Admin Table of Contents
Who are the characters in Sundiata?
Sundiata Characters
- Sundiata/Maghan Mari Djata. Son of Sogolon and Maghan Kon Fatta; brother of Manding Bory, Djamarou, and Kolonkon.
- Sogolon Kedjou. Sundiata’s mother, and the second wife of Maghan Kon Fatta.
- Manding Bory/Manding Boukari.
- Soumaoro Kanté
- Sassouma Bérété
- Dankaran Touman.
- Maghan Kon Fatta.
Who is the villain in Sundiata?
Soumaoro Kanté is portrayed as a villainous sorcerer-king in the national epic of Mali, the Epic of Sundiata. After his defeat at Kirina, he flees into the mountains of Koulikoro, where he “disappears” after being shot with only weapon to which he is vulnerable – an arrow with a white rooster spur arrowhead.
Who is Kolonkan in Sundiata?
Kolonkan is Sundiata’s sister and Sogolon’s first daughter with Maghan Kon Fatta. She uses witchcraft to protect Sundiata.
Who is Sundiata’s griot?
Balla Fasséké
In the ancient African oral tradition of the Epic of Sundjata, Balla Fasséké is Sundiata Keita’s griot. King Naré Maghann Konaté offered his son Sundiata a griot, Balla Fasséké, to advise him in his reign. He would go on to serve as the ancestor of the Kouyate dynasty of Malinke griots.
Who is Sundiata sister?
This is represented in the epic by the support of Sundiata’s sister, Kolonkan, in watching over him against Sassouma’s attempts at witchcraft, and by his siblings’ later support of him in his battle to reclaim Mali.
Who was the Buffalo woman in Sundiata?
Sogolon
Sogolon is known as the ‘buffalo woman’ for the hump on her back, her stoop and disfigured complexion and ridiculed for it. Yet, she also holds within her the secret of Mali’s potential future, as the mother of a prophesised king who can bring the twelve kingdoms of Mali together.
What is a totem in Sundiata?
Sundiata’s totem animals are the lion and the buffalo, representing his father and mother respectively: “You are the son of Nare Maghan, but you are also the son of your mother Sogolon, the buffalo-woman, before whom powerless sorcerers shrank in fear.
Who was the great conqueror before Sundiata?
Sundiata Keita
| Mansa Sundiata Keita | |
|---|---|
| Reign | c. 1235 – c. 1255 |
| Coronation | Crowned Mansa after The Battle of Kirina: c. 1235 |
| Predecessor | Naré Maghann Konaté and Dankaran Touman both as Faamas (Kings in Mandinka language – pre-Imperial Mali. As a Mansa (King of Kings), preceded by none). |
| Heir-apparent | Mansa Uli I |
What is the role of the griot in Sundiata’s journey?
Griots are very important to African culture; they are the keepers of tradition and are responsible for making sure things are done according to the customs of their ancestors. This is a very painstaking task because these customs are not written down; they are passed down by word of mouth.