Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali

Who it's for

The epic begins with a child who cannot walk and a mother who bears the mockery of the royal court for it, so readers who were bullied or underestimated, and parents who have been shamed because of a child's difference, find their experience at the heart of a.

Feelings it meets

• Chronic Illness
• Self-Worth

What it is

This epic from the Mande griot tradition was recorded by Djibril Tamsir Niane from the griot Mamadou Kouyaté and published in French in 1960, with G. D. Pickett's English translation appearing in 1965. It tells of Sundiata, son of Sogolon, who is ridiculed as a child for being unable to walk while his mother suffers the scorn of a co-wife, Sassouma Bérété.

Where to find it

In print as 'Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali' (D. T. Niane, trans. G. D. Pickett, Pearson/Longman) and widely in school and public libraries. Not public domain. Other griot versions are available in sch.

Before you start

Heads up: A disabled child mocked and struck.

Age: Ages 9+

I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.William Ernest Henley, “Invictus”