Introduction
The Epic of Sundiata is told from the point of view of the griot–both a storyteller and the keeper of history. The narrator, Kouyate, starts off by giving an account of Sundiata’s ancestors. Kouyate first describes the founding king of the Mali Empire before narrowing down to narrating the life journey of Sundiata and his quest to become the last ruler of Mali Empire. For the purpose of clarity, the Mali Empire was one of the three great medieval West African empires. However, while this paper identifies physical strength, bravery and ability to forge alliances as key characteristics that define Sundiata, it maintains that he was a destined hero.
The Characteristics that Define Sundiata as a Hero
The most outstanding characteristic of Sundiata, as described by the narrator, is his physical strength. In fact, it is his stability that sets him apart from his counterparts. Despite suffering from a disability that left him crawling at three years, he possessed great strength in his arms (Niane 15). This character came to light once he was able to stand at age seven – he walked to an enormous tree located outside Niani and pulled it from the ground and went ahead to plant it outside his mother’s hut (Niane 21). This act alone was a heroic feat for someone at his age to accomplish. His display of great stability continued throughout his childhood and young adulthood. Many of his peers and allies knew that Sundiata was destined to be a successful warrior and conqueror. At the age of eighteen years, he was ready to face his enemies.
Secondly, Sundiata’s bravery was yet another important characteristic that defined him as a hero. The first instant where his courage became eminent was during the struggle to liberate his people from the tyrant rule of his stepbrother. However, the epic moment was when he entered into a brutal battle with King Suomaoro who, at the time, had taken over the Malian city of Kaba. It is important to note Suomaoro was the most feared King following his many successful conquests – he managed to kill up to nine kings. The evidence of Suomaoro’s fierceness was recorded by Balla Fasseke, who had been taken captive by this king. “There was one in the middle of the room on which the king sat; round an earthenware jar nine heads formed a circle” (Niane 39).The fact that Sundiata was not shaken by Soumaoro’s fierce nature is a clear sign of his bravery and a determination to save his people.
The last characteristic that defined Sundiata as a hero revolved around his ability to forge an alliance system that eventually helped him take over Mali. For instance, after he was sent into exile together with his immediate family, Sundiata started looking for ways of forming social network alliances. His first action towards forming an alliance system involved the town of Tabon where he met one of his old childhood companions. He used this meeting to his advantage, and promised to pick him on his way back to Mali (Niane 31). The same happened when he met King of Ghana, Sundiata saw an opportunity to establish ties with an extra-familial force. Just like in other kingdoms, he gains a few allies in Mema. In fact, the great respect that the King of Ghana had accorded Sundiata the “Lion of Mali” allows him to gain another strong ally with Moussa Tounkara, the cousin of Soumaba (Niane 37). Most importantly, Sundiata, after helping the army defeat the mountaineers, became their best friend – he gained trust and tremendous respect from other warriors.
Qualities that are considered Heroic in Malian Society
In order to understand the qualities that are considered heroic, it is imperative to first understand a brief history of Malian society as described by the narrator. According to Kouyaté, Mali “was a province of the Bambara kings; those who are today called Mandingo” (Niane 2). He further added that the inhabitants of Mali came from the East – they are not indigenous. “Bilali Bounama, the ancestor of the Keitas, was the faithful servant of the Prophet Muhammad” and he was blessed with seven sons (Niane 2). The eldest son, Lawalo, left the Holy City and went to settle in Mali. He later had Latal Kalabi for a son and that is how the Malian society emerged.
Therefore, the main qualities that are considered heroic and of good kinship in Malian society relate to integrity and generosity. The Malian society and its people saw these qualities in Sundiata, which explains why he was destined to be a leader right from birth. It is his generosity and integrity that made him popular and a hero to his people. Since birth, Sundiata was viewed by his people as mature and generous – this continued throughout his life and eventually into adulthood. A good example to illustrate this was when the sorceresses invaded Sogolan’s garden with the intention of finding Sundiata and killing him. To their disbelief, Sundiata did not fight them but instead offered them produce. They said “we had come here to test you. We have no need of condiments but your generosity disarms us” (Niane 26). They later admitted that the queen had sent them to provoke him to anger.
Similarly, the fact that he managed to defeat Suomaoro was because he had earned the loyalty of other kings and soldiers – they all supported him. His followers believed him because of his virtues and knew very well that, as King, Sundiata was the one to bring order as well as restore justice to Mali. Although his legitimacy as a ruler came partly from destiny, as will be discussed later, he needed to be kind and just in order to be considered as a hero to those who fought alongside him.
Personal Opinion
Overall, this paper holds that Sundiata was destined to be a hero right from birth. As described by Griot, no man is in control of his fate. It is evidenced in the text that Sundiata’s rise to being a ruler was foretold by the soothsayers way before he was born and much of his journey towards the founding of the empire is seen as steps towards realizing his destiny. However, there is much controversy in how Sundiata turns out – he failed to walk until seven years, but this happened to facilitate him achieving his destiny. For example, his exile allowed Sundiata and his mother to learn more about other people and make new alliances with other empires. These alliances later helped him defeat Suomaoro, the great and most feared ruler. Throughout the Epic of Sundiata, the griot would laugh at those who try to work against destiny– it is immovable. As a matter of fact, Sundiata was set apart from other allies like Manding Bory he acted as a hero without being taught to be one. It, therefore, follows that Sundiata was a true representation of a destined hero, as preordained by the gods.
Conclusion
The Epic of Sundiata, as a piece of oral history, strives to explain the founding of the Mali Empire. Kouyate gives an overview of Sundiata, specifically his quest to become ruler. However, in Malian Society, as described above, a hero or ruler should display several characteristics such as physical strength, bravery and the ability to forge alliances. It, therefore, follows that Sundiata was a true definition of a destined hero.
Work Cited
Niane, Djibril Tamsir. Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. Longman, 1970.