Sunjata: A West African Epic of the Mande Peoples

David Conrad, Djanka Tassey Condé

Hackett Publishing, Sep 1, 2004 - Poetry - 256 pages

A pillar of the West African oral tradition for centuries, this epic traces the adventures and achievements of the Mande hero, Sunjata, as he liberates his people from Sumaworo Kante, the sorcerer king of Soso, and establishes the great medieval empire of Mali.

David Conrad conveys the strong narrative thrust of the Sunjata epic in his presentation of substantial excerpts from his translation of a performance by Djanka Tassey Conde. Readers approaching the epic for the first time will appreciate the translation's highly readable, poetic English as well as Conrad's informative Introduction and notes. Scholars will find the familiar heroes and heroines taking on new dimensions, secondary characters gaining increased prominence, and previously unknown figures emerging from obscurity.

Contents

• SUNJATA: 1
• Epilogue: 196
• Glossary of Frequently Used Maninka Terms: 198
• Major Characters: 200
• Suggestions for Further Reading: 204

About the author

David C. Conrad is Professor of History at the State University of New York, Oswego, and President of the Mande Studies Association.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Sunjata: A West African Epic of the Mande Peoples; Hackett Classics
• Authors: David Conrad, Djanka Tassey Condé
• Publisher: Hackett Publishing, 2004
• ISBN: 1603845798, 9781603845793
• Length: 256 pages
• Subjects: Poetry / Epic