The epic of Sundiata was an oral tradition that follows the life of Sundiata, son of Maghan Kon Fatta and Sogolon and future King of the Kingdom of Mali. The history of the “lion prince” (Niane 14), is told by the griot Mamadou Kouyate many generations after Sundiata himself died in the 1200’s. It remained spoken only until scholars began publishing African oral tradition as stories in the mid-1900s. Mamadou Kouyate explains that his reason for telling the history of Mali in this fashion is, “…so that the lives of the ancients might serve them as an example, for the world is old, but the future springs from the past, (1).” The epic itself are plainly written words of an oral account, but that does not take away from the fact that the history and tale is a reliable source of information on the old kingdoms of Western Africa and the Kingdom of Mali specifically. Griots, like Mamadou Kouyate, were men who had ,”…learnt the art of historical oratory through long years…bound by an oath, (viii).” Though certain words are often changed when a person retells a story, Griots were raised from their youth and trained to retain exact details of a history in order to better retell it in the future. Griots were highly respected men who maintained traditions of their people and were often more than not advisers to the kings of Mali. Griots, “…for want of archives, records the customs, traditions and governmental principles of kings, (vii).” These men told history so it can be an example to learn from, the matter of whether it was orally or written should make no