Sundiata - The Lion King
The destiny of man lies not in the hands of man, but in the hands of the creator. Such was the epic of Sundiata, the son of the buffalo and the lion. He was born by the “ugly woman with the hump,” paralyzed and sent to exile by his brother, yet, he emerged as the greatest king of Mali Empire. This review examines the importance of Islam, the jinns (ancestral spirits) and griots in making Sundiata the Lion king, the advantages of ethnicity to his victory, and its relevance to “Africa” identity in the 13th century.
To begin with, Islam was the predominant religion in Mail during the 13th century and Sundiata’s lineage could be traced to Bilali, a devoted follower of the Prophet Muhammad. The muslims also believed in …show more content…
He began with Sundiata’s ancestors as history is critical to the epic of the great warrior. Maghan Kon Fatta, the king sits down outside his court one day when a hunter who possessed the gift of soothsaying foretells that his successor was yet to be born,and would be an offspring of his marriage to an ugly woman. The prophecy later came to fruition when two hunters brought the woman named Sogolon. Nare Maghan reminded by his griot of the prophecy of the hunter, takes Sogolon for wife but is unable ‘to possess her’ until his magic helps him get rid of her ‘wraith’ and Sundiata is conceived. Sundiata is born, but he is unable to walk or speak like every normal child. After the King’s death, Sogolon faces great insult from Sassouma Béreété challenging Sundiata to take his first great steps. Sundiata and his family are sent on exile from Niani. Years later, Sundiata still in exile, learns about the evil king Soumaoro Kanté who wanted control over Mali and beyond. A search party is organized to find Sundiata asking him to claim the kingship of Mali. War between Sundiata and Soumaoro becomes inevitable when Soumaoro refuses to let go of Balla Fasséké Sundiata’s griot. He offers sacrifices to a Jinn and he is able to defeat him with the use of a magical arrow. He finally returns to Niani and forms the great Mali