Content Warning: Discussion of colonization, slavery, parricide, and monarchy.
In this episode, I tell the myth: "Gassire's Lute". The story is supposedly the first section of an unrecorded, longer epic entitled "Dausi". The myth is attributed to the Fasa (or Soninke) people of West Africa. Our only reference for even this small section of the epic comes from a German Anthropologist named Leo Frobenius. In the modern day, oral accounts of the myths Frobenius recorded have surfaced, suggesting that he did not invent this tale, despite the lack of analogues in surrounding cultures. The story covers the first decline of Wagadou, or the Ghana Empire, of which the Fasa/Soninke ruled for longer than even the Roman empire existed.
We'll discuss the history of the Fasa/Soninke, their close relations with Islamic travelers, the failure of rulers to listen to their people, and thus the importance of avoiding self-interested rule. We will draw connections between the myths that influenced Islam and themes of parental overthrow by a son within the myth.
Thank you for listening!
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