Sunjata Research Paper

Tyranny has been around for as long as there have been kingdoms, monarchies and democracies. When citizens are voting for whom they want in office, majority of voters would opted out of choosing someone who is a tyrant. When it comes to the famous epic of Sunjata, the tyrant is the villain known as Suso Sumanguru. This villain can be best described as greedy, power hungry, and relentless. The epic focuses though on the life of one of West Africa’s best leaders, Sunjata. The story of Sunjata is told through the griots that follow him, storytellers who are known for passing down tales and poems from time to keep their culture alive. Sunjata was faced with many trials and tribulations, but found ways to overcome each. Throughout the epic, the audience can draw references and examples that Sunjata wants the best for the people of Manding. Sunjata was not a tyrant, but an honorable man who put others before himself to rule one of the greatest empires of Western Africa.

Sunjata’s birth was shown as divine in both translations, and especially in the Banna Kanute version, when Sunjata is in the womb for fourteen years (42). In any literature, a common way to show that a person is important and to bring power is to tell about their divine and extraordinary birth. When Sunjata is born, he is not praised for the kingdom he will bring the people, but yet torn down for being crippled and not strong. For most, this would kill confidence and make many other characters turn away, but for Sunjata this only fueled his fire more to become the leader he knows he is. Also in the Banna Kanute version, the current leader Suso Sumanguru heard of the kingdom that Sunjata would bring, and he knew that this would result in him being defeated. When Suso heard of this child to be born, he called for every boy to be