Epic of Sundiata

E650145
Mandinka oral tradition West African epic oral epic

The Epic of Sundiata is a foundational West African oral narrative that recounts the life and rise to power of Sundiata Keita, legendary founder of the Mali Empire, and serves as a key source of Mandinka history and cultural identity.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Mandinka oral tradition ⓘ
West African epic ⓘ
oral epic ⓘ
about founding of the Mali Empire ⓘ
antagonist Soumaoro Kanté NERFINISHED ⓘ
associatedWithCulture Mande peoples NERFINISHED ⓘ
Mandinka people NERFINISHED ⓘ
containsMotif battle against usurper ⓘ
exile and return ⓘ
heroic birth ⓘ
prophecy of greatness ⓘ
depicts life of Sundiata Keita ⓘ
rise to power of Sundiata Keita ⓘ
function cultural identity marker ⓘ
historical record ⓘ
moral instruction ⓘ
political legitimation ⓘ
genre epic poetry ⓘ
hasCharacter Dankaran Touman NERFINISHED ⓘ
Nare Maghan NERFINISHED ⓘ
Sogolon Conde NERFINISHED ⓘ
Soumaoro Kanté NERFINISHED ⓘ
hasLanguage Mandinka language NERFINISHED ⓘ
other Mande languages ⓘ
hasMainCharacter Sundiata Keita NERFINISHED ⓘ
influences Mandinka historical consciousness ⓘ
West African literature ⓘ
narrativeForm oral performance ⓘ
originatesFrom Mali region NERFINISHED ⓘ
West Africa NERFINISHED ⓘ
performedBy griots NERFINISHED ⓘ
jeliw NERFINISHED ⓘ
preserves Mandinka social values ⓘ
genealogies of Mande rulers ⓘ
recognizedAs foundational text of Mali Empire history ⓘ
key source for Mandinka history ⓘ
symbol of Mandinka cultural identity ⓘ
settingRegion Manden NERFINISHED ⓘ
Upper Niger region NERFINISHED ⓘ
theme community solidarity ⓘ
destiny and fate ⓘ
legitimate kingship ⓘ
overcoming physical disability ⓘ
timeOfSetting 13th century ⓘ
reign of Sundiata Keita ⓘ
transmissionMode oral tradition ⓘ
usedIn education in Mandinka communities ⓘ
studies of African oral literature ⓘ

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mandika → oralEpic → Epic of Sundiata ⓘ
subject surface form: Mandinka
Keita dynasty → historicalSource → Epic of Sundiata ⓘ
Sundiata Keita → sourceOfInformation → Epic of Sundiata ⓘ