Allison Soto
AFRI-L232
September 20, 2015
Sundiata: an Epic of Old
Sundiata, founder of the Ancient Mali Empire, tells the story of this young man and his rise to king-ship, the formation of the Mali Empire, and his conquests during exile, as told by the Griots. Two themes I really noticed throughout the book were History and Heroism.
The culture and tradition of Mali is one that dates back many centuries. Although Mali was strongly influenced by Islam and its society, Mali remained polytheistic and the religion of Allah was strongly integrated. History is of importance to everyone, even in present day. It shapes not only us as people, but also society as a whole. In any society, it is of importance to recall its history, reflect on it,
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celebrate what is, and remember what was. Sundiata, throughout the book, portrays a great sense of respect for what was before. This is particularly seen in his admiration of his father, Naré Maghan, and the alliances he created. Sundiata, from a young age, is told and hears stories about where he is from, the ancestors that came before him, about former leaders in their time. Djeli Mamadou, a griot, speaks to the boys preaching “I teach kings the history of their ancestors, so that the lives of the ancients might serve them as an example, for the world is old, but the future springs from the past” (Sundiata, p.1). This quote itself shows the theme of importance of history and remembrance in this story. Sundiata, as he grows older, carries these stories with him as a reference, always thinking back to the stories he was once told, and retelling them to others. Throughout the book, whenever it came time for a big decision to be made, I could not help but notice that the characters would recall on the Griots as a guide to make the right decision. History not only teaches us what to do, but also what not to do. For example, Sosso was given a very harsh punishment that many people did not agree with, and in time this punishment was destroyed and prohibited. Looking back, we as people can grow so much by reflecting/recalling on our past, and if we don't learn from history’s mistakes, then we are bound to repeat the same ones. History can be passed down not only by word of mouth but also through music and poems. Music and Poems passed down from generation to generation help keep our history alive. Through music and poems you hear of traumas or celebrations of the past. The Griot, Deji Mamadou, explains to the boys the supierioty of oral over written histories by expressing that the “warmth of the human voice” is important in preserving history. In the book, “Hymn to the Bow" is sung when Sundiata first stands, which is meant to show devotion and respect to a hero. This reminded me of the tradition in the United States, saying out loud the pledge of allegiance to the nations flag. Just by saying this 2-minute devotional, we are paying respect to our history and those before us. In class, we also analyzed poems from Swahili that presented life lessons or messages. This is also evidence that poems too are in important part of history, for they are passed down for many generations to come and almost always impose significance. Even myself, being an American student, I have had the chance to read and analyze these poems and learn from them. Mali is the way it is today and its “epic” association continues to survive in present day because of how highly Mali values its history. Sundiata’s destiny as king-ruler was foreshadowed before he was even actually born.
Sundiata was a born leader, and though he faced many obstacles throughout his journey, his Heroism is strongly portrayed throughout the book. The story of Sundiata really points out what qualities define a hero, as well as what virtues are heroic. In Africa, those who are considered royal are naturally idolized, looked up upon, and greatly respected. This is because they lead the people, show them a way, and give them light to life. They represent someone with great power, someone who is undefeatable. As a young boy, Sundiata cannot walk, but in turn he built up the strength in his arms to help him function in daily activities. It is easy to view someone as weak when they posses a quality in which they have weakness, but to overcome this weakness is one of the most heroic things one can do. One of the most powerful and influential moments of Sundiata’s life was when the queen embarrassed Sogolon, and Sundiata jumps in to use a rod to help himself stand on two legs. It was from this day forward Sundiata’s strength was unrecognized. By doing this, he shows others that he as a person endured the hardships to overcome this perceived weakness. It becomes very easy to look up to a person who posses a quality such as Sundiata. Even when he had every reason to give up, he did not no matter what, in fact he did the exact opposite. Sundiata motivated himself to push that much harder and that is a quality in which a true hero posses. This reminded me of our own President Obama in a way. When first announcing he was running for president, Obama got shut down, criticized for being African American, and told to drop out of the election. However, Obama pushed past all this, and in the end showed true bravery and won the presidential election. Sundiata’s exile is where he really gained experience and possessed qualities of a great ruler. He learned about other people outside of Mali, which
resulted in alliances with other empires, which gave him resources to defeat Soumaoro and take over as the great leader Mali had been waiting for. Resources are so important, the more you reach out the more assistance you will have if you are ever in need. Strength and Bravery are often two qualities associated with heroism. Sundiata being a hunter showed great strength and bravery in battle and hunts, but he posses much more than that. Sundiata shows a sense of compassion, patience, and interest in the African people and their ways and it is because of this that he is recognized as a true hero. Sundiata stating, “I salute you all, sons of Mali, and I salute you, Kamandjan, I have come back, and as long as I breathe, Mali will never be in thrall – rather death than slavery, We will live free because our ancestors lived free" (Sundiata, p.56), he addresses everyone he is speaking to and accepts his destiny as ruler. This willingness he portrays in considering others a virtue that helps him build alliances and maintain a peace in his rule shows his true heroism. Sundiata’s focus on freedom is portrayed by his allowance in each city or tribe to rule itself under his flag and his city of peace if finally achieved. History and heroism are two themes constantly seen throughout Sundiata, an Epic of old Mali. Sundiata still to this day is known as one of the greatest rulers of all time is known as the reownmed hero of the Mandika people. The Mali empire he created went on to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful ancient West African empires. References Djibril Tamsir Niane, David W. Chappell, Jim Jones. Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. Pearson Longman. Paperback.
