Sundiata

Introducing the Epic

Literary Focus: Epic

Reading Skills: Making Inferences from Details

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SundiataAn Epic of Old Mali

Dogon village huts in the Bandiagara Gorge, Mali

Sundiata, from the Mandingo people of western Africa, is the best-known African epic and has been passed down by griots, or storytellers, for hundreds of years.

Sundiata Introducing the Epic

• Like most of the world’s epics, Sundiata is a blend of fact and legend.

• Sundiata Keita, the story’s hero, reestablished the Mandingo empire of Old Mali in 1235. This empire lasted more than 250 years.

Sundiata Introducing the Epic

Although Sundiata is based on fact, it is not a historical document.

Like many legends, the story of Sundiata is based on a history that has become greatly embellished over time.

Sundiata Introducing the Epic

Shared by oral historians for hundreds of years, the epic of Sundiata was first recorded by a folklorist in Guinea during the 1950s.

Sundiata Introducing the Epic

Translated from Mandingo into French, this version was later translated into English. Now “twice removed” from its source, the epic has lost many features of the original language, including its

Sundiata Introducing the Epic

• alliteration

• assonance

• meter

Fortunately, the epic still contains some of the original songs, repetition, and proverbs that accompanied the original oral performance.

Sundiata Introducing the Epic

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An epic is a long narrative that details the triumphs and tragedies of a larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of his or her society.

Sundiata Literary Focus: Epic

Most epics blend myth, legend, folklore, and history. The epic’s tone is serious and its

language grand, as the story’s

protagonist, or hero, faces quests.

Sundiata Literary Focus: Epic

David by Michelangelo

Most ancient epics began as oral epics, which were performed by generations of storytellers before being written down.

Sundiata Literary Focus: Epic

• Sundiata, like other epic protagonists, has an unusual childhood, showing signs of greatness at an early age.

• He takes a long journey into exile before emerging as a leader of his people.

Sundiata Literary Focus: Epic

The supernatural plays a major role in the epic: Sundiata, his mother, his sister, and his enemies all possess superhuman powers.

Sundiata Literary Focus: Epic

Sundiata proves himself greater than his powerful foe, or

antagonist, an evil sorcerer-king.

Sundiata Literary Focus: Epic

The story is told from the “all-knowing,” or omniscient, point of view of a storyteller. The narrator does not take part in the action but knows everything that is happening.

Sundiata Literary Focus: Epic

The battles of the epic have a larger-than-life significance: They represent a mighty conflict between good and evil.

Sundiata Literary Focus: Epic

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Also pay attention to the kinds of behavior this culture despised.

Sundiata Literary Focus: Epic

An epic reflects a society’s values. As you read this excerpt from Sundiata, try to identify the values the Mandingo culture honored.

What details do you notice in a story? Do you pay attention to the way a character walks, talks, or relates to family or friends?

SundiataReading Skills: Making Inferences from Details

Usually the reader has to infer, or figure out, a message by interpreting details in the text.

Even minor details can, on second glance, provide great insight into a story.

SundiataReading Skills: Making Inferences from Details

As you read, make inferences, or educated guesses, about what the details reveal about characters and their culture.

SundiataReading Skills: Making Inferences from Details

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