The role of oral artists in the history of Mali
Historians interested in the pre-colonial Bambara, Mandinka and other Manding-speaking peoples of Mali can draw on a rich body of oral tradition to supplement the documented evidence. While external written Arabic sources provide a core of information on such pivotal epochs as those dominated by ancient Ghana and Mali, oral tradition has been heavily relied upon for detailed impressions of particular aspects of those periods, such as the people Sind events involved in the career of Sunjata, the thirteenth- century ruler credited with the founding of the Mali empire. But as scholars sift the oral traditions for useful information, they are obliged to maintain a healthy scepticism regarding the historical accuracy of most of what they find, because it cannot be independently confirmed. The indigenous informants who have supplied most of the oral evidence are bards commonly known as 'griots', members of an endogamous social class the duties of which have for many centuries included recalling the glories of the past find memorizing the genealogies of distinguished lineages. In the interest of a clearer understanding of who these informants are and how certain elements of their testimony can prove useful to historians,
Conrad, David Courtney
History
The role of oral artists in the history of Mali. Historians interested in the pre-colonial Bambara, Mandinka and other Manding-speaking peoples of Mali can draw on a rich body of oral tradition to supplement the documented evidence. While external written Arabic sources provide a core of information on such pivotal epochs as those dominated by ancient Ghana and Mali, oral tradition has been heavily relied upon for detailed impressions of particular aspects of those periods, such as the people Sind events involved in the career of Sunjata, the thirteenth- century ruler credited with the founding of the Mali empire. But as scholars sift the oral traditions for useful information, they are obliged to maintain a healthy scepticism regarding the historical accuracy of most of what they find, because it cannot be independently confirmed. The indigenous informants who have supplied most of the oral evidence are bards commonly known as 'griots', members of an endogamous social class the duties of which have for many centuries included recalling the glories of the past find memorizing the genealogies of distinguished lineages. In the interest of a clearer understanding of who these informants are and how certain elements of their testimony can prove useful to historians,
role oral artist history mali historians interested pre_colonial speaking people mali draw rich body oral_tradition supplement document evidence external write arabic source provide core information pivotal epoch dominate ancient ghana mali oral_tradition heavily rely_upon detailed impression particular_aspect period people event involve career ruler credit found mali empire scholar sift oral_tradition useful information oblige maintain healthy scepticism regard historical accuracy independently confirm indigenous informant supply oral_evidence commonly_know member social_class duty include recall glory past genealogy distinguish lineage interest clearer informant certain_element testimony prove_useful historian