Introduction

The Malian Empire was a prominent society of West Africa that helped spark the spread of Islam and the Trans-Saharan trade. From the Malian Empire rose their first Mansa or ruler, Sundiata Keita. Written sources surrounding the rule of Sundiata were a rarity, and most information existed in the “living” domain of oral tradition. That was until the mid-20th century, when a Griot, a performer who passed down stories of Sundiata, recounted his tale and the Sundiata Epic was then published. For my essay I will be focusing on the social aspects of the epic, specifically surrounding gendered relations. Women play a fundamental role in the Sundiata Epic and in the Malian Empire, however, it is evident that they are still recognized as the subordinate gender. Despite this, it is arguable that women were able to control the narrative without dominating the story. That statement has aided in the formation of my proposed question that I will be exploring throughout this paper: Were women more centralized in the story regardless of being the inferior gender, or did their duty in society disallow them to take on that role?

Before I consult the Sundiata Epic itself, I want to discuss Michael Gomez’s “The Meanings of Sunjata and the Dawn of Imperial Mali”. This piece gives valuable insight into many aspects of Malian society, including political, social, and cultural features. Gomez examines women’s influences on society within the Sundiata Epic. He illustrates how the early focus of the Sundiata Epic surrounds the “experiences and roles of women”^[1]. Although this is evident when reading and comprehending the Epic, what this analysis lacks is how women are not thoroughly analyzed beyond the beginning of the tale. However, Gomez does briefly mention the impact women had on Sundiata’s life by stating “The subsequent close association between Sunjata and his mother, then between Sunjata and his sister, reflects the degree to which Sunjata is the product of women, not just in the biological sense, but also in the ideational realm, their spiritual abilities indispensable to Sunjata's survival and rise.”^[2]. This assertion, although it is of utmost importance, does not come directly from the story. Since this is an inference, it can be easily argued against.

The Buffalo Woman

The beginning of the Sundiata Epic discusses the imperative story of the Buffalo Woman of Do. The tale surrounds an old woman who was treated poorly and as revenge she would turn into a buffalo and terrorize certain villages. Because of this, the King of Do promised that anyone who brought him the tail of the buffalo would get to pick any woman they wanted to marry. One day, the buffalo woman was approached by kind hunters who offered her some of their food. As a result, she decides to help the hunters defeat the buffalo, who she revealed to be herself. What she asked in return is that when the hunters get to choose their wife, they pick the ugliest woman named Sogolon Kedjou and bring her to King Maghan Kon Fatta. When the buffalo woman died, Sogolon Kedjou became her wraith or spiritual double.

Before the two hunters arrived with Sogolon, King Maghan had already heard the prophecy that his great successor (Sundiata) would be mothered by a hideous woman with a hunchback. The Sundiata Epic stated that “She is ugly, she is hideous, she bears on her back a disfiguring hump. Her monstrous eyes seem to have been merely laid on her face”^[3]. Despite the King honoring the prophecy and marrying Sogolon, her appearance was still continuously mentioned. Many people ignored the crucial role she played in the prophecy of making “Mali immortal forever”^[4], because they were overcome with disgust.

The Epic displays how during this time period women were heavily criticized for their physical beauty and were only seen as objects of marriage. Sogolon was saddened by the way people treated her and, in an effort, to cheer her up, the King’s Aunt exclaimed, “There, there, stop crying. It’s a new life beginning, you know, more beautiful than you think. You will be a mother and you will know the joy of being a queen surrounded by your children.”^[5] Although Sogolon would be Queen, the Epic shows us that her true role in society is to be a mother. She was the mother of the tenacious and resilient Sundiata, but a mother, nonetheless.

The story of the Buffalo woman holds great significance when evaluating the role of women within the Malian Empire and the Sundiata Epic. It displays the mystical strength and power women held during this time period. For without the Buffalo Woman and Sogolon, Mali would never have held the influence and power it did. However, it can also be argued that the story of the Buffalo Woman of Do demonstrates the drastic shift of women's influence on society before and after the rule of Sundiata. Gomez explained how “Sangara or Do (Daw) may therefore represent a place and time when the relationship between political power and gender, once fluid, was in the process of becoming a masculine preserve.”^[6] The Buffalo women may have passed down her strength and mystical energy to Sogolon in hopes of avoiding a more patronized and patriarchal society. And although Sogolon held power within the Epic, her power was ultimately surpassed by Sundiata.

Further Examination

The remainder of the Epic discusses Sundiata’s life in great detail, however, it neglects to mention the role of women, except for a few brief instances that contradict themselves. When Sundiata found Fran Kamara (his childhood friend) following his exile, Sundiata promised to make him “a great general, we will travel through many countries and emerge the strongest of all. Kings will tremble before us as a woman trembles before a man.”^[7] Despite having grown up with the influence of his mother, Sundiata still believed that women were inferior to men, supporting Gomez’s claim that the Malian Empire had become a masculine preserve. In contrast, before Sundiata made history and conquered Mali, Sundiata’s Griot, Balla Fasseke, told him “You are the son of Nare Maghan, but you are also the son of your mother Soogolon, the buffalo-woman, before whom powerless sorcerers shrank in fear. You have the strength and majesty of the lion; you have the might of the buffalo”^[8]. This statement displays the essential effect Sundiata’s mother had on his life. This is what gave him the strength to take back Mali and defeat his rival's army.

Conclusion

The Malian Empire would not have succeeded without the influence of women but did the people of Mali recognize this. Women’s stories may have been lost over the years because Griots were only men. Due to this, it is hard to conclude whether or not women played a more centralized or decentralized role in the story of Sundiata. The evidence that I have shown not only allows you to view both perspectives, but also helps to define the role of women after the rule of Sundiata. 

^[1] "The Meanings of Sunjata and the Dawn of Imperial Mali." In African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa, by Michael A. Gomez. Princeton University Press, 2018. (5)

^[2] Gomez, “The Meanings of Sunjata”, 7

^[3] Niane, Djibril Tamsir. Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. Revised., 2013.(6)

^[4] Niane, “Sundiata Epic”, 6

^[5] Niane, “Sundiata Epic”, 10

^[6] Gomez, “The Meaning of Sunjata”, 5

^[7] Niane, “Sundiata Epic”, 32

^[8] Niane, “Sundiata Epic”, (63)