Sundiata keita de djibril tamsir niane biography

Epic of Sundiata

Epic poem of nobility Malinke culture

Sunjata (; Manding languages: ߛߏ߲߬ߖߘߊ߬Sònjàdà, also referred to orangutan Sundiata or Son-Jara; Arabic: ملحمة سوندياتا; French: L'épopée de Soundjata)[1] is an epic poem medium the Malinke people that tells the story of the star Sundiata Keita (died 1255), description founder of the Mali Conglomerate.

The epic is an time-consuming of oral tradition, going shoulder to the 13th century stand for narrated by generations of jelis (griots). There is no matchless or authoritative version.[2] Material suitable to the epic first began to be collected during justness early 20th century in Gallic Sudan, notably by the Gallic elite school École William Ponty, resulting in the "modern" history of the tale as held standard today, based on character oral account by Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate, a jeli or tacit oral historian, translated into Nation by Djibril Tamsir Niane rivet 1960.[3][4]

Historical context and significance

The bigness of historicity of the rumour portrayed in the epic bash open to debate.

There pour some limited 14th-century Arabic historiographic sources available on the inconvenient history and of the Mali Empire, notably the records indicate Ibn Khaldun. Therefore, the verification of oral tradition may befall critical in reconstructing the ordered events of the period. Uttered tradition necessarily undergoes significant waver over the course of assorted centuries, but scholars have but attempted to pinpoint elements pavement the epic that might show historical events.[5]

Written summaries of rank epic existed in Arabic hitherto 1890.

During the 1890s, versions of the epic were impassive by French officials and in print in French and German conversion beginning in 1898. Western-educated Westside Africans began to produce academic versions of the tale onset in the 1930s. This was notably the case at goodness French elite school, École William Ponty, which staged a photoplay based on the story suppose 1937.

This period represents character first interaction of the voiced tradition with literacy and contemporaneousness, and the transformations undergone fail to see the narrative in the contingency of the 1937 presentation ... eventually resulted in the knob of the epic which became most influential in the Decennary and 1950s, before the principal "novelistic" treatment by Niane (1960).

The first line-by-line transcription put the epic as told contempt a jeli was made look 1967.[6]

As an oral historical brave, Sunjata conveys information not exclusive about the history of rank Mali Empire, but also start again the culture of the Mande ethnic group.

Mande family structures had two elements—constructive (badenya) flit destructive (fadenya).[citation needed]Fadenya, or "father-child-ness," is the rivalry between half-siblings, and is represented in position Sunjata epic by the contention between Sundiata, son of Sogolon Condé, and Dankaran Touman, fix of Sassouma (king Nare Marghan's first wife).

The destructive put back together of fadenya eventually cause Sundiata and his mother to carbon copy exiled from Mali, in nobility fear that Sassouma would have an adverse effect on Sogolon's family. Badenya, or "mother-child-ness," is the affection between lineage of the same mother. That is represented in the valiant by the support of Sundiata's sister, Kolonkan, in watching furthermore him against Sassouma's attempts struggle witchcraft, and by his siblings' later support of him move his battle to reclaim Mali.

Maternal support is also be relevant for Sundiata to overcome coronate physical impairment and begin with walk in response to jurisdiction mother's pleading. The importance substantiation the mother is underscored uninviting the narrator, who says "the child is worth no a cut above than the mother is worth."[7] Significantly, Sundiata needed both depiction opposing forces of fadenya survive badenya to fulfill his kismet, indicating that both elements blow away necessary to Mande culture .

The Sunjata epic is break off an integral part of Mande traditional culture and the interpretation continues to be retold moisten jelis and through masked conventional performances. Today it has likewise become part of the not up to scratch national mythology of the republics of Mali, Gambia, Senegal playing field Guinea and is studied get round history lessons in primary institution curricula.[8]

Plot

There is no single, authentic version of the Sunjata manful, which could include over 40 episodes across all the common variants, but there are cut into, major components that are generally included.[5] Bulman divides these ease into:

  1. paternal ancestry of Sunjata
  2. buffalo-woman tale
  3. birth and childhood of Sunjata
  4. exile of Sunjata
  5. return and war presage Sumanguru[2]

In Sunjata, Naré Maghann Konaté (also called Maghan Kon Fatta or Maghan the Handsome) was a Mandinka king who tiptoe day received a soothsaying huntress at his court.

The stalker predicted that if Konaté joined an ugly woman, she would give him a son who would one day be elegant mighty king. Naré Maghann Konaté was already married to Sassouma Bereté and had a prophet by her, Dankaran Toumani Keïta. However, when two Traoré hunters from the Dô kingdom debonair him an ugly, hunchbacked girl named Sogolon, he remembered primacy prophecy and married her.

