Sundiata - Lecture notes 7 PDF

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Summary

This course was taught by Lisa Sisler. These notes cover information from the poem, Sundiata. It includes information on a majority of the characters from the poem. ...

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● Syncretism - combining new and old stuff together; blending of religious and cultural practices ● Animism - giving supernatural powers to objects; all nature is spiritually empowered ● Fetichism - giving mystical powers to objects; idol worship Family Tree: Maghan Kon Fatta (Lion) marries Sassouma  Berete___Dankaran Touman (1/2 brother) marries Sogolon Kedjou (Buffalo)_________Sundiata ___________Sogolon Kolonkan (sister) ___________Sogolon Djamarou (sister) marries Namandje Kamara_____M  anding Bory (1/2 brother) Gnankouman Doua: Maghan Kon Fatta’s griot Balla Fasseke: Gnankouman Doua’s son; Sundiata’s griot Other names for Sundiata: Sologon Djata; Maghan Sundiata; Sundiata Keita; Mari Djata; Nare Maghan Djata Clans: ● Keitas: Sundiata’s clan from his father’s side; family of Niani ● Konde: Royal family of Do; “uncles of Keitas ● Konate: Royal family of Toron who are made into cadets by Sundiata; the Konate become Keitas ● Kouyates: family of griots Allies of Sundiata: ● Manding Bory—1/2 brother and best friend ● Fran Kamara—Childhood friend; King of Tabon; Leader of the Sinikimbon Kamara; cousin of Kamandjan ● Kamandjan—King of Sibi; Leader of the Dalikimbon Kamara; cousin of Fran Kamara ● Mansa Konkon—Sorcerer; King of Djedeba; 1st person to offer Sundiata asylum during exile ● Mansa Traore—King of Traore; has an army of archers ● Mousaa Tounkara—King of Mema; cousin of Soumaba Cisse; granted Sundiata asylum for many years; made Sundiata viceroy of his empire ● Soumaba Cisse—King of Wagadou, Ghana; cousin of Mousaa Tounkara; granted Sundiata asylum until Sogolon gets ill. ● Siara Kouman Konate—Sundiata’s cousin from the land of Toron. Enemies of Sundiata:

Soumaoro Kante—Sorcerer King of Sosso Sosso Balla—Loyal son of Soumaoro Kante *Fakoli Koroma—nephew of Soumaoro Kante *Keleya—Wife of Fakoli Koroma; taken by Soumaoro Kante Noumounkeba—Tribal Chief who led the defense of Sosso after Soumaoro Kante was defeated ● *Soumosso Konkomba—leader of the 9 greatest witches of Mali hired by Sassouma Berete to kill Sundiata before he is exiled. ● *these characters “defect” and become allies of Sundiata.

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Places: ● Niani(ba): Sundiata’s hometown in Mali ● Do: Sogolon’s hometown, where the buffalo is slayed ● Djedeba: 1st village where Sundiata stays at the beginning of their exile ● Tabon: 2nd  place where Sundiata goes during exile; home of Sundiata’s friend Fran Kamara; will not let Sundiata stay. ● Wagadou: former capital of Ghana; ruled by the Cisse clan; 3rd  place Sundiata goes during exile; stays for approximately 1 year ● Mema: capital of a kingdom on the Niger River beyond Do; ruled by King Tounkara; Sundiata settles here for many years ● Sosso: land north of Niani; ruled by Soumaoro Kante, the Sorcerer King, Sundiata’s enemy ● Negueboria: site of the 2nd  battle between Sundiata and Sosso Balla ● Dayala: Village near Krina where Sundiata’s army camped before the battle at Krina ● Krina: site of the climactic battle between Sundiata’s and Soumaoro Kante’s armies ● Diaghan: located NW of Kita; city of the divines; King of Diaghan remains loyal to Soumaoro Kante even after he is defeated; Sundiata captures the city ● Koulikoro: where Soso Balla is captured and Soumaoro Kante disappears into the cave ● Kita: town of powerful sorcerers, north of Niani; ruled by Kita Mansa ● Ka-Ba: town where Sundiata hold great assemblies after defeating Sosso ● Sibi: town NE of Niani; ruled by Kamandjan Plot Breakdown: Words of the Griot— ● Djeli Mamoudo Kouyate: our narrator ● Be able to define what a griot is and what his role is in the culture ● Remember this is an oral culture 1st Kings of Mali—

