Sunjata, A West African Epic of the Mande Peoples: Important Characters – Flashcards
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Abdu Karimi
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Son of Abdu Serifu, the king of Morocco. Younger of the two brothers who hunted the Buffalo of Dò ni Kiri, and the one who actually killed it. Subsequently known by the praise name Danmansa Wulanni.
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Abdu Kassimu
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Son of Abdu Serifu, the king of Morocco. Elder of the two brothers who hunted the Buffalo of Dò ni Kiri. Subsequently known by the praise name Danmansa Wulanba.
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Bala Fasali
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Also known as Bala Fasaké, Fasséké, or other variants of that name. Son of Nyankuman Duga, the jeli of Sunjata's father. Destined to be the principal jeli of Sunjata, Bala was sent to Soso and acquired the traditional xylophone, or bala, from Sumaworo. With his father, he is recognized as an ancestor of the great bardic lineage known as Kouyaté.
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Dankaran Tuman
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Eldest son of Maghan Konaté of Konfara and Sansun Tuman (Sansuman) Bereté, rival stepbrother of Sunjata. He inherited the power from their father, plotted to kill Sunjata, and, as ruler of Manden while Sunjata was in exile, failed to protect his country from Soso invasion and occupation.
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Danmansa Wulanba
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Formerly known as Abdu Kassimu, elder of the two brothers from Morocco. After his younger brother killed the buffalo of Dò ni Kiri, he sang his praises and consequently became the legendary ancestor of the bardic lineage called Diabaté.
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Danmansa Wulanni
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Formerly known as Abdu Karimi, younger of the two brothers from Morocco. He killed the buffalo of Dò ni Kiri and became the legendary ancestor of the Tarawèlè (Traoré) lineage.
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Dò Kamissa
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the Buffalo Woman Stepsister of Donsamogo Diarra, the mansa of Dò ni Kiri. She was the elder sister of both Sunjata's mother, Sogolon Wulen Condé, and Fakoli's foster-mother, Tenenba Condé. One of the greatest sorceresses in Manding epic tradition, Kamissa is especially remembered for her ability to transform herself into a buffalo.
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Donsamogo Diarra Full name: Donsamò'ò Nyèmò'ò Diarra
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Mansa of Dò ni Kiri. He was the son of Ma'an Solonkan and the elder brother of Sekou, Mafadu, and Kiri Diarra, and the three sisters Dò Kamissa, Sogolon, and Tenenba Condé. Upon inheriting the power at Dò ni Kiri, he refused to share the father's legacy with Dò Kamissa.
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Fakoli Koroma
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Son of Yerelenko Koroma, mansa of Negeboriya, and his second wife Kosiya Kanté, who was the sister of Sumaworo of Soso. As a distinguished son of both Soso and Negeboriya, Fakoli was the single most important military ally of Sunjata. He is also recalled as the greatest sorcerer of the male Manding ancestors, and as patriarch of many of the principal blacksmith lineages.
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Faran Tunkara
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Mansa of Nema/Mema, who ruled from his capital of Kuntunya and hosted Sogolon Wulen Condé, her son Sunjata, and his siblings during their years of exile.
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Jelimusoni Tunku Manyan Diawara
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One of nine jelimusow (female bards) married by Maghan Konfara, in his quest to find the mother of Sunjata, and the only one of that group said to have borne a child. She was among the four messengers who traveled to Nema/Mema in search of Sunjata. She was also one of the nine sorceresses bribed by Dankaran Tuman to assassinate Sunjata, and the one who warned him of the plot. She later provided the sorcery mare that Sunjata rode at the Battle of Dakajalan.
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Jinna Maghan
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Lit. "Genie King,"a ubiquitous supernatural being who can appear wherever important events occur involving genies.
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Jolofin Mansa
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Mansa of the Jolof Kingdom of Senegal, who confiscated Sunjata's herd of horses and sent him an insulting message, and was later defeated by an army led by Turama'an Traoré.
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Jonmusoni Manyan
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One of nine slave girls married by Maghan Konfara in his quest to find the mother of Sunjata, and the only one of that group who is said to have borne a child. She was among the four messengers who traveled to Nema/Mema in search of Sunjata.
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Kamanjan Kamara
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The most distinguished ancestor of the Kamara (also Camara) lineage, he was mansa of Sibi and Tabon, and a contemporary of Sunjata's father Maghan Konfara. He became an elderly brother-in-law to Sunjata when he married Kolonkan after she and her siblings returned from exile.
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Kankejan
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Son of Danmansa Wulanba and Tenenbajan, who was a daughter of Maghan Konfara's younger brother. An ancestor of the Diabaté jeliw, he was one of Sunjata's important generals and fought at the Battle of Dakajalan.
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Keleya Konkon
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The wife of Fakoli, who had been given to him by his uncle Sumaworo of Soso. When Sumaworo became aware of Keleya's great power as a sorceress, and after he quarreled with Fakoli, he reclaimed her from his nephew.
