..". a major addition to the literature on oral traditions." --Journal of Religion in AfricaThis 750-year-old epic celebratesthe exploits of the legendary founder of the Empire of Old Mali. It constitutes avirtual social, political, and cultural charter and embodies deep-rooted aspects ofMande cosmology. The fully annotated translation is accompanied by an introductionthat provides a historical and contextual framework for understanding the recitationof this African epic.