Triple Threat: Religion, Magic, and Character in Niane’s Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali Anonymous College

D.T. Niane’s revised edition of Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali follows the journey from birth to adulthood of Sundiata, a developing prince and founder of the Mali empire. From a childhood of ridicule filled with gossip, disappointment, and the death of his father, Sundiata was able to overcome it all and fulfill his duty to reign as king. The author presents several themes throughout the book, all of which contributed to Sundiata’s ability to rise to power. In this epic, religion and magic are two major themes that can be ultimately tied to Sundiata’s rise to power since they are forces that helped him walk, worship the deities of new lands he traveled to, and battle an evil sorcerer.

The religious perspective present in this epic stems from the typical combination of traditional African religion and Islam that was often present in these societies. The religion practiced throughout the epic presents a polytheistic nature, filled with spirits and sorcerers and various intricate ways of worshipping them, such as animal sacrifice. From the very beginning of the epic, a belief in prophets is present as a force that influences the people. In The Buffalo Woman, a hunter approaches king Maghan Kon Fatta sitting under a silk-cotton...