The story of Sunjata is set in West Africa, particularly in Mali and Guinea. Sunjata was born of Maghan Kon Fatta, a Madinka king. The narrative goes that a seer told Maghan, the king that if he married an ugly woman, the son that would be born would be a very powerful king (Conrad & Condé, 2014). Although Maghan already had a son, he was presented with an ugly woman, Sogolon. That was how Sogolon came to be. Because of Sogolon’s ugliness and inability to walk properly, the family was subjected to constant ridicule.
When the king dies, Sogolon and Sunjata, are sent to exile. Perhaps the most prominent aspect that stands out of the story is the use of magic and how people believed that some people’s success comes as a result of possessing extraordinary power. One of the people that are perceived to have magic which was referred to as dalilu was Sogolon (Conrad & Condé, 2014). It is even written that Sogolon performed her magic rituals to her husband when she first met him. It is even said that she darted hot breast milk at her husband and also tried to spear him in the chest.
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The story of Sunjata is identical to many African traditional stories as well as other cultures from different parts of the world such as Brazil. One of the other countries in Africa that has many narratives about sorcery is Nigeria. Usually, the stories almost have the same plot. Families of kings, who are usually polygamous find themselves antagonizing after the death of the king. The king might choose his successor, but the step-family may not consent. Disputes usually arise where women try to use evil means to ensure that their sons ascend to power. Sunjata’s story presents such a case; that some step-mothers are not happy with the success of the children of their co-wives.
References
Conrad, D. C., & Condé, D. T. (Eds.). (2014). Sunjata: A West African epic of the Mande peoples . Hackett Publishing.