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Kolonkan
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Daughter of Maghan Konfara and Sogolon Wulen Condé, and sister of Sunjata. After she returned from exile with Sunjata, she was married to Kamanjan Kamara of Sibi and gave birth to a son, Fadibali.
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Kosiya Kanté
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Sister of Sumaworo Kanté, second wife of Mansa Yerelenko of Negeboriya, and mother of Fakoli. She sacrificed herself to Jinna Maghan, the genie chief, so her brother could acquire the Soso bala.
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Maghan Konfara
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Husband of Sogolon Wulen Condé, father of Sunjata, generally identified as an ancestor of the Konaté. Full name in this text: Farako Manko Farakonken; identified elsewhere as Naré Maghan Konaté and Naré Famagan, among other variants. He was mansa of Konfara, descendant of Latili Kalabi, Mamadi Kani, Kani Simbon, Kaninyo'o Simbon, Kabala Simbon, Big Simbon Madi Tanyagati, M'bali Nèènè, Bèlè, and son of Bèlèbakòn.
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Manden Bori
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Youngest son of Maghan Konfara and Sogolon Wulen Condé, brother of Sunjata, Kolonkan, and Jamori. He is the ancestor of the chiefly Keita families of the Hamana region of Guinea.
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Manjan Bereté
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Identified by a place name as Tombonon Manjan Bereté (cf. Sitafa Diawara). Brother of Sansun Tuman Bereté. One of Maghan Konfara's chief advisors, he is recalled as being the leading Muslim of his day. He was one of the four messengers who traveled to Nema/Mema to bring Sunjata back from exile.
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Nana Triban
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Daughter of Maghan Konfara and Sansun Tuman Bereté, half-sister of Sunjata. She was the wife of Danmansa Wulanni and mother of Turama'an Traoré.
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Sansamba Sagado
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Chief of the Somono boatmen. He ferried Sogolon and her children across the Niger River when they left Manden to go into exile.
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Sansun Bereté Full name: Sansun Tuman (Sansuma) Bereté
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Sister of Tombonon Manjan Bereté, wife of Maghan Konfara, co-wife of Sogolon Wulen Condé, mother of Dankaran Tuman and Nana Triban.
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Siriman Kanda Touré
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One of Sunjata's important generals. He was one of the four messengers who journeyed to Nema/Mema in search of Sunjata, and he later fought at the Battle of Dakajalan.
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Sitafa Diawara
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Identified as Tombonon Sitafa Diawara. He was one of Sunjata's important generals and fought at the Battle of Dakajalan. Later, on the campaign against Jolofin Mansa, he was the hero who followed Jolofin Mansa's crocodile wraith into the underwater cave and emerged triumphant.
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Sogolon Wulen Condé
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Daughter of Ma'an Solonkan, mansa of Dò ni Kiri. She was a sister of both Dò Kamissa the Buffalo Woman and Tenenba Condé. A formidable sorceress, she became the wife of Maghan Konfara and gave birth to Sunjata, Kolonkan, Jamori, and Manden Bori.
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So'olon Jamori
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Second son of Maghan Konfara and Sogolon Wulen Condé. As the middle brother (some say he was a half-brother), he was younger than Sunjata and older than Manden Bori. He was killed in an ambush when he and his siblings were leaving Nema/Mema on their return journey from exile.
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Sumaworo Kanté
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Son of Bali Kanté, he was the mansa of Soso. He is associated with the origin of Manding stringed instruments, as well as the Soso bala, which he is said to have acquired from the genies. Taking advantage of the weakness of Dankaran Tuman, he conquered the formerly autonomous Mande chiefdoms and occupied them while Sunjata was in exile.
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Sunjata Keita Also known as So'olon Jara (Sogolon's Lion), So'olon Ma'an, Ma'an Sunjata, Mari Jata, Danama Yirindi, Simbon, and other praise names
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Son of Maghan Konfara and Sogolon Wulen Condé. He was leader of the army of Manden when it defeated Sumaworo and the army of Soso, and is generally credited as "founder"of the Mali Empire.
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Tenenba Condé Also known as Soma Tenenba or Ma Tenenba
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Daughter of Ma'an Solonkan, the mansa of Dò ni Kiri; sister of Dò Kamissa and Sogolon Wulen Condé. She was the first wife of Yerelenko, mansa of Negeboriya, cowife of Kosiya Kanté, and foster mother of Fakoli.
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Tenenbajan Konaté
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Daughter of a younger brother of Maghan Konfara. She was the wife of Danmansa Wulanba and the mother of Kankejan, who was an ancestor of the Diabaté jeliw.
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Turama'an Traoré (Tarawele) Also Turamaghan, Tirmakan, and so on.
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Son of Danmansa Wulanni and Nana Triban. As one of Sunjata's most important generals, he fought at the Battle of Dakajalan, and after the defeat of Soso, he commanded the campaign against Jolofin Mansa.
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Yerelenko Koroma
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Mansa of Negeboriya, which was probably the most important iron-producing region of Manden. His senior wife was Tenenba Condé of Dò ni Kiri. He became the brother-in-law of Sumaworo when he married Kosiya Kanté of Soso, who was the mother of his son Fakoli.
