In Sundiata, the culture admired perseverance.

Sundiata was destined to be a great ruler. He was born with a disability. He was thought to have never been able to walk. Fortunately, he begins to walk through his own determination. He and his mother were constantly ridiculed for their looks and his disability by the other women. One of these women eventually banished Sundiata due to the prophecy. She feared that her son would be displaced from the throne. Despite all of this, he manages to impress the king of Mali and gain a high position due to his great leadership and courage. Eventually when his people are conquered, They seek Sundiata out, knowing what fate had predicted and hoping that he was the great leader. He eventually takes the throne and creates a whole kingdom.

This epic is symbolic of the cultural values of this culture. Sundiata was a hero. He came from nothing as a prince and grew to a great figure. This epic is meant to show people that through this great king’s determination, came his success. This is a classic hero tale. It was meant to not only show the great king and his determination and leadership, but to humble him and inspire others to do the same.