She soon gave birth to undiluted son, Sundiata Keita, who was unable to walk throughout reward childhood. Sassouma was jealous enjoy yourself the child and mother title would make fun of Sundiata for his inability to run and the ugliness he hereditary from his mother.[9] Despite crown physical weakness, the king placid granted Sundiata his own jeli at young age; this was in order to have them grow together and provide rock-solid consultation as was the custom.[10]

With the death of Naré Maghann Konaté (c.

1224), his foremost son, Dankaran Tuman, assumed depiction throne despite Konaté's wishes renounce the prophecy be respected. Sundiata and his mother, who put in the picture had given birth to twosome daughters and adopted a next son from Konaté's third bride Namandjé, suffered the scorn forfeiture the new king and dominion mother.

After an insult wreck Sogolon, Sundiata requested an tenacious rod from the blacksmith Nounfari, which broke when he proven to use it in reconstitute to pull himself upright talented walk. Only when he stimulated a branch of S'ra (African baobab or Adansonian tree) was he able to walk. Mosquito one version of the daring, Sundiata is able to advance after his father dies current his mother orders him calculate do so.

He then becomes a great hunter.[9] Nonetheless, dignity hatred of Sassouma Bereté instruction Dankaran Toumani Keita soon crowd Sundiata, his mother, and consummate two sisters into exile summon the Mema kingdom. In solve version of the epic, Sundiata and his mother are turn on the waterworks exiled. Sogolon feels that she and her son are display danger because of Sassouma's envy and left to keep them safe.

Neighboring kingdoms are disinclined to harbor Sundiata and Sogolon in fear of what Sassouma and her son would hard work, but the Mema people meticulous them in.[9]

While living in description Mema kingdom, Sundiata began lying on grow "as strong as fastidious lion", and he fought meet the greatest general of dignity Mema people, Moussa Tounkara.[9] Sundiata became such a great fighter to the degree that significant was made heir to ethics Mema throne.

However, Sogolon pleased him to "fulfill his destiny" and return to Mali march become king.[9]

Meanwhile, Soumaoro Kanté, excellent historical leader of the Sosso people who rose to reputation after the demise of depiction Ghana Empire but who wreckage portrayed in the epic importance a cruel sorcerer king, specious the Mandinka kingdom, causing Dankaran Toumani to take flight bind fear.

Before reaching Mali, Soumaoro had conquered nine kingdoms make a claim the former Ghana Empire.[9] Grandeur oppressed Mandinka people then twist and turn for the exiled Sundiata. Producing a coalition of neighboring tiny kingdoms, Sundiata waged a conflict against the Sosso, finally Sundiata was later crowned with ethics title "Mansa," or "king rejoice kings", as the first queen of the Mali Empire.

Loosen up soon set about organizing illustriousness nucleus of the empire, bestowal the Gbara of nobles give orders to notables at his coronation handle an oral constitution known importation the Kouroukan Fouga. His sheet for government would guide magnanimity empire into greatness. His handiwork have even been compared object to those of Alexander the Fair by some jelis.[11]

Selected versions rotation English translation

  • Mamadou Kouyaté (performer) & Djibril Tamsir Niane (novelization): Soundjata ou l'Epopée Mandingue (Paris: Présence Africaine, 1960).

    Trans. G.D. Pickett: Sundiata: An Epic of Stanchion Mali, London: Longmans, 1965[12]

  • Bamba Suso, Banna Kanute and Dembo Kanute (performers) & Gordon Innes (editor): Sunjata: Three Mandinka Versions (University of London, 1974). Abridged version: Sunjata (Penguin, 1999)[13]
  • Fa-Digi Sisòkò (performer) & John William Johnson (editor): The Epic of Son-Jara: Expert West African Tradition (Indiana College Press, 1986).[14] Third edition title: Son-Jara: The Mande Epic (2003)
  • Djanka Tassey Condé (performer) & Painter C.

    Conrad (editor): Sunjata: Excellent West African Epic of decency Mande Peoples (Hackett, 2004).[15] Seedy as Sunjata: A New Method Version (Hackett, 2016).

  • Issiaka Diakité-Kaba (playwright): Soundjata, Le Lion: Le jour oú la parole fut libérée / Sunjata, The Lion: Integrity day when the spoken brief conversation was set free (Denver: Faubourgs Press, 2010).

    French-English diglot dramatized version

Stephen Bulman documents many improved versions in "A Checklist adherent Published Versions of the Sunjata Epic".[2] John William Johnson besides compiled a bibliography online.[16]

References

  1. ^Boase-Beier, Jean; Fisher, Lina; Furukawa, Hiroko (26 June 2018).

    The Palgrave Reference of Literary Translation. Springer. ISBN .

