..". a major addition to the literature on oral traditions." Journal of Religion in Africa

This 750-year-old epic celebrates the exploits of the legendary founder of the Empire of Old Mali. It constitutes a virtual social, political, and cultural charter and embodies deep-rooted aspects of Mande cosmology. The fully annotated translation is accompanied by an introduction that provides a historical and contextual framework for understanding the recitation of this African epic.

The epic of Son-Jara (also known as Sunjata or Sundiata) celebrates the exploits of the legendary founder of the Empire of Old Mali and is still widely recited among Mandekan-speaking peoples of West Africa today. As performed by griots, or professional bards, it embodies deeply rooted aspects of Mande cosmology and worldview. This edition of the epic presents the full, linear Mandekan text side by side with John William Johnson s important English translation. Fully annotated and explained, the text provides historical and contextual frameworks for understanding this African epic. A...

This is a completely new edition of the only scholarly work on the poetryof popular and mass culture among a people who are renowned for their passion forpoetry. Johnson traces the heello movement from its origins as a youth culture whichin its early days was concerned with themes of love and pleasure. It later becamethe medium for freedom songs in the preindependence period, for the expression ofmodern political ideas, political protest, rallying songs and social comment, manyexamples of which are cited in this volume. Heello became the most dynamic form ofSomali poetry in this century....

"The editors... must be congratulated... Long live the African storytellers " --Africa Today

"It is difficult to imagine a more practical introduction to contemporary African epic than this anthology... no other single volume comprehends the full scope of African epic (as opposed to praise poetry) the way this one does.... The stories are engaging, and the free-verse translations are surprisingly readable.... Recommended for all academic collections." --Choice

Western culture traces its literary heritage to such well-known epics as the Iliad and the Odyssey and Gilgamesh. But...