The epic of Son-Jara

by Johnson, John William

[This tale] celebrates the exploits of the legendary founder of the Empire of Old Mali some 750 years ago. [It] is widely recited today among the Mandekan-speaking peoples of West Africa. As performed by griots, or professional bards, it constitutes a virtual social, political, and cultural charter and embodies deep-rooted aspects of Mande cosmology and worldview.