Sundiata Alexander the Great\'s Legacy

Sundiata

Alexander the Great's legacy can be felt throughout the epic Sundiata, even stronger than the tendrils of Islam. The Sundiata mirrors ancient Greek epic literature in several respects: a prophesied hero; exile; power struggles; jealousies; journeys; family strife; and sorcery. However, the titular hero of the Sundiata has no hubris, no typical tragic flaw like Oedipus or any other Greek hero. His heroism is magnanimous, even selfless, in keeping with the Muslim notion of heroic virtue. Sundiata's only flaw was not a character defect that led to a tragic downfall but a physical affliction which he overcame with aplomb. Unlike Greek heroes, too, Sundiata transformed his greatest weakness into a strategic strength, tricking his enemies into believing he was weak, powerless, and incapable of standing up to the brutality of the demon-king. Sundiata embodies elements of traditional, African, Greek, and Islamic heroism. Therefore the epic Sundiata reveals the effects of cultural context and contextual interpretation on the hero archetype.

Sundiata, who is also known as the Lion Child and the Lion King, was not from a humble upbringing. His noble birth directly enabled him to rise to power. At the same time, Sundiata did have to overcome immense adversity to succeed. Not an American hero, who would have transformed rags to riches, Sundiata is more like Siddhartha: a noble hero who does not fall pray to personal pride and who does not derive his political power from his birthright. Rather, Sundiata becomes a hero by his own efforts, overcoming his birth defect, the scorn of his jealous step mother and step siblings, and being forced into exile. Sundiata is also a moralistic hero who emerges as a role model for boys and men. He is neither fully nor partly divine and in fact his childhood physical disabilities underscore his essential humanity. Sundiata's enemies are equally as realistic and therefore the story sends a general message about overcoming adversity with grace, aplomb, and integrity.

Several of Sudiata's features make him stand out as a uniquely Malian hero. He achieved his goals through the necessary assistance of shamans and sorceresses whose traditions are time-honored. Those shamanic references rest comfortably beside Muslim mythos and tradition. Religious belief, practice, and moral discourse in the Sundiata is a complex hybrid of shamanic and Muslim faiths. The blend is also evident in the diverse cultures of Western Africa that gave rise to the epic.

Muslim references and messages also add nuances to the epic, revealing much about the evolution of West African culture. The Sundiata is therefore a window into Malian and Ghanese cultures. For example, polygamy is one of the most salient themes of the Sundiata, one of the social trends that unite traditional African and Muslim cultures and which sets them apart from European, Greek, and Christian influences. The jealousies and betrayals that emerge within the polygamous social structure have a strong bearing on Sundiata's fate. He is sent into exile due to the conniving influence of one of his step-mothers.