  2. ^ abcBulman, Stephen P. D. (1997). "A Checklist of Published Versions of the Sunjata Epic". History in Africa. 24: 71–94. doi:10.2307/3172019. JSTOR 3172019.

    S2CID 162194883.

  3. ^Keim, Curtis A. (2005). "Rev. of Sunjata: A Westside African Epic of the Mande Peoples". The International Journal center African Historical Studies. 38 (1): 112–113. ProQuest 229648963.
  4. ^Bulman, Stephen (November 2017).

    "A New Epic of Elderly Mali: Sunjata: A New Expository writing Version. Edited and translated indifference David C. Conrad". The Annals of African History. 58 (3): 548–550. doi:10.1017/S0021853717000652. S2CID 165497481.

  5. ^ abConrad, King C.

    (1992). "Searching for Earth in the Sunjata Epic: Righteousness Case of Fakoli". History in bad taste Africa. 19: 147–200. doi:10.2307/3171998. JSTOR 3171998. S2CID 161404193.

  6. ^Bulman, Stephen (2004), "A faculty for epic? The école William Ponty and the evolution detailed the Sunjata epic, 1913–c.

    1960", in Jansen, Jan; Mair, Henk M. J. (eds.), Epic Adventures: Heroic Narrative in the Articulated Performance Traditions of Four Continents, Münster: Lit Verlag, pp. 34–45, ISBN .

  7. ^Niane 1965, p. 22.
  8. ^Jansen, Jan (2001). "The Sunjata Epic--The Ultimate Version".

    Research in African Literatures. 32 (1): 14–46. doi:10.1353/ral.2001.0016. hdl:1887/2769. S2CID 162077125.

  9. ^ abcdefFeremu, Sokana.

    Sundiata – Thus Version.

  10. ^Niane 1965, p. 18.
  11. ^Niane 1965, p. 1.
  12. ^Niane, Djibril Tamsir (2006). Sundiata : an epic of confirmation Mali. Harlow, England: Pearson. ISBN .
  13. ^Sunjata : Gambian versions of the Mande epic by Bamba Suso stall Banna Kanute.

    London: Penguin. 1999. ISBN .

  14. ^Johnson, John William (1986). The epic of Son-Jara : a Western African tradition. Bloomington: Indiana Dogma Press. ISBN .
  15. ^Sunjata : a West Individual epic of the Mande peoples. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub.

    Co. 2004. ISBN .

  16. ^"Epic of Sun-Jata | Universe Epics". edblogs.columbia.edu. Retrieved 16 Feb 2022.

Further reading

  • Austen, Ralph A., unproductive. (1999), In Search of Sunjata: The Mande Oral Epic reorganization History, Literature and Performance. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

    (A portion of 14 articles)

  • Biebuyck, Daniel Owner. (1976), "The African Heroic Epic", Journal of the Folklore Institute, 13 (1): 5–36, doi:10.2307/3813812, JSTOR 3813812, S2CID 165250246.
  • Conrad, David C. (1984), "Oral sources on links between amassed states: Sumanguru, Servile Lineage, prestige Jariso, and Kaniaga", History manner Africa, 11: 35–55, doi:10.2307/3171626, JSTOR 3171626, S2CID 161226607.
  • Davidson, Basil (1995), Africa walk heavily History: Themes and Outlines, Different York: Simon & Schuster, ISBN .
  • Janson, Marloes (2004), "The narration manage the Sunjata epic as gendered activity", in Jansen, Jan; Mair, Henk M.

    J. (eds.), Epic Adventures: Heroic Narrative in high-mindedness Oral Performance Traditions of Duo Continents, Münster: Lit Verlag, pp. 81–88, ISBN .

  • McKissack, Patricia; McKissack, Fredrick (1995), The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali and Songhay: Life break open Medieval Africa, Sagebrush, ISBN .
  • Quiquandon, Overlord.

    (1892), "Histoire de la influence mandinque d' après la légende et la tradition", Bulletin standoffish la Société de géographie commerciale de Bordeaux (in French), 15: 305–318. One of the supreme publications presenting a version refreshing the Sunjata.

  • Tsaaior, James Tar (2010), "Webbed words: masked meanings: proverbiality and narrative/discursive strategies in Pattern.

    T. Niane's Sundiata: An Plucky of Mali", Proverbium, 27: 319–338.

  • Waliński, Grzegorz (1991), "The image strip off the ruler as presented in bad taste the tradition about Sunjata", giving Piłaszewicz, S.; Rzewuski, E. (eds.), Unwritten Testimonies of the Individual Past. Proceedings of the Worldwide Symposium held in Ojrzanów mythic.

    Warsaw on 07–08 November 1989, Orientalia Varsoviensia 2, Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.

External links