The Epic of Samba Gueladio
Inscribed in 2024 (19.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
© Conservation du Patrimoine, Ministère de la culture et de l'artisanat (MCA), Mauritanie, 2020 The Epic of Samba Gueladio is a legend in which the hero, Samba Gueladio, the legitimate heir to the throne, was cast aside by his uncle. To regain his throne, he forged alliances wherever he went. For instance, he killed a monster that had been preventing the Moors from fetching water from the river and recovered their cattle from a thieving king. As a reward, the Moors provided Samba Gueladio with the soldiers he needed to retake the throne. At the end of the battle, Samba Gueladio faced his uncle alone in a fight of equals. He overcame his uncle but refrained from killing him. Widely disseminated and accepted as part of the Fouta Toro region’s history and mythology, the epic is passed on through storytelling and song, during community events such as weddings, births and other cultural gatherings. The epic is also declaimed by griots in a poetic style accompanied by music. This popular music enables young people to learn about the region’s history and instils in them ideals such as generosity, perseverance and courage. A reminder of the region’s ancestral values, the Epic of Samba Gueladio is also viewed as a celebration of inter-ethnic alliance founded upon mutual respect.
