Gender Relation in National Epics: A Comparative Reading of Beowulf and Sundiata

Through the lens of a womanist theoretical framework, an attempt is being made to examine comparatively two national epics; Beowulf and Sundiata from different geographical backgrounds. The focus is to extrapolate women’s depiction in the world of these epics, which demands the re-evaluation of thoughts and involvement of women in the epics. The study reveals that the women’s role in Beowulf and Sundiata, have been underestimated. Many of the women had more power than one would expect during this time. The roles are central to the stories and fostering egalitarian harmonious societies, where all “birds fly freely without colliding”. The women in the epics play complementary roles as hostesses; they serve as a political instrument that brings hospitality and order to the land, and as peacemaker, weave themselves between lands to form alliances. Also, as mothers, they are emotionally committed to nurturing and preserving life. The overall objective of the study thus, is to highlight that women are depicted as strong and active characters in a genre otherwise seen as masculine creations.