies,
Sundiata returns to Niani and found the Mali Empire.
The griot ends the epic by praising
Sundiata and his rule of the golden age of the Mali Empire.
ANALYSIS
OF THE NOVEL
FORM
01.
TITLE AND SETTING
1. TITLE OF THE NOVEL
The title "Sundiata: An Epic of
Old Mali" as its name suggests, it tells the history of Sundiata Keita,
founder of the Mali Empire in the 13th century. The tale is an epic history
recorded from oral tradition of Sundiata's early life and rise to power. It is
considered an epic because it relates a mythical version of Sundiata's life,
which includes magical and other supernatural elements.
2. THE SETTING OF THE NOVEL
The novel "Sundiata: An Epic
of Old Mali" is set in what was Mali Empire in pre-colonial Mali.
02.
THE PLOT OF THE NOVEL
PREFACE
This novel is told by a hidden griot
from the village of Djeliba Koro in the area of Siguiri in Guinea. The writer
of this book has borrowed everything from this griot. The role of every griot
is to keep the history, culture, and memory of the kingdom concerned. And in
almost every village of old Mali, there was a griot who conserves and teaches
the history and traditions of the particular village and other areas.
The writer explains that griot’s
work as professional musicians these days, but in those days, they were
important figures who counseled rulers, preserved constitutions, laws, and
customs, and taught the princes.
Niane ends his preface by offering
that his eyes have been opened through his travels and hopes that his relation
to this epic tale will do the same for other readers.
CHAPTER 1
THE WORDS OF THE GRIOT MAMADOU
KOUYATE
|
In this chapter, we are told the role of the griot, Djeli
Mamadou Kouyate, who introduces himself and tells us what he does and what he
will do. |
The
griot, Djeli Mamadou Kouyate is the one who tells the story. He is the son of
Bintou Kouyate and Djeli Kedian Kouyate. He derives his knowledge from his
father, Djeli Kedian who also got it from his father. He says he knows all the
sovereigns who succeeded the thrones.
He
introduces his ancestors and tells them that the Kouyate have always served the
Keita princes of Mali. He describes their duties as harbouring old secrets,
memorizing the names and deeds of the great king, and preferring the memory of
mankind
He
claims to know all the kings who ruled Mali, how the tribes were split and why
they were harmed as they were. All information he learned from his father. He
teaches the king their history so that they might use precedence to guide their
choices as the future springs from the past He also preemptively explains that
royal griots do not know what lying is.
He
says he is going to tell the story of the son of Buffalo, the son of the Lion.
He says this because Sundiata's mother had a buffalo for a totem (or symbol)
that ravaged the land of Do. The lion is the totem(symbol) and ancestor of the
Keita. So, through his father, Sundiata is the son of the Lion and through his
mother, he is the son of the buffalo.
He
finally introduces, Sundiata, the man of many names against whom sorcery could
avail nothing.
He
lists the different names of Sundiata such as:
The
son of the Buffalo, the son of Lion, Maghan Sundiata, Man-Djata, Sogolon Djafa,
Nare Magha Djata.
CHAPTER 2
THE FIRST KINGS OF MALI
|
As the title of the chapter suggests, in this chapter, the
griot, the historian or storyteller, tells the story of Mali's last kings. |
Griot
tells the history of the kings who once ruled Mali. He also tells the meaning
of the word Mali in which he says the word also in Mandingo means a
"hippopotamus" and one tradition says that Sundiata changed himself
into a hippopotamus in the Sankarani river. Some villages in Mali still have
the names of Mali.
The
griot also tells his audience that he will speak of Sundiata, the last of the
great conquerors. But first, he wants to tell of Mali's past. He talks of many
kings who ruled Mali. Some of them are Bilali Bounama who is described as a
faithful servant of Prophet Mohammad.
The
people of Mali, who he calls Mandingo, came from the East. Their ancestor was a
faithful servant of Islam, and the griot traces and names his descendants. He
gives special attention to Lahi Latoul Kalabi, the first black prince to make
the pilgrimage to Mecca. On his return trek, he was robbed by brigands, and his
entourage spilt. God saved his life and made him a king once he returned to
Mali after seven years of wandering.
Lahilaboul
Kalabi himself had sons, who in their turn inverted the hunter's whistle (an
important tool in hunting, a prevalent pasting in Mali), communicated with the
join (spirits) of forest and bush, and ultimately attracted enough followers to
resemble a great army. Slowly, the descent of Lahi Laboul Kalabi created a vast
country. The griot then traces the lines of descent down to Maghan Kon Fatta,
father of Sundiata.
He
ends this address by listing Maghan Kon Fatta's family, the members of which
will be introduced as they enter the narrative.
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