● This is the history of the area ● We find out that Sundiata was a great conqueror and hunter who has ties to Mohammed ● Hunters, in this clan especially, have the power of magic at their disposal The Buffalo Woman— ● Explains how Maghan Kon Fatta receives a prophecy from a hunter that his unborn son will become a mighty king provided he conceive this son by marrying a woman that 2 hunters bring him ● THE STORY OF HOW THE 2 HUNTERS FIND THE WOMAN COMES NEXT ● 2 hunters in the Land of Do find that a buffalo has been killing hunters and no one can kill her ● an old woman crying by the river, ignored by others, tells the 2 hunters how to kill the buffalo because they share their food with her. She makes them promise to choose the very ugly maid as their reward from the king. This maid is Sogolon, who they bring to the king ● the end of page 9-page 11 describes the marriage ceremony ● the king is having trouble consummating the marriage; he questions if Sogolon is even human; finally he tricks her and Sogolon conceives The Lion Child— ● The rivalry between Sogolon and Sassouma Berete begins ○ Sassouma Berete begins plotting against Sogolon ○ Sundiata is born and named ○ Maghan Kon Fatta celebrates elaborately Childhood— ● We are reminded of Sundiata’s fate ● We learn that Sundiata cannot walk, that he is greedy, that he does not speak; that he has strong arms that he uses to hit other children ● Sassouma Berete taunts Sogolon because of this ● Sogolon and Sundiata lose favor with the King, but the King’s griot reminds him of the prophecy ● The king gives Sundiata Balla Fasseke as his griot

The Lion’s Awakening— ● The king dies (Sundiata is 7 and still not walking) ● Dankaran Touman, Sassouma Berete’s son becomes king ● Sologon is “exiled” to the backyard of the palace

● After Sogolon has to eat Sassouma Berete’s leftovers because Sundiata cannot hunt/ gather food, Sundiata sees his mother crying and vows to walk ● Iron smiths forge a large bar which Sundiata uses to stand and walk ● He quickly develops his strength and his popularity grows ● He and his friends—Fran Kamara (Tabon); Kamandjan (Sibi); Manding Bory (1/2 brother); and Balla Fasseke (griot) learn to hunt ● Sassouma Berete plots to kill Sundiata through magic ● The “rules” of magic are on page 24 ● Soumosso Konkomba, the head witch, “hired” to kill Sundiata does not because Sundiata is generous ● We find out that Sundiata’s sister, Kolonkan, is also well versed in magic, and told her brother what was happening so he did not fall into the witch’s trap Exile— ● The family leaves because Sogolon fears that Sassouma Berete will again attempt to kill one of her children ● Sundiata vows to return to overthrow Dankaran Touman ● We learn that Sundiata’s exile lasts 7 years ● 1st stop—Djedeba. They stay 2 months. King Mansa Konkon challenges Sundiata to a game of wori (a trap the King sets at Sassouma Berete’s request)—Sundiata wins with the help of Manding Bory. He wins a sword. ● 2nd stop—Tabon. Sundiata reunites with his childhood friend, Fran Kamara. The King will not let them stay so as not to upset the kingdom of Niani (Dankaran Touman and Sassouma Berete) ● 3rd stop—Wagadou, former capital of Ghana, ruled by the Cisse clan. Here they are treated like royalty. After a year here Sogolon falls ill and they leave in hopes of curing her ● 4th stop—Mema, ruled by Moussa Tounkara. Moussa Tounkara befriends Sundiata and takes him on his first military campaign. He makes Sundiata his viceroy. The people treat Sundiata and his family as their own; Sogolon gets better; she reminds Sundiata that his destiny lies in Mali Soumaoro Kante----● Mali falls under the control of Soumaoro Kante, King of Sosso ● Soumaoro Kante has been conquering regions and gaining power ● He descends from powerful people who mastered fire and he is a feared sorcerer ● His palace is a 7 story tower—he lives at the top amid his fetishes ● Delegates from all over Mali come to reason with him; he is not swayed, but when they leave, Balla Fasseke remains

