Mali's Royal Hunters: The Keita Dynasty's Elite Corps
The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the Keita dynasty's elite royal hunters, a corps known as the 'soron' or 'donsow' in Mandinka. Drawing from oral traditions and the Tarikh al-Sudan, they uncover how these hunters served as bodyguards, spies, and enforcers for Mansa Musa and his successors. The discussion delves into their training, initiation rites, and the mystical 'nyama' (life force) they were believed to harness through secret societies. Lucas explains how the hunters' role evolved from Sundiata's era, where they protected the jeliw and the Mande Charter, to the empire's decline, when they became key players in the Songhai conquest. The episode also touches on the controversial 'juju' practices and the hunters' legacy in modern West African folklore. With fresh insights from the Mandinka Epic and interviews with contemporary griot, this episode offers a rare glimpse into the hidden power structure that sustained the Mali Empire for centuries. #MaliEmpire #RoyalHunters #KeitaDynasty #Mandinka #Soron #Donsow #Nyama #SundiataKeita #MansaMusa #TarikhAlSudan #Jeliw #MandeCharter #OralTradition #WestAfrica #SecretSocieties #Folklore #History #FexingoHistory #Timbuktu #Djenn Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
