1.6 The Sunjata Story - Glimpse of a Mande Epic

What is the epic genre of the Mande griots considered to be?

• A forgotten ancient tradition.

• A vibrant and celebrated living oral epic tradition.

• A written historical account.

• A purely musical performance.

How has the life story of Sunjata Keita been traditionally passed down through generations?

• Through written scrolls and ancient texts.

• Primarily through visual art and paintings.

• Through song, spoken recitation, and musical accompaniment.

• By royal decree and official historical records.

What is the primary focus of the Sunjata Fasa, the epic of the Mande people?

• The daily lives of Mande farmers.

• The great adversity that befell the people of old Mali.

• The celebration of Mande culinary traditions.

• The history of Mande trade routes.

What was the nature of the rivalry described in the epic of Sunjata?

• A conflict between different Mande villages.

• A competition for hunting grounds among Mande warriors.

• A ferocious rivalry between the two wives of King Nare Maghan.

• A dispute over trade routes with neighboring kingdoms.

For how many years after his birth was Sundiata unable to walk?

• 3 years

• 5 years

• 7 years

• 10 years

What was the primary reason for Sundiata's inability to walk for several years?

• A physical birth defect

• A spell cast by his half-brother's mother

• A curse from the soothsayers

• A childhood illness

What did Sundiata declare he would do on the day he took his first steps?

• Become king of Manday

• Fetch sweet baobab leaves for his mother

• Defeat the sorcerer king

• Leave Manday forever

Why did the people of Manday seek out Sundiata?

• To celebrate his return from exile

• To ask him to become the new king

• To save them from the tyranny of the sorcerer king, Sumaoro

• To learn his hunting skills

Why did Fakoli Koroma defect from his uncle, the sorcerer king?

• To gain more power for himself.

• To fight for justice.

• To establish a new kingdom.

• To escape a family dispute.

What does the name "Keita" signify?

• "King of Kings"

• "The Lion King"

• "Take your heritage, make it greater before you pass it on to posterity."

• "The Liberator"