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The Epic of Sundiata

a Chi Wara headdress from Mali

Text

put information about the story here.

African Kingship

summary of information found from research

The Religious Background of the Epic

religious information relevant to the story

Interpretation

This will be the most important part of your page; here you might discuss the importance of traditional poetry (represented by the griot) for the king and the society.

Select Bibliography

ideally about 5-10 good sources

Sadji, Abdoulaye. Ce Que Dit la Musique Africaine (398.2 AFR French) Stories from the West African epic of Soundiata (Sunjata) and other stories of Mali heroes

Niane, D.T. Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali

Resources on the Internet

about 5-10 good pages--information, images, games, whatever will enhance your audience's appreciation of the work

Medieval Mali from Africanet
Keita: The Heritage of the Griot A review of a film about a young storyteller learning to tell the story of Sundiata (from California Newsreel)
Unfolding the Mystery of Timbuktu contains some background on Sundiata
Sundiata and the Affirmation of the African Man in his Culture: An Analysis of the West in Reference to the non-West a student paper by Al Ferkel
A review of Ivan Sertima's They Came before Columbus by Femi Akomolafe; includes a discussion of griots and a reference to the Sundiata epic.
A brief history of Mali by Kelvin Tarrance
Africa in its surroundings: between the oral and the written tradition by Letizia Lanza

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