● Soumaoro Kante threatens to destroy Niani if Dankaran Touman (Sundiata’s ½ bro) doesn’t acknowledge him as the king. (He does because he is scared and sends his sister to the king) ● Balla Fasseke sneaks into Soumaoro Kante’s bedroom and finds human skins on the wall, jars with heads in them (9 kings who he killed), a huge snake, 3 owls over the bed ● Balla Fasseke—versed in magic—protects himself from this and plays the giant balafon that is there. This makes the fetishes come alive. ● Soumaoro Kante even though he’s away knows someone is in his chamber and returns to kill Balla Fasseke ● When he returns home, Balla Fasseke is at the balafon singing a song to Soumaoro Kante, which he finds so beautiful he cannot kill him and orders him to stay in Sosso. ● War between Sundiata and Soumaoro Kante is now inevitable History: This section is a sort of “catch up”—it gives a recap; tells of griot duties; tells of Soumaoro Kante history a bit and of the battle to come The Baobab Leaves: ● Sundiata learns what is happening in Mali and is not happy ● Sogolon is sick; Manding Bory is now 15; his sisters are of marrying age ● Merchants from Mali come to Mema and visit with Sogolon and tell her of Soumaoro Kante. ● Sogolon dies ● Sundiata tells the king he must return to Mali; the king is not happy and doesn’t want Sundiata to bury Sogolon in Mema unless he pays for her plot ● An old man convinces the king to allow Sundiata to bury his mother or else he will be subjected to his wrath once he is king The Return: ● Sundiata is 18 and strong and wants to face his enemies. ● Moussa Tounkara gives Sundiata ½ his army ● He goes to Wagadou and gains ½ of their army ● He goes to Tabon, to pick up Fran Kamara ● Soumaoro Kante knows that Sundiata is coming but he is bust fighting Fakoli, his nephew, so he sends his son Sosso Balla to block Sundiata’s way to Tabon. ● Sundiata attacks Sosso Balla and his troops, cuts Sosso Balla, and Sosso Balla retreats. ● Soumaoro Kante decides to meet Sundiata in Tabon; Sundiata now has 5 armies with him ● The armies fight; Soumaoro Kante watches from the top of the hills; Sundiata is in the thick of battle.

● They attack Soumaoro Kante, but when they launch the spears, they bounce off him; upon a second attack, Soumaoro Kante disappears ● The troops camp for the night as Sundiata tries to figure out how to defeat Soumaoro Kante ● In the middle of the night, part of his army is surrounded by enemies, but they recover quickly and send the Sossos retreating.

The Names of Heros: ● All the tribes and kings of those tribes gather in the plains and name themselves as a type of “pep-talk” before battle Nanna Triban and Balla Fasseke: ● Sundiata’s army stops in Sibi to prepare. He contacts a soothsayer; is told to sacrifice 100 white rams, bulls, cocks. ● Nanna Triban and Balla Fasseke escape from Soumaoro Kante and join the army ● Nanna Triban tells that she knows how to defeat Soumaoro Kante as he cannot touch ergot (cock’s spur). If he doesn’t touch it he can concentrate the power of his ancestors—once he touches it cancels his powers. ● Sundiata asks for a special weapon to be prepared ● Nanna Triban and Balla Fasseke reaffirm their loyalty to Sundiata and Balla Fasseke helps to prepare the army for battle by telling of their previous feats. Krina: ● Sundiata will now block Soumaoro Kante’s path at Krina ● We learn that one doesn’t wage war without saying why it is being waged—with a declaration of grievances made first before fighting ● Soumaoro Kante sends one of his owls to this (pg 60 is this conversation) ● Fakoli, Soumaoro Kante’s nephew, comes to Sundiata to tell him that Soumaoro Kante has taken his wife and he pledges his allegiance to Sundiata ● There is a great pre-battle feast where Sundiata speaks to his army (pg 62-63) ● At daybreak Fakoli tells Sundiata that Soumaoro Kante is attempting to move his troops out of Krina ● Sundiata grabs his special bow and arrow and the army heads out ● During battle, Soumaoro Kante goes after his nephew, Sundaita goes after Soumaoro Kante who retreats from him. Sundiata pursues and stikes Soumaoro Kante with the ergot tipped arrow.

● Soumaoro Kante loses his powers; the bird of Krina (misfortune) flies overhead. Soumaoro Kante flees ● The Sossos seeing their King flee, take off too ● Fakoli and Sundiata pursure Soumaoro Kante and Sosso Balla; they want to take them alive ● Fakoli captures Sosso Balla ● Soumaoro Kante goes into a cave that is connected to a river (presumably, he will die from this) ● The Sossos return to Sosso and shut themselves up in the city, but Sundiata’s army marches there and camps as it is night ● Sundiata feeds his men double rations ● In the morning they burn the town by sending flaming arrows in; with the town on fire, the townspeople open the massive gate to retreat and the army moves in. ● Sundiata’s army massacres everyone and takes prisoners (women and children) ● All Soumaoro Kante’s fetishes had lost their power because he had lost his ● Sosso is destroyed completely The Empire/ The Division of the World: ● Discusses how Sundiata begins to set up his army and deal with surrounding kings, and make sacrifices to various jinns—of the lands, the water, etc. ● Sundiata returns to lands previously mentioned (Do) and sends gifts to others (Mema) ● Sundiata goes to Ka-Ba to speak to his people and there is a festival. Balla Fasseke speaks as the his griot, telling the story of the battle Niani: ● Sundiata returns to Mali to great welcomes, but he finds the town in ruins ● He begins to rebuild and plan his government – taxes, councils, etc. (see pg 81) ● Eventually, prosperity is returned because of his leadership. Eternal Mali: ● A conclusion stating Sundiata’s and Mali’s importance. ● And a final note from our griot....