The Epic of Son-Jara: A West African Tradition. . . a major addition to the literature on oral traditions. Journal of Religion in Africa This 750 year old epic celebrates the exploits of the legendary founder of the Empire of Old Mali. It constitutes a virtual social, political, and cultural charter and embodies deep rooted aspects of Mande cosmology. The fully annotated translation is accompanied by an introduction that provides a historical and contextual framework for understanding the