The past in the present: living with the ancestors

These questions were asked by a bard (jeli) of the Maninka people of Northeastern Guinea. Performing away from home in a village where he was unable to recognize everybody in the audience, the jeli was being careful not to embarrass or offend anyone whose family name was Kanté. The epic narrative on which the jeli was basing his performance describes events that are alleged to have occurred in the first half of the thirteenth century, but the people of Manding societies still identify closely with characters of that era whom they believe to be their ancestors. The jeli asked if there were any Kanté present, because in Manding epic tradition the king of Soso, Sumaworo Kanté, was defeated in a climactic battle that led to the foundation of the Mali Empire. Prior to asking these questions, the jeli had been describing the battle but suddenly said,

He then went on to talk about how the Kanté ancestors' weapons and clothing were captured, but stressed that no harm came to the Soso king. It was at this point that he asked if there were any Kanté in the audience or living in the village, and when he was told there were none, he expressed his relief by saying ‘Praise God, His blessings are upon us’. The jeli had not wanted to describe the rest of the story involving Sumaworo's fate, out of concern that if he were to dwell on the defeat and death of the Soso king, it would be humiliating for any local people named Kanté. Most Manding jeliw who describe Sumaworo's defeat avoid stating that this king was actually killed. Our primary goal in this chapter will be to explore how legendary West African ancestors, whose very existence has been questioned according to strict Eurocentric standards of historiography, can remain so vital in Manding village society more than 700 years after the era that is attributed to them.