Analysis and Commentary on The Epic of Sundiata

Throughout the history of mankind, almost every culture has an epic poem, a poetic narrative about significant event, often featuring a luminary. The epic of Sundiata is a story that was memorized orally and passed by griots for centuries. Mamadou Kouyate the original griot who tells the story explains that Sundiata’s father Maghan Kon Fatta was the king of a city called Niani. A soothsaying hunter tells the king that he produce an heir that would become a significant leader through impregnating an ugly woman. The hunters offer the king a woman named Sogolon to be his wife, the hunters received her by the means of defeating a repulsive buffalo. Sogolon is described as hideous and has a hunchback. The king takes Sogolon as his second wife and

People have been fascinated by tales of heroism for centuries. In ancient Mesopotamia, heroes give people hope and comfort, and fill them with strength. Ancient Mesopotamia is filled with tales of heroes- mighty warriors battling monsters, men ready to risk life and limb to save their true love or to fight for their nation. Still, there is a great difficulty that lies in defining what a hero truly is. Strength alone does not make a hero; nor does intelligence. Moreover, the Epic of Gilgamesh truly defines the definition of a hero. Gilgamesh is portrayed as a true hero through his skill, intelligence, willingness to die, reverence, and his respect for death.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is estimated to be about three thousand years old while the story of Sundiata is roughly one thousand years old; this gives us an ample time frame to compare the two. In order to do that we must first compare the conditions in which each are raised and how they handle the situation they are in. To start with we know nothing of Gilgamesh’s birth or childhood just that he is now king and described as being two-thirds divine and one-third human (Gilgamesh 38). We get a sense that there is supernatural machinery at play in Sundiata

The griot ends the epic by praising Sundiata and his rule of the golden age of the Mali Empire. He tells the audience that Mali is eternal and that reminders of history are everywhere, but only the griot can know

“The whole earth is the tomb of heroic men and their story is not given only on stone over their clay but abides everywhere without visible symbol woven into the stuff of other men’s lives,” said Perculus (PR). You’re born, you live a little, and then you die. There is no simpler way to sum up life. Often times this is done through oral tales, paintings, and various other ways. For those whose lives were truly something great, something memorable, their stories are transcripted into writings. Whether these are simple biographies or symbolic fictional works, stories are often based on someone greater than the writer. These “epic heros” are protagonists that fulfill their potential of greatness through using their bravery, strength and

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh, the hero of this epic, achieves many feats of skill, which makes him famous, but that is not the reason it is an epic. The Epic of Gilgamesh fulfills the requirements of an epic by being consistently relevant to a human society and carries immortal themes and messages. By looking at literature throughout history, one can infer the themes that are consistently passed on to other generations of humans. It is in human nature for people to want to excel in life and strive to make a name in this world for themselves. We want to be remembered by name or for something we have done. Most, who

The Epic of Gilgamesh has its place as one of the first examples of epic poetry in recorded history. The epic describes the adventures of the demigod-king Gilgamesh who, after the death of his close friend Enkidu, seeks immortality but is ultimately unsuccessful. This story arc is not dissimilar to those found in the epics of the ancient Greeks centuries later. This excerpt from The Epic of Gilgamesh clearly demonstrates Gilgamesh’s reckless lust for pride and fame at all costs.

Heroes are the people who demonstrate qualities of courage or outstanding achievements and are recognized for their influence in the society. Heroic characters are defined similarly in literatures as well. In the two literatures, Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali and The Odyssey, the main characters shape the plot the stories by their heroic abilities. The literatures also tend to illustrate how heroic qualities were perceived and portrayed in societies. Both characters come from different part of the world yet their plots are similar to each other. The protagonist from two literatures is on a quest to go home and to claim their ancestors’ throne, which is righteously theirs.

Sundiata has quite a few main themes throughout the book. During the core of the book the griot makes clear that man does not have power nor control over his own life. Sundiata's rise is predicted by soothsayers even before he is born, and a lot of his way towards the founding of the empire is basically a step towards grasping his destiny in life. The griot giggles at people who would challenge to disrupt or work against fate, for it happens to be something that is permanent. Among countless other things, the epic is indirectly an exploration of what assets explain Sundiata as an idol, and by allowance, what qualities are brave. when Sundiata is crippled when he was, little and could not walk, he had tough arms. But when he finally stands

Perhaps one of the main reasons the Epic of Gilgamesh is so popular and has lasted such a long time, is because it offers insight into the human concerns of people four thousand years ago, many of which are still relevant today. Some of these human concerns found in the book that are still applicable today include: the fear and concerns people have in relation to death, overwhelming desires to be immortal, and the impact a friendship has on a person’s life. It does not take a great deal of insight into The Epic of Gilgamesh for a person to locate these themes in the story, and even less introspection to relate to them.

There once lived a king, the great king of Uruk in Mesopotamia. This great leader was Gilgamesh. His preserved epic is of great significance to modern day culture. Through Gilgamesh, the fate of mankind is revealed, and the inevitable factor of change is expressed. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is a great love, followed by a lingering grief that cause a significant change in the character of Gilgamesh.

The story of Sundiata depicts the story of the foundation of the Mali Empire in West Africa. This story takes place during a transitional time period, when the trade network that linked towns and villages across western Africa attracted north African merchants who brought increasing Muslim influence. The Mali Empire was one of the great

When you’re a child, you get to understand your culture. You live with it everyday, but when you grow up, things change in your life that might make you experience new things. That’s what happened to Sundara, when she found something else that was new and exciting for her .

The sacred traditions, customs, and beliefs of ancient Mali is a story of epic proportions. To retrieve the great lineage of the First Kings of Mali and learn the history behind certain rituals told by an exquisite narrative that is perfectly woven together through different stories. The legend of Sundiata stresses the importance of understanding and respecting one’s history. In D. T. Niane’s “Sundiata An Epic of Old Mali,” the African history of Mali is presented through tribal customs, honor, and jealousy between brothers.

The Ramayana is a text that plays a major significance in the Hindu tradition. It was written by a Sage named Valmiki between the fifth and fourth century BC. The Ramayana belongs to the genre “Itihasa” which is the combination of history and myth. It plays a significant role in the lives of most Hindu’s particularly because of the protagonist Ram. Ram, in the traditional telling of the Ramayana is depicted as a man who is loyal and trustworthy. However, in Paley’s adaptation, Ram is the antagonist and analogous to the modern day man who “breaks hearts”. Unlike most interpretations of the Ramayana, the one in the movie Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley is rather peculiar. This adaptation caused a lot of controversy because of its