Latest / Mansa Musa: The Richest Man Who Ever Lived — Fexingo History
The Griot's Staff: Power and Memory in Mali's Court
Lucas and Luna step into the role of the jeliw, the griots who guarded Mansa Musa's story for centuries. They explore how these oral historians trained for decades, memorizing genealogies, epics, and royal decrees, and how their voices shaped the legitimacy of the Keita dynasty. The conversation moves from the sacred balafon of Sogolon to the griot's role as advisor and diplomat, then considers the tension between oral tradition and written record when Ibn Battuta and al-Umari tried to pin Mali down. Along the way, they unpack the Kouroukan Fouga charter, the griot's staff as a…
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