Latest / Mansa Musa: The Richest Man Who Ever Lived — Fexingo History
Mansa Musa's Griot: The Oral Historian Who Shaped His Legend
Episode 96 of Fexingo History dives into the role of griots, or jeliw, in the Mali Empire, focusing on how Mansa Musa himself used oral historians to craft his legacy. We explore the griot's training, their sacred duty to memorize centuries of genealogy and epic poetry, and how the Kouroukan Fouga constitution defined their role. Drawing on accounts from Al-Umari and Ibn Battuta, Lucas and Luna discuss how Mansa Musa's griots—likely led by a master jeli—accompanied him on his hajj, spreading his fame across the Islamic world. We also examine the griot's influence on the Tarikh…
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