Epic Traditions of Africa Author:Stephen Paterson Belcher, Stephen Belcher " . . . original, insightful . . . "--David Conrad Stephen Belcher explores the rich past and poetic force of African epics and places them in historical and social, as well as artistic, contexts. Colorful narratives from Central and West Africa are illuminated along with more widely available texts - the Mande Sunjata and the Bamana Segou.