WEEK 15: Sundiata

Sundiata is an African literature, it centers on how Sundiata became king of Mali. Maghan Sundiata, Mari-Djata, Sologon Djata, and Maghan Djata also known as “the son of the Buffalo, the son of the Lion” (pp.2). Sundiata’s mother was Sogolon Kedjou, the buffalo woman’s “wraith”. But Sogolon was not beautiful, in fact she was ugly and has a hunchback. Two hunters came to the village along with Sagolon. They offered her to the king and received a prediction, that his “successor is not yet born” (pp.5) and that “this is the woman you must marry, sire, for she will be the mother of him who will make the name of Mali immortal for ever”  (pp.6). The king of Mali, Maghan Kon Fatta lived in a town known as Nianiba. Sogolon bare a boy who they named Mari Djata. Sundiata was already three and he could not walk, this worried and made unhappy  the king since all the infants at that age walked. The king died, and Dankaran Touman was proclaimed king of Mali. Sundiata was seven and still could not walk, that made Sassouma humiliate Sogolon. Sogolon was cried and hit Sundiata, By this event made Sundiata to have strength and asked for a giant iron bar to be made for him, Sundiata could walk again. Everyone follow him, “But what can one do against destiny? Nothing. Man, under the influence of certain illusions, thinks he can alter the course which God has mapped out, but everything he does falls into a higher order which he barely understands” (pp.22), even if it took time Sundiata was able to walk again and he was going to fulfilled his destiny, as nobody can change that.  Sassouma saw the help of nine witches because she wanted to get rid of Sundiata, since she saw that he was a risk for her son, Dankaran Touman. Sogolon and her children were exile from Mali.

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