Son Jara, Dankaran Touman and the Jelimusows

This episode is brought to you by another instance of my brain refusing to give me peace until I worked out a puzzle it threw at me. Last week, we talked about the case of the AmaNdebele of South Africa and the Ashanti of Ghana who have versions of a birthright theft story very similar to that of Jacob and Esau in the Bible. My maniac of a brain has been digging up similar stories of dramatic reversals in inheritance and birthright theft, that is until I got stuck trying to remember one story in particular.Listen to the episode to find out how watching a short clip of the incredibly talented Mami Diarra solved the puzzle for me!Can’t Get Enough? Ladies and Gentlemen, Mami DiarraReferences* The Epic of Son Jara by John W. Johnson* Griots and griottes : masters of words and music by Thomas A. HaleMeanwhile…You already know “The Watkins Book of African Folklore” or the “Mythological Africans Book”, is now available for preorder! Click image for preordering options!Mythological Africans is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Mythological Africans at mythologicalafricans.substack.com/subscribe