Some of the griot poems are epics or long poems about kingdoms and heroes. Many of these epic poems are collected in the Dausi (DAW-zee) and the Sundiata. The Dausi tells the history of Ghana. Intertwined with historical events, though, are myths and legends. For example, Sundiata is about the history of an empire, Mali. It is the story of Sundiata, Mali's legendary first ruler. According to the epic, when Sundiata was still a boy, a conqueror captured Mali and killed Sundiata's father and 11 brothers. He didn't kill Sundiata because the boy was sick and didn't seem like a threat. However, Sundiata grew up to be an expert hunter and warrior. Eventually he overthrew the conqueror and became king.

When you were a child, what was your favorite bedtime story or most-loved cartoon? Some books or cartoons, like Anansi the Spider: A Tale From The Ashanti, are based on folktales. A folktale is a story that's part of a particular people's oral tradition that's passed down from generation to generation. For example, the Ashanti people were from Ghana, a country in West Africa. Anansi the Spider: A Tale From The Ashanti is based on an African folktale, an anonymous, timeless story circulated orally among African people, meant to hand down knowledge and wisdom from parent to child. In this lesson, we'll look at the characteristics of African folktales and the lessons they pass down

In addition to stories, the griots recited proverbs, or short sayings of wisdom or truth. They used proverbs to teach lessons to the people. For example, one West African proverb warns, "Talking doesn't fill the basket in the farm." This proverb reminds people that they must work to accomplish things. They can't just talk about what they want to do. Another proverb advises, "A hippopotamus can be made invisible in dark water." It warns people to remain alert. Just as it can be hard to see animals in a deep pool, people don't always see the problems they will face.