Discussion: as a class, discuss the similarities between Disney's The Lion King and the Sundiata Keita 4. Sundiata - King of Mali Sundiata is remembered as the first of the kings of Mali. According to legend Sundiata was the youngest of eleven males. In 1324, accompanied by some 60,000 people and carrying large quantities of gold, Mansa Musa traveled from Niani along the Niger to Timbuktu and then across the Sahara via the salt mines of Taghaza from oasis to oasis, to reach Cairo. It is worn at Damas and Siriges by highly trained dancers. The Sosso king Sumanguru of the Kante dynasty, was the last king of ancient Ghana, had taken over the empire Or more specifically, what was left of it and was trying to reestablish the Ghana kingdom.
What traits do they have in common? The most famous haji pilgrim to Mecca was Mansa Musa, king of Mali and grandson of one of Sundjata's sisters. Distribute instructions, storyboard frames, and Disney character cutouts and go over student expectations 3. Featured image: Screenshot of a YouTube Video. There are several different traditions concerning Sundiata's experiences at this time. However, when the king died, his first wife saw to it that her son, Dankaran claimed the throne. It is said that he was a strong player.
What qualities do we associate with lions? Activity: Sundiata, the Lion King Whether Disney adapted The Lion King from the is still up for debate but their similarities are undeniable. Note: They are meant to suggest birds. Kankan Musa reigned 1307—37 also made the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, in 1324 and returned safely. According to legend, both were sorcerers, and their magic would determine the outcome. Naré Magan was told in a prophecy that he would father a son who would become a great king.
Below is a summary of the story told by Djeli Mamadou Kouyate ArtsEdge 1997 , from the village of Djeliba Koro, Guinea, not far from the former capital of the Malian Empire djele if the Manding word for griot. The narrative of Soundiata is widely known throughout West Africa, and it forms one of the core pieces in the epic narrative tradition. The hunters earned her by defeating a monstrous buffalo that was terrorizing a land far away. A Dama is a sort of memorial festival held at least a year after a person's death. Create a sense of festivity and drama by playing traditional or contemporary West African music see the Teacher References section for suggested resources as students enter the room. The Kennedy Center is working on developing new lessons to connect to these standards, while maintaining the existing lesson library aligned to the Common Core, other state standards, and the 1994 National Standards for Arts Education.
He was young and capable. Suniata himself was probably instrumental in defining and solidifying the caste system as it became known by Mandinkas. The festival will feature music and masked dances that retell parts of the story of Sundiata. Through showing kindness to an old woman, they were taught the secret of the buffalo and then given their choice of woman by the king whose realm was being terrorized. Exercise 1: See a simple mime exercise in the following Kennedy Center Cuesheet, pages 2-3 Exercise 2: Tell students that pantomime may also be used to tell a story. As students learn about Sundiata's thirteenth-century battle to liberate his people from an oppressive ruler, they will recreate the story in a masked festival that takes elements from two of the most important Malian ceremonies: the Dama and the Sirige.
The behavior and habits of various animals make us associate them with certain personality traits. You may find it useful at this point to show some clips of African dances. The balafon plays an important role in the Epic of Sundiata. It was explained to him that one day two hunters would bring to his court an ugly hunch-backed woman, whom he must marry. He began to attract the support of influential and powerful leaders.
While there are areas of specialization within their craft, a common characteristic of jeliya, or the artistry of the griot, is the ability to memorize and recount historical narratives. His development of Mali was made possible by the great wealth in gold at his disposal. The chamois will tighten as it dries to form a good drumming surface. But soon, people were calling him the Lion King. They were able to move gold easily on the Niger to interested traders, and by the late 1300s, Mali was three times as large as Ghana had been, with its borders reaching the Atlantic in the west, and the middle Niger in the east. Leaving aside questions as to their origin, accounts of the first practicing griots are more clearly established, and are located in the era of the founding of the Empire of Mali.
Today the epic of Sundiata has become part of history lessons in primary schools in Mali, the Gambia, Senegal and Guinea. With them he established centers of learning in Timbuktu, Jenne or Djenne , and Gao. I don't know what your experiences have been. At this point, the teacher may show the class the videotape of the Dama ceremony, available by contacting the 'Virginia Museum's statewide media resources department' as previously noted under preparation. Read the Sundiata Keita as a class. This mask is made of wood and is often as tall as 20 feet.