Sundiata Pt 1.

Free Will v. Destiny

In class, we have spoken a lot about the topic of free will v. destiny. So far we’ve come to decide, and I agree with this, that there can free will and destiny occurring at the same time. I think Sundiata is a great example of this. It was prophesized that Nare Maghan would marry an ugly woman and that her son will be the reigning king. To his dying breath, Maghan believed that would happen although his son that was destined to be King was not walking. Although Maghan left the throne to Djata, the council and his first wife, Sassouma, appointed his first born son as the King. No one took into account the prophecy and spoke up for Djata, and the ones that did were ignored. Sassouma acts horribly to Djata and his mother Sogolon, ridiculing, belittling, and harassing them. Sassouma disrespects Sogolon at such an extreme that it pushes Djata to finally walk and begin to fulfill his. destiny. When he is able to walk the people recalled Sassouma’s negative actions towards her co-wife and her child. They think that Djata’s fortune is brought on by his mother’s ultimate love and servitude towards her late husband and her child. Throughout the years the people were also ridiculing Djata, although they knew of the prophecy. Regardless of whether he was bullied or not he was still destined to be the King. I wonder how things would have been different if Sassouma was a more supportive cowife. Djata might’ve walked faster and attained the throne earlier as well. Although the people were wrong for going along with the jabs taken at Djata, if Sassouma had been more caring towards the child then that wouldn’t have happened because any commoner would be afraid to say anything wrong about the child if they knew they could be punished for it. They should still be held accountable for their actions, but Sassouma was the driving force behind the ridicule.