Sundiata​

Reading and Writing Workshop: Epic Poetry through Sundiata
Primary Text:

• Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali, translated by D.T. Niane (public domain version)
  • https://archive.org/details/SundiataAnEpicOfOldMali/page/n1/mode/2up

Session 1: The Hero’s Birth and Prophecy
Focus:

• Explore the motif of the miraculous or fated birth of the epic hero.
• Examine how prophecy sets the hero's destiny in motion.

Texts:

• Sundiata, Chapter: "The Buffalo Woman" and "The Lion Child"
• The Iliad by Homer (Book 1 – The birth of Achilles)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2199
• The Epic of Gilgamesh (Tablet I – Gilgamesh's extraordinary nature)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11000

Writing Prompt:

• Compare how destiny and prophecy shape Sundiata, Achilles, and Gilgamesh from birth.

Session 2: The Outcast Hero
Focus:

• The exile or departure of the hero and the motif of transformation during hardship.

Texts:

• Sundiata, Chapter: "Exile"
• The Aeneid by Virgil (Book 1 – Aeneas in exile)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/228
• The Ramayana by Valmiki (Book 2 – The exile of Rama)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24869

Writing Prompt:

• Analyze how exile strengthens or transforms the hero in these epics.

Session 3: Divine and Supernatural Aid
Focus:

• The motif of the hero receiving guidance or aid from supernatural beings.

Texts:

• Sundiata, Chapter: "The Return"
• The Odyssey by Homer (Book 5 – Athena and Calypso aiding Odysseus)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1727
• Beowulf (lines 1384–1631 – Beowulf's battle with Grendel’s mother and his protected armor)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/981

Writing Prompt:

• How does divine or supernatural aid change the outcome of a hero’s quest in these stories?

Session 4: The Hero’s Return and Battle for the Kingdom
Focus:

• The hero’s return from exile and the climactic battle to restore order.

Texts:

• Sundiata, Chapter: "The Battle of Krina"
• The Song of Roland (laisses 79–176 – Battle of Roncevaux Pass)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/391
• The Mahabharata (Book 5 – The Pandavas prepare for war)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15474

Writing Prompt:

• Discuss how the hero’s return and final battle reflect justice or destiny in each epic.

Session 5: Legacy and Heroic Memory
​Focus:

• The motif of the hero’s legacy and how the hero is immortalized in oral tradition.

Texts:

• Sundiata, Chapter: "Eternal Mali"
• The Divine Comedy by Dante (Canto 34 – Final reckoning and the journey’s conclusion)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8800
• Paradise Lost by John Milton (Book 12 – Adam and Eve’s future and mankind’s destiny)
  • https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20

Writing Prompt:

• Reflect on how Sundiata and other epics create a lasting legacy and moral message for future generations.

Final Project:

• Write a comparative essay or creative epic scene that blends elements from Sundiata and another epic we explored.