Gassire's Lute: A West African Epic [Paperback]

Alta Jablow (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0881335436 | ISBN-13: 978-0881335439 | Publication Date: November 1990

A rousing tale of wars and heroes, Gassire's Lute recounts the fall of the city-state, Wagadu, and tells how Gassire, warrior son of the ruling family, renounces his noble birth to become his people's first bard. As an example of the relatively unknown oral literature of Africa, this poem is rich in historical and cultural interest. But it can be read and enjoyed simply as a beautiful and exciting story that shows clearly the universality of art and of human experience. The Waveland reprint includes an essay by the translator ("The Origin of Soninke Bardic Art") which is meant to provide pertinent information for understanding and enjoying the poem.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Titles of related interest from Waveland Press: Beti, The Poor Christ of Bomba (ISBN 9781577664185); Collins-Cooper, The Power of Story: Teaching through Storytelling, Second Edition (ISBN 9781577664338); and Emecheta, Kehinde (ISBN 9781577664192).

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Waveland Pr Inc (November 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881335436
• ISBN-13: 978-0881335439
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #964,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Final Grade 90/100%, June 24, 2007

By 

The Djeli (New York City) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Gassire's Lute: A West African Epic (Paperback)

If you are like me and came across Gassire's Lute in an African folklore compilation and, being that it was relatively short, thought that the 70 pages claimed by this book meant that it was a more detailed and extensive version, YOU ARE WRONG.

The pages expand because Jablow wrote Gassire's Lute in poetry form, in stanzas and not paragraphs like you would find in a novel. Also, much of these pages are dedicated to vocabulary and not the actual epic.

Nevertheless, Gassire's Lute is possibly the oldest epic that still exists in West Africa. It's actually date is unsure but likely to have originated in the 2nd Millenium. It is the first section of a longer epic and deals with the origins of the first Mande civilization, the Soninke, who archaeologist have recognized began in Dhar Tichitt in the Western Sahel around 1600 BCE. The ruins consist of 100 kilometres of stone settlements.

Being that Gassire's Lute is about these Mande Soninke origins it is possibly representing a mixture of legend and history for this civilization that was contemporary with the Egyptian New Kingdom.

5.0 out of 5 stars Like advertised :), January 27, 2010

By 

M. Fuentes - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gassire's Lute: A West African Epic (Paperback)

The book was in really good condition and it was way cheaper than what I would have payed at school.