Wagadu occupies a central place in Soninke traditions of origin. Clans identifying themselves as Soninke preserve the memory of having once belonged to this ancient kingdom, and stories of Wagadu continue to explain the origins and relative status of different Soninke groups. The traditions connect the kingdom with the wider history of the Western Sudan, while also linking dispersed Soninke communities to a shared ancestral past.

The founding story begins with Dinga, who came from the Orient, stayed for a time in Jenné, and then moved to Dyara-ba in Massina, where he married. His descendants were associated with Soninke communities in Diafünu near the Kolimbine River and with the Diakhanke centre of Diakha-sur-Bafing. After moving to Kingui, Dinga defeated supernatural opponents and married the three daughters of a goblin; their sons became ancestors of numerous Soninke clans, including the Sisse, the royal clan of Wagadu.

According to the legend, Dinga intended to transmit his power to his elder son Khine, but the younger Dyabe secured the blessing and authority for himself. After Dinga’s death, Dyabe fled his brother’s anger and encountered a mysterious drum that summoned four cavalry commanders. These commanders recognized him as their superior and later became the chiefs of Wagadu’s four provinces. Dyabe then established his kingdom at Kumbi, situated between Goumbou and Nema.

Wagadu prospered under Dyabe Sisse and his descendants, who bore the title manga or moghba. Its political organization combined royal authority with a four-province structure headed by the fado commanders. The descendants of Dinga and the four fado were remembered as the aristocratic clans known as the wago, whose name was associated with Wagadu. Once each year, representatives of the four provinces gathered at Kumbi for a ceremony dedicated to Bida, whose favour was believed to ensure rain and gold.

The legend ends with the killing of Bida. When a brave suitor slew the serpent at the moment a virgin was to be offered, Bida pronounced a curse that brought drought and ended the flow of gold. The head of the slain serpent fell at Bure, in the country of the Malinke, which thereafter became a land of gold. Wagadu was deprived of rain and gold, its people dispersed, and its country became desert. The story thus explains both Soninke dispersal and the emergence of a new political and economic geography.