In ancient Mali, many great leaders had prophecies about their futures. The use of soothsayers and priests to tell the future was widespread, but especially distinct among leaders, who would go to great lengths to get their future foretold. However, there is much more to being a good leader than just a prophecy. Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali by D.T. Niani is the story of one such leader with a prophecy and his quest to become great. Throughout the text, there are actions Sundiata must take and qualities he must have in order to achieve his greatness. The message of Sundiata about the meaning of greatness is that although some leaders are born with great destinies, physical command and authority, morality, and working hard with others are what
…show more content…
In the middle of the epic, Sundiata has to defeat Soumaoro, the leader of the Sossos, who has taken over Mali. He relies on Fakoli to help him track down Soumaoro for the last battle: “His eyes red with anger, Sundiata pulled his cavalry over to the left in the direction of the hills where Fakoli was valiantly enduring his uncle’s blows. But wherever the son of the buffalo passed, death rejoiced” (66). This quote shows that Sundiata was not just handed his empire. He had to go out and fight for it, just like a ruler without a prophecy. He led his army with Fakoli, and he had to trust that Fakoli would stay loyal. Sundiata easily could have been killed in this raid if he had not trusted that Fakoli, but as a true leader, he knew that he had to trust him. Sundiata never would have realized his destiny if he had not gone out and fought for what he believed he deserved and trusted in his fellow …show more content…
Sundiata was physically strong and authoritative which assisted in getting people to pay attention to him. He acted with mortality even when a group of old women tried to steal from him. He did not seek revenge, but instead offered them spices and food. But even all of this was not enough, because he still had to work hard and create alliances. Although in the United States we vote for our leaders, there still are many leaders who are born with great expectations due to so called political dynasties. However, just like Sundiata, these leaders must have the right qualities and work hard to get in power. The message of Sundiata is that although some leaders are born with great destinies, there is actually much more to a great
In the middle of the epic, Sundiata has to defeat Soumaoro, the leader of the Sossos, who has taken over Mali. He relies on Fakoli to help him track down Soumaoro for the last battle: “His eyes red with anger, Sundiata pulled his cavalry over to the left in the direction of the hills where Fakoli was valiantly enduring his uncle’s blows. But wherever the son of the buffalo passed, death rejoiced” (66). This quote shows that Sundiata was not just handed his empire. He had to go out and fight for it, just like a ruler without a prophecy. He led his army with Fakoli, and he had to trust that Fakoli would stay loyal. Sundiata easily could have been killed in this raid if he had not trusted that Fakoli, but as a true leader, he knew that he had to trust him. Sundiata never would have realized his destiny if he had not gone out and fought for what he believed he deserved and trusted in his fellow …show more content…
Sundiata was physically strong and authoritative which assisted in getting people to pay attention to him. He acted with mortality even when a group of old women tried to steal from him. He did not seek revenge, but instead offered them spices and food. But even all of this was not enough, because he still had to work hard and create alliances. Although in the United States we vote for our leaders, there still are many leaders who are born with great expectations due to so called political dynasties. However, just like Sundiata, these leaders must have the right qualities and work hard to get in power. The message of Sundiata is that although some leaders are born with great destinies, there is actually much more to a great