Significance Of African Proverbs In African Literature

“Are you not a Yoruba? Why must proverbs be explained to you after they are said? (Nigeria)”;
“A proverb is the horse of conversation: when the conversation lags, a proverb will revive it. (Yoruba, Nigeria)”;
“A wise man who knows proverbs reconciles difficulties (Yoruba, Nigeria)”; and
“Proverbs are the daughters of experience (Sierra Leone).”

A. Introduction

A peculiar feature of the linguistic repertoire of Africa is the prevalence of proverbs. It is a truism to say that Africa has more diverse societies than any other continent in the world. The 54 countries constituting the continent have numerous ethnic groups, each with its own language and cultural traits despite some similarities that one could identify.

Despite the artificial boundaries created by the western European colonizers and the negative implications on the cultural pattersn of the continent, the diverse ethnic groups and multilingual communities can claim to share one thing in common, which is the body of proverbs that pervade their linguistic repertoire. There is no single community on the continent that doesn’t boast of a repertoire of proverbs.

The significance of these proverbs manifests in the oral literature of the continent. These proverbs constitute the most profound linguistic feature that encapsulates aphorisms, most of which are founded on either the experiences of people or their observations about happenings in this mundane life or even the spiritual world.

Interpreting these proverbs to bring out their meaning becomes an interesting activity for one to indulge in. It is my contention that Africa’s oral literature derives its strength largely from the preponderance of proverbs and that these proverbs contribute much towards establishing the linguistic character of the continent.

The title of my discussion speaks volumes about what these proverbs can do. It is not uncommon to hear an African child being rebuked for not making meaning out of proverbs said to him/her. As is the case, Nigeria provides an example: “Are you not a Yoruba? Why must proverbs be explained to you after they are said?” T

his question is not misplaced because of the commonly-held belief that an African must understand a proverb when said because it is a common feature in every community. No one needs to go to school to learn an African proverb. Everyday usages contain them and the child must get to know them as a matter of course.

Thus, if one fails to understand what the proverb conveys, the saying is: “When the fool is told a proverb, its meaning has to be explained to him.”

The relevance of these proverbs is demonstrated by such sayings as “A proverb is the horse of conversation: when the conversation lags, a proverb will revive it” ; “A wise man who knows proverbs reconciles difficulties (Yoruba, Nigeria); and “Proverbs are the daughters of experience” (Sierra Leone).

There are certain instances when these proverbs reveal their worth. The significance of the art of public speaking (oratory) and influence on the society creates room for proverbs to be used to enrich one’s utterances. For instance, the traditional linguists at the courts of the kings/chiefs are known for their rhetorical powers as they use these proverbs glibly to give substance to their utterances. And they are applauded for such feats.

Another occasion when proverbs become relevant is in the narration of folk tales. Here, we experience the power of the proverbs in narration as they become the vehicles through which morals are conveyed for the informal education of the society, especially children.

The art of story telling is learned by the children as they listen to these narratives and it becomes an occasion for communal activity as a form of entertainment and enactment of historical events, drama, poetry (funeral dirges, honorific appellations, etc.).

During the performance of traditional religious ceremonmies – rituals and pouring of libation, one will not be surprised to hear strings of proverbs in the incantations of speakers who offer prayers as part of the ceremonies in the ancestral worship rituals for which Africa is well known.

Ceremonies such as marriage rites also provide room for proverbs to be used. At others such as the telling of riddles and signing of songs, the use of proverbs deepens the profundity of messages. It is no over-exaggeration, then, to say that proverbs feature in almost every aspect of traditional African life.

African authors (Chinua Achebe, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Wole Soyinka, Ola Rotimi, Ayi Kwei Armah, Kofi Anyidoho, Ama Ata Aidoo, Afua Sutherland, Camara Laryea, Mariama Ba, etc.) use African proverbs to enrich their works. And they are proud to do so because their works derive their strengths from their cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Using proverbs in written work is an extension of their oral literature. The proverbs are regarded as the core of “traditional” knowledge because the metaphoric representations conveyed through them become useful sources of lessons that have to be learned.

B. Constitutents of the Proverbs

A careful analysis of these African proverbs shows that they are based on human observations of the things of Nature. The main figures in these proverbs are human beings, animals, Nature itself, and the spirit world. It is interesting to observe that these proverbs relate mostly to abstract issues (death, laziness, envy, love, power, wealth, poverty, strength, weakness, mood, etc.) that constitute the foundation of the mindset of the people.

The proverbs are intended to teach lessons – either to praise, to condemn, to exhort,to persuade or to dissuade action. Some are meant to serve as a warning, advice, admonition, curse, or blessing.

C. Some Common Themes of the Proverbs

Usually, the themes that these proverbs have are the attributes that the societies cherish or condemn. Valour, power, wealth, and altruism are some of the attributes that are cherished and stressed through proverbs. For instance, a proverb such as “Children are the reward of life” is intended to teach the society how to do things to sustain life. Posterity sustains itself on children and not the aged.

Another one such as “No matter how long the night, the day is sure to come” is meant to teach people to be patient and tolerant so that they don’t create problems.

Proverbs that admonish are regarded as useful because they warn the people about the dangers inherent in their conscionable or unconscionable acts: “You are beautiful; but learn to work for, you cannot eat your beauty” (is a piece of advice to women, especially, who may be deceived by their beauty to think that all will be well with them.

The warning is that if you depend on your beauty for survival, you will fail because beauty fades with age and is transient). And then, “The bitter heart eats its owner.” Learn to forgive and to forget any harm done you by others.

D. Some Peculiarities of the Proverbs

There are some peculiarities that are unique to these proverbs, some of which are explained below:

1. Patriarchy and Male Chauvinism:

The proverbs show certain peculiarities that are worth discussing. The obvious reference to the power of men over women and how men place themselves above women in these proverbs brings to mind a socio-cultural pattern in Africa—patriarchy or male chauvinism. In most of the proverbs that relate to human behavior, the attributes verging on power and accomplishments are reserved for men.

2. Gendering of the Proverbs:

I have identified an extension of the male chauvinism that these proverbs portend to the level where the proverbs are even “gendered.” What we have is a situation in which females are regarded with little respect when it comes to assigning negative traits.

The gender issues (demeaning females) are represented by the following proverbs: “Woman without man is like a field without seed” (Why not a man?); “A silly daughter teaches her mother how to bear children,” “Saying that it’s