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African Oral Epics

Explore the rich Mande culture of West Africa through oral epics dating back over 2,000 years. Discover the intricate traditions of praise-singing griots, blacksmiths with occult powers, and skilled artisans who harness primal energies. Dive into the epic lore, genealogies, and musical skills passed down through generations. Witness the history chronicled by master narrators and the heroic exploits of legendary figures like Sundjata. Delve into a world where poetic narratives and musical performances preserve social customs, values, and clan relations, weaving together a tapestry of cultural unity and wisdom.

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African Oral Epics

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  1. African Oral Epics Mande peoples of West Africa • Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, • north Cote d’Ivoire, north Liberia, • south Mauritania • share common cultural traditions:2,000+ years of contact • speak closely related languagese.g. Mandinka, Bambara, Jula, Khasonke, Wangara, Malinke • believe in common originstraced to • Sundjata, 13th c.hunter-warrior • epic founder Mali Empire

  2. African Oral Epics Mande culture • nyamakalaw:hereditary professional guilds • jeli (griot or bard, loremaster, praise-singer) • numu(blacksmith - great occult power, authority) • garankule(leatherworker) • kule(woodworker) • nyama:occult powers andprimal energies of creation and destruction; initiated members of nyamakalaw skilled artisans;wield and release nyama in practicing their professions.

  3. African Oral Epics Mande culture "Ka nyama bo!" • jelior griotmaster nyama & occult secrets of the spoken word, epic lore, genealogies, cultural wisdom, musical skills, poetic formulas & artful improvisation in oral performance. • history’s chronicler, analyzer, interpreter • artistic entertainer • advisor and conscience of patrons • preserver of social customs and values • mediator betw human parties, spiritual-human worlds

  4. African Oral Epics • performance art • Professional narrator or griot(jeli, jali, gewel, gawlo, mabo, gesere, jesere, etc • creates as recites using open-ended formulas(not just memorized and repeated) • supported by singers, musicians, patrons, audience respondents • adjusts content & performance(different audiences & occasions, local traditions & patrons, values & social conditions) “with the death of each old man, a library is burnt.” --Amadou Hampete Ba

  5. legends of great exploits in “prose” and poetry genealogy recitations songs, chants praise-names, praise-poems proverbs, prayers incantations, oaths, blessings, curses Long poetic narratives spoken & sung to music Heroic content: e.g. heroes attuned to destiny Model clan-social relations, build cultural unity, preserve customs & values Oral performance traditions African Oral Epics genre definition

  6. African Oral Epics genre definition • Narrative mode tells complexstory in episodes based on place of action • theme groups: genealogies,incantations, prayers, curses,ideophones, praise-names, proverbs, oaths • Song mode celebratesimportant plot events • Transitions between episodes (e.g. proverb) w/no break in performance Kora lute-harp

  7. The Epic of Son-Jara* griot Fa-Digi Sisoko, 1968 • Episode One: Prologue in Paradise [Praise Song, ll. 1-6] • Nare Magan Konate!* • Sorcerer-Seizing-Sorcerer! • A man of power is hard to find. • And four mastersingers (Indeed) • O Kala Jula Sangoyi!** • Sorcerer-Seizing-Sorcerer…. (Mmm) • *Sundjata **Legendary bard of Old Mali

  8. The Epic of Son-Jara* griot Fa-Digi Sisoko, 1968 • [Adam, the forefather, & his successors evoked, ll. 7-30] • I sing of Biribiriba*(Indeed) • Of Naran Magan Konate *!…. • Stump-in-the-Dark-of-Night*! • Should you bump against it, • It will bump against you. (Indeed) • [Transitional Proverb between episodes, ll. 944-945] • What sitting will not solve, • Travel will resolve….(True)*Sundjata

  9. The Epic of Son-Jara • From Episode 4: The Manden • [Elder woman gives newborn Son-Jara gets his first praise-name, ll. 1123-1145] • She lifted the edge of the cloth…. • From the very top of Son-Jara’s head,(Indeed) • To the very tip of his toes, all hair!(Indeed) • The old mother went outside.(Indeed) • She laughed out: “Ha! Birth-givers! Hurrah! • “The little mother have borne a lion-thief.”(True) • Thus gave the old mother Son-Jara his name. • ….Son-Jara, Nare Magan Konate.(Indeed) • Simbon, Lion-Born-of-the-Cat.(Indeed)

  10. The Epic of Son-Jara griot Fa-Digi Sisoko, 1968 • King Dankaran Touman’s mother [Sassouma Berete] hexes • Son-Jara and makes him crippled, ll. 1151-1159 • The Berete woman, • She summoned to her a holy-man, • Charging him to pray to God, (Indeed) • So Son-Jara would not walk. (Indeed) • And summoned to her an Omen Master, • For him to read the signs in sand, (Indeed) • So Son-Jara could not walk. (Indeed) • For nine years, Son-Jara crawled upon the ground. • Magan Konate could not rise. (Indeed)

  11. The Epic of Son-Jara* Arr. Griot Foday Musa SusoCD:Jali Kunda(trans. Griot family):Griots of West Africa & Beyond (1997, Ellipsis Arts) Track 1: “Allah l’aake” [God’s Will](recorded Kolda, Senegal)koras (21-stringed harp lute: cowhide stretched over large gourd), drums, & voice Track 2: “Sunjata” (recorded Tabato, Guinea-Bissau) balafon (wooden xylophone w/gourd resonators), drums, & voice

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