Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali
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This study will examine the information which D.T. Niane's Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali reveals to us about religious institutions, beliefs and their roles in medieval Sudan. The character Sundiata, based on the historical leader of medieval Sudan, is a man who seems to be walking a rather broad line between Islam and more primitive religious beliefs. As such, he can be seen as a bridge of sorts between the two religious outlooks. Sundiata, in both Niane's work and in the historical accounts of the man and the era of his leadership, appears to be far more concerned with the earthly results of his actions than with the religious aspects of life. His interest in religious or spiritual matters seems to have been focused on their impact on his acquisition and maintenance of land and power. As we read in Robert W. July's A History of the African People, Although the early Mandinka princes were said to be Muslims, it seems likely that Sundiata was a pagan, and it was on the traditional relationships within clans and lineage that he built his administration. Securing these relationships by force and persuasion . . . , Sundiata established his capital, possibly at his ancestral village of Niani, from where he and his ancestors ruled their extensive empire (July 59-60). Sundiata's portrayal in the epic as recounted by Niane is of a leader who is willing to take advantage of whatever religious influence or power might help him in his heroic quest for power. As Niane writes, "Gene
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ways which appeared acceptable to denizens of those stories and those times. That is, Sundiata and his fellows seem to have been comfortable with what to us may appear the bringing together of elements of religious outlooks which do not belong together. He and they readily accepted elements of both traditional and Islamic elements, and referred to elements of both or either as they fit the occasion at hand.
Sundiata's mother seems to be the character most connected to Islam, as when she gives thanks after her crippled son miraculously stands and prepares to walk for the first time: "Oh day, what a beautiful day,/ Oh day, day of joy;/ Allah Almighty, you never created a finer day./ So my son is going to walk!" (Niane 21).
For the most part, however, and certainly with respect to the unfolding of the destiny of Sundiata, this epic consistently blends the ancient African religious outlook and Islam. Both perspectives, for example, see the individual's life as controlled by supernatural forces beyond that individual's control:
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
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1573
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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