The Epic of Askia Mohammed (African Epic) [Paperback]

Thomas A. Hale (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0253209900 | ISBN-13: 978-0253209900 | Publication Date: February 22, 1996

Askia Mohammed is the most famous leader in the history of the Songhay Empire, which reached its apogee during his reign in 1493-1528. Songhay, approximately halfway between the present-day cities of Timbuktu in Mali and Niamey in Niger, became a political force beginning in 1463, under the leadership of Sonni Ali Ber. By the time of his death in 1492, the foundation had been laid for the development under Askia Mohammed of a complex system of administration, a well-equipped army and navy, and a network of large government-owned farms. The present rendition of the epic was narrated by the griot (or jeseré) Nouhou Malio over two evenings in Saga, a small town on the Niger River, two miles downstream from Niamey. The text is a word-for-word translation from Nouhou Malio's oral performance.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

THOMAS A. HALE is Professor of African, French, and Comparative Literature at The Pennsylvania State University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (February 22, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253209900
• ISBN-13: 978-0253209900
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,234,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Askia Mohammed: Tyrant or Hero?, December 16, 2009

By 

Tichaona M. Chinyelu (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Epic of Askia Mohammed (African Epic Series) (Hardcover)

I came across this epic piece of orature while looking for the epic about Sundjata. Askia Mohammed is one of those giants of African history routinely referred as worthy of emulation and/or respect. However, upon concluding the read, I had the opinion that he was very hawk-like in his promotion of Islam. There is repeated mention of "Every village that follows his orders, that accepts his wishes, he conquers them, he moves on. Every village that refuses his demand, he conquers it, he burns it, he moves on. Until the day-Mamar [Askia] did that until, until, until, until the day he arrived at the Red Sea." (298-302) I interpret the consecutive "untils" to signify that it was a repeated event that happened over time. Considering how long it took for caravans to traverse the distance from West Africa to Mecca, undoubtedly it happened not only over an extended period of time but also over an extended expanse of land. The devastation left in the wake of such excursions in arson leads me to question the respect paid to this historical figure.

The above statement notwithstanding, I did find the epic interesting in the view it provided of West Africa. It provided me with a basis for doing further research into the era and times and for that and the new perspective, it is appreciated.

3.0 out of 5 stars Historically important, but......, December 7, 2010

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Andre M. "brnn64" (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Epic of Askia Mohammed (African Epic) (Paperback)

African history fans will water at the mouth over the idea of learning more about Askia Muhammad, the last of the great West African Kings before the fall of their empires in 1591 and the ruination of the transatlatic slave trade. Thomas Hale translates a griot's five-century old version of his story, but with middling results. The author and his students had considerable difficulty with the griot because of his use of an obscure Songhay dialect that is rarely spoken today and his non-linear and non-sequential style of storytelling. Hale worked hard to make a readable narrative of the resulting tapes of the griot's tale, but it will be very stilted and confusing to the Western reader. There is a lot of repitition and it requires much rereading before it all makes sense. For a better translation and example of a griot's tale of the precolonial West African empires, I would recommend "Sundiata-An Epic of Old Mali" by D. T. Niane. However, there is value to the book because it preserves an important story that is largely lost to history.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars very old story, June 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Epic of Askia Mohammed (African Epic) (Paperback)

Recorded, translated, edited and annotated by African epic scholar Thomas Hale, who has, by the way, done extremely detailed work. "The Epic of Askia Mohammed" is recounted by a griot (the keeper of the spoken word)--a form of storytelling indigenous to Africa, unlike the novel, which is a European creation. A large part of the African epic poem is devoted to prayer. Another large part of the poem is recounting genealogies, as one of the griot's main jobs is linking people of the present to their past. Not a very exciting read (unless, of course, you found "Beowulf" exciting), but if you're interested in learning more about African epic poetry, this is definitely a good start.