Sundiata: An epic of old Mali against. The OdysseyThe definition of an epic hero can be defined as someone who triumphs in a way that reflects the idea of ​​his culture. “Heroes have always dominated mythology, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, history and literature. No culture seems to lack stories of human, superhuman, or divine heroes who save the innocent from the wicked, vanquish evil, and deliver the threatened and oppressed” (Shunnaq). Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali and The Odyssey can be compared and contrasted in different ways. Both of these literary works are epics that contain heroes who accurately reflect the values ​​of their respective ethnicities. Although some values ​​displayed in the epics are similar, there are also divergent values ​​between the two literary works. Based on the examples of Nian's Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali and Homer's Odyssey, the similarities and differences can easily be identified by one. In Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali and The Odyssey, the epic heroes, Sundiata and Ulysses, display loyalty, strength and authority. At three years old, King Nare Maghan, Sundiata's father, told him that he would soon become king and that he needed a griot. Sundiata confidently declares: “Bala, you will be my griot” to the son of his father’s griot (Nianel 1). Even though Sundiata spoke very little as a child, it is clear that his first words were those of power and authority. On the other hand, Odysseus displays authority when some of his sailors were not focused on the task of getting home to Ithaca, but rather were getting high on lotus leaves. When he finally brought his disobedient sailors back to the ship, Odysseus flogged them, then ordered them to go to his other abid...... middle of paper ...... concludes that their cultural background influenced their ways of leadership. We also got to see how these two were very different and similar to each other. By reading these two theses, we were able to better understand a culture's perspective on life. Works cited by Homer and Robert Fagels. The Odyssey. New York: Viking, 1996. Niane, Dijibril T. SUNdiata: An epic of old Mali. London: Longmans, 1965. Shaw, George Benard. Smart quote. April 5, 2014. Shunnaq, Susanne Ramadan. “The Transitional Epic Hero in American Literature: Algiers, Fitzgerald, and the Philosophy of Success.” Pennsylvania State University, 2000. Web. April 5, 2014.Pickett, GD “Soundiata”. Tale of old Mali. (2009): 8-47. Internet. April 6. 2014. .