The Sunjata epic includes not only stories of Sunjata himself but also of the extensive circle of heroes and heroines surrounding his rise among the Mande people. Once your students are familiar with the central story of the Sunjata epic you may all want to explore further episodes and variations of the larger tale. A fine place to turn is Sunjata: A West African Epic of the Mande Peoples translated and edited by David C. Conrad. This version of the epic, as narrated by Djanka Tassey Condé, was recently released by Hackett Publishing.

It's addition of new variations and episodes surrounding the characters such as Sunjata's mother and her sorceress sisters or the musical and magical education of Sunjata's rival Sumanguru, is a reminder how the epic provides heroic models for many different family groups in West Africa, each tracing their own heritage from different heroes and heroines in the epic.

This Hackett edition provides a "reader-friendly" text specifically targeted to the non-specialist (Conrad is working on a more exhaustive, scholarly version as well). It is well-annotated with introductory material, indexed contents, good notes, maps, a helpful character summary and glossary of common Mande terms. The plot has fewer gaps than many other versions and a lot of attention is paid to explaining character motivation. Tassey Condé, the jeli ngara (master bard) recorded by Conrad is the last of a famous family of bards in Fadama, northeastern Guinea. Even in translation, Tassey Condé is a splendid storyteller and Conrad includes the running responses of "naamu-sayers" who encourage and accompany Tassey's performance with short comments. The effect is almost like having a rhythm back-up to drive the performance.

Perhaps because Tassey's family of bards trace their heritage to kingdom of Do, home of Sujata's mother Sogolon Condé, this version of the epic spins out the story of Sogolon and her two sisters - the three great sorceresses of Do. In addition to many details about Sogolon's story, we hear about the politics and magic behind her elder sister's rampage as a buffalo wraith and second sister's role as foster mother to Sunjata's great general Fakoli.

The much-expanded role of Fakoli in this version of the epic is my favorite part of the story. Fakoli is surrounded from birth by the most powerful heroines of the epic. His mother, Kosiya Kante, is the sister of Sunjata's great enemy, the Soso king Sumanguru (in this version, Sumaworo). His step-mother is Sunjata's aunt, one of the Sogolon's powerful sisters. Fakoli loses his birth mother as a young child when she sacrifices herself to the genie chief so that her brother Sumaguru can acquire a magical instrument and arrows. His step-mother, Teneba Condé, assumes resposibility for Fakoli's upbringing, protecting him with magical medicines and providing for an education as a hunter and sorceror. She takes him on a tour of the same sacred sites where her sister took the exiled Sunjata where Fakoli gathers his magical skills. Thus Fakoli grows up to be a powerful sorceror with ties to both rival Manden and Soso armies before the climactic battle between Sundiata and Sumanguru. Finally he is caught between loyalty to both sides on the eve of the battle. Sunjata agrees with Fakoli that his loyalty belongs to his birth mother's family and he joins the Soso side of the battle. The story of political intrigue, misunderstanding, pride and fall that follows resembles in many ways a Greek tragedy. Finally it is Fakoli who actually kills his uncle Sumanguru in the battle between Soso and the Manden forces under Sunjata.

Tassey's storytelling reaches great heights during the recital of Fakoli's life. He draws the action out in touching, cinematic moments such as this when Fakoli's mother leaves her child with her husband's barren first wife, Tenenba, supposedly to gather firewood. She is, in fact, running away to the cave of the chief genie who has offered her brother, Sumanguru, a magical balafon and arrows in exchange for a family member. She plans on sacrificing herself for the sake of her brother and knows she will never return. After making sure that he was ready to be weaned to porridge she leaves the baby Fakoli in this scene. (Naamuu can be translated, "I hear you", and is interjected by the Naamu sayer encouraging the jeli)

She took Fakoli and said, "Big sister Tenenba Condé, (Naamuu)
Take care of Fakoli." (Naamu)
She said, "I am going to look for firewood." (Naaaam')

Ma Teneba Condé said, "Eh, (Naamu)
Little sister Kosiya Kante! (Na-amu)
The thing you told me yesterday, (Naamu)
I am worried about it. (Naamu)
You have given Fakoli to me so you can go to fetch wood,
But do not stay long."

"Uh uh," she said, "I will not stay long." (Naaaam')
(You heard it?)

Ma Tenenba Condé took Fakoli and stood him at her side. (Naamuu)
Kosiya Kante went inside. (Naamu)
She took the wood-chopping axe, (Naamu)
She took the wood-carrying head pad, (Naamu)
She took the wood-carrying frame, (Naamu)
She went out to the other side of the yard. (Naamu)
She looked back at Fakoli. (Naamu)
She gazed at him for a long time. (Naamu)
Then she passed out of the yard. (Naamu)
She looked back at Fakoli, (Naamu)
Watched him for a long time. (Naamu)
When she arrived at her husband's door, (Naamu)
She looked back at Fakoli. (Naamu)
Looked back at him, (Naamu)
Looked at him, (Naamu)
And then she entered the house. (Naamu)
From there she left the town. (Naamuu)
She went into the bush. (Naamu)
(pp. 108-109)

Dramatic description like this makes this version of the Sunjata epic particularly rich for teachers interested in sources for choral reading and class plays.

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