Walk Two Moons: A Heroine’s Journey Many typical adventures in classic novels follow a pattern of events using the archetype, the Hero, which defines the nature of the protagonist’s journey. However, some stories don’t fit the layout of a Hero’s journey. The nature of this story structure often limits itself to the interpretation of a male’s heroic quest involving accomplishments in order to prove one’s masculinity. The alternate story pattern, a heroine’s journey, was created to satisfy the type of journey a female would experience. The heroine's journey defies the general perspective of heroism, instead highlighting the bravery in defying expectations of one’s character and refusing to be held back by the expectations of others.
The character I have chosen for study from Edwidge Danticat’s written novel, “A Wall of Fire Rising” is Guy Sr. Guy is the father of a young son, Guy Jr. and husband to a woman named Lili. The relatively poor family lived in a small shack in a shanty town in Haiti near a sugar mill. Guy has a charming personality and genuinely loves his family; however, he does not have the financial means to provide for the family the way he would like. When Guy learned that his son was playing an important role in a play, his face lit up with joy and happiness. There are definitely positive characteristics of Guy’s personality such as; the love he shows for his family and his willingness to seek work at the sugar mill or wherever he could to provide a meal for his family.
Islam is presented in the Epic of Sundiata in a way that encourages listeners to embrace Islam over their indigenous belief systems. The epic accomplishes this by incorporating elements and practices of the indigenous beliefs into Islamic tradition; and by adapting certain Islamic mythology — such as the Jinn — to the existing West African culture. It also asserts the superior power and strength of those who derive their power from Allah and the Jinn, to those whose power is based in ancestral worship and fetishes. Through conflict, adaptation, and tolerance, the Epic of Sundiata presents an accessible version of Islam to the people of the Mali Empire; and promotes the acceptance of this new faith over the indigenous beliefs of the area.
Niane, Djibril Tamsir., David W. Chappell, and Jim Jones. Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali.
Who is a hero? In contemporary times, usage of the term has become somewhat of a cliché. Over the years, the term “hero” has become representative of a wide variety of individuals, each possessing differing traits. Some of the answers put forth by my colleagues (during our in-class discussion on heroism) as to whom they consider heroes pointed to celebrities, athletes, teachers and family members. Although the occupations differed, each of their heroes bore qualities that my classmates perceived as extraordinary, whether morally or physically. Nonetheless, Webster’s defines “hero” as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Thus, it is worth considering that individuals become heroes relative to the situation with which they’re faced.
...re treated poorly but they can overcome their circumstances so that they may still contribute to society in a powerful way. Although women in the epic Sunjata, Indian and Greek society are all seen as the subordinate gender, the women in the epic Sunjata are strong people by making the best out of situations. Some could say that women control the story. In the beginning, the hunters would not have killed the buffalo woman if not instructed to. Also, if Sogolon hadn’t pressured Sunjata to stand, he wouldn’t have walked his all his life.
Heroism How are a Pakistani girl and an NYPD Officer similar? Both the Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai and the NYPD Officer, Moira A. Smith have qualities of heroism. But what makes them a hero? Was heroism thrust upon them or did they seek it out? Malala was shot in the head in 2012 because she wanted an education; likewise, Moira risked her life multiple times to save people just because it was her duty.
