Epic of Son-Jara

<p> . . . a major addition to the literature on oral traditions. --Journal of Religion in Africa<br /><br />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.</p>