Sundiata
The epic of Sundiata begins with the introduction of the griot, and narrator Mamadu Kouyate. Throughout the epic, the importance of the griot is stressed numerous times. When speaking of griots Mamadu Kouyate states that, “we are the repositories which harbor secrets many centuries old. The art of eloquence has no secrets for us; without us the names of kings would vanish into oblivion, we are the memory of mankind…” (Niane). It was through oral reciting that the epic was passed along for generations. Though in today’s society, information has taken on new mediums, it is just as important to the culture of today as it was to the culture of the Mandingo . Cultures change, but many of the things that comprise them remain constant. One of the elements of culture that has changed very little in value is religion. One can derive from the epic the importance of religion to the people of the Keita Dynasty . Specifically, the religions of Islam and Traditional African Religion are alluded to throughout the epic. In one of the first references to the Islamic religion Sogolon Kedjon, Sundiata’s mother, states that “the fortified town of Sosso was the bulwark of fetishism against the word of All
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Epic Sundiata, Sundiata Keita, Kon Fatta, Allah Niane, Mamadu Kouyate, Wagadu Roth, Religion Mali, Women Islamic, Touman Soumaoro, Mandingo Cultures, epic sundiata, throughout epic, traditional african, traditional african religion, late epic, rule mansa, african religion, physical strength, nationalistic feelings, strength woman, rule mansa kankan, mansa kankan musa, culture mali,
Approximate Word count = 1304
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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