Sundiata - Lion King of Mali

I enjoyed reading Sundiata: Lion King of Mali, if not for its story alone, then just based on the fact that I can’t recall having ever read an African story that came from being passed down for centuries.

As a story, Sundiata seems to be an interesting mix of actual history and elements that were added to make it more mystical and to give it more of a theme. It’s a different approach than many fairy tales we read where the story is entirely made up or isn’t as closely based to a singular event in history. I found the central message of the story to be one that’s also found in other places, which is that people shouldn’t overlook others that appear weak, because they may turn out to be very strong, whether in the way they appeared weak at first, or in a different way. I do think this message does have problems though. While in Sundiata I wouldn’t criticize it given that the story originated almost 1000 years ago, when it’s put into modern contexts, I think it can be questioned. My main objection is that what if someone isn’t strong? What if they don’t have those traits that “make up” for their disability? I think people should be valued just for being a person, not necessarily because they do something amazing. In movies where some kid is bullied and then ends up saving the day and being loved, it’s often not addressed that the kid shouldn’t have been bullied even if he didn’t save the day.

I also find some sympathy with Sassouma, her son was the rightful heir and then her husband just switched up on her and she was screwed. I’m not sure how African king succession works, but it seems kind of messed up. Granted, she still shouldn’t have gone against the previous king’s orders and also tried to kill Suandiata.

The illustrations in the book were really cool and aesthetically pleasing to me. I enjoyed how you could tell who characters were without there being a ton of detail, due to either something like wrinkles in their skin or the clothing they’re wearing. It seems like David Wisniewski uses the same style for most of his books, and I wonder if it’s unique to him or if there are other artists who use the same techniques.

I thought the concept of kings having a griot was pretty interesting, and it reminded me somewhat of the Hand of the King from Game of Thrones.

Granted, they serve somewhat different roles, but having a singular close advisor to the king is a similar concept. I've also been watching The West Wing, and it's like a President's Chief of Staff (John Spencer as Leo McGarry is amazing).

The story ends with a “happily ever after,” in that Sundiata “ruled the Bright Country for many golden years.” It makes me curious as to how many other African legends end in this manner, where everything turns out good. The theme is commonly associated with European fairy tales, but now that I think about it most stories do end on a note where everything is returned to normal and the good guys win. I guess the wording where they describe how things were good in the future too just reminded me of “happily ever after.”