<DIV><b>Sunjata</b> is a major African oral epic which details the exploits of its eponymous hero who started life as a gluttonous and slow-witted child and went on to defeat his greatest adversary and establish himself as master of the growing Mali empire. The tale remains central to the culture of the Mande-speaking peoples. This Penguin Classics edition contains two very different renditions of the tale, which have been transcribed and then translated from live performances by African Griots or bards.<p> This edition is fully edited, with an introduction, explanatory notes, maps and chronological trees. </div>