Prejudice towards others who have different heritages and beliefs have led to many people performing heroic actions upon human rights for equality. The German Nazis have murdered over six million Jews and five million non-Jews during the Holocaust between the years of 1943 and 1945. Due to the gruesome Holocaust and the Nazis’ alarmingly violent, unsettling, and questionable behaviors have provoked three individuals who have displayed tremendous heroism upon man-kind. The first individual, Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and the author of the novel Night which is a first-hand account of the Holocaust and the brutality of the Nazis. Elie stayed loyal to his father and did not leave his father’s side. Second, Miep Gies, risked her life deciding
...e as a commander of the army by devising strategies that defeat larger armies. His bravery is reflected in his tendency to rush into battle himself, killing enemies left and right with little regard for his own safety. His sense of justice is reflected in the way he forgives others' trespasses (within reason), and the description of his rule is a just one. His charisma unites people together; during his exile, all he encounters are impressed with him, and hence do they later join his empire. His piety helps him defeat Soumaoro, since, once Sundiata discovers the extent of Soumaoro's sorcery, he is willing to admit he needs the help of spirits and magic to win. And finally, his legendary strength makes him a hero worthy of remembrance. Balla Fasséké tells him to be a "man of action" so that his deeds will be remembered, and Sundiata certainly lives up to his destiny.
Bravery does not define heroism. Personally, I agree with the previous claim because acting courageously for egotistical reasons rather than for the benefit of a certain group is not a principle of heroes. In addition, heroes often possess admirable leadership skills which help them to lead the people they empathize with and fight for in a way that benefits them. In the novel entitled Oroonoko, Behn (1997) presents the story of a prince named Oroonoko who experiences several challenges as he enslaved and exploited by British colonialists; consequently, making him starting a revolution that results in his cruel death. In this literary text, issues of power, domination, slavery, social oppression and others are discussed in a thought-provoking
...ral and written methods. The important part is what can be learned from these sources. Though Americans might not be accustomed to hearing great details of their history recited to them as their only means of learning it, it certainly does not mean that other means produce false information. The griots of ancient Africa are sincere in their efforts to consistently pass down their countries' histories, and much of what they say should at least be taken into consideration, this includes the words of Mamadou Kouyate, the griot who tells of Sundiata and ancient Mali. The things learned from his wisdom, including how Sundiata came to power, are important not only to the people of Mali, but also to the world as Sundiata proved to be one of the greatest rulers of the ancient world (Niane 1-84).
Sundiata realized that living under the command of a morally bankrupt ruler would never lead to the vast empire that he was capable of creating out of Mali. This epic depicts Mali and other African states like Ghana, as in fluctuation and only as strong as its leader and how well its leader leads, thereby creating Sundiata, a leader with the capacity to create and maintain an immensely strong empire.
Heroism. Heroism is “heroic conduct” or “courageous action”(“Heroism”). People throughout America’s history, and the world’s history, for more than hundreds of years, have satisfied the standards of heroism, rising above and doing what is right. Heroism doesn’t have to mean saving somebody’s life. To be a hero, one does not need a cape or a villain to fight. Exhibiting acts of heroism can be as small helping retrieve a cat from a tree or as large as helping put out the fire of a burning building. Whether one’s acts of heroism are miniscule or major, they occur every day by ordinary people, proving their extraordinary abilities. After World War II ended, many acts of heroism were displayed that are still remembered today, specifically involving Operation Little Vittles. Over two million citizens living in West Berlin were doomed, cut off from the outside world by the Russians, praying for a miracle. Their wish came true when a handful of pilots agreed to drop thousands of tons of food and fuel from the air in Berlin. One of these esteemed pilots goes by the name of Gail Halvorsen, who changed the situation of the Russian blockade for the better. Halvorsen made the daring decision to drop thousands of individual packages of candy to all of the sweet deprived citizens of West Berlin. Pilot Gail Halvorsen contributed a daring effort by flying day in and day out dropping candy all with the hopes of trying to improve the awful conditions for those involved in the blockade, putting smiles on people’s faces and living up to the standards of heroism.
The Kingdom of Mali was an African hub of wealth, trade and education for over 225 years. Mali is an Arab version of the Mandinka word that means, “Where the king dwells”, and was vitally important in spreading trade, education, religion and culture along the Niger River. The rise of Mali into an Empire occurred in the early 13th century, when Sundiata defeated his enemies and won control of the West African gold mines. In 1312 Mansa Musa became ruler of Mali. During his reign which was known as Mali’s, “Golden Age”, he introduced Islamic beliefs to many communities along the Niger and enhanced education after his historic pilgrimage to Mecca. Mali’s rise was attributed to the Trans-Saharan Trade routes leading to and from Western and Eastern Africa. These trade routes contributed to the rise and fall of powerful African Kingdoms for hundreds of years, but for 250 years, Mali was the crown jewel of Africa.
West Africa’s culture is greatly influenced by the art, music and history of the country. To this day they still practice these traditions and it is still a large part of their heritage. These traditions and practices have made West Africa the colonization it is to this day.