The story of Sundiata has been handed through generations of griots. These oral historians form their own caste, and they alone are authorized to tell the history that has been entrusted to them by then-forefathers. The griot Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate, who recounted the version of Sundiata transcribed by D. T. Niane, claims descent from Sundiata's griot B alia Faseke.
Young people from this caste are screened for storytelling and other performance abilities and taught to sing or speak tales or play musical instruments. Women can also be griots. The spoken word is considered suspect in Malinke culture, because language can be used to distort or misrepresent the truth, so griots have an ambiguous place in society. They are entrusted with history, yet their words are never fully believed. Each griot possesses a precious secret: the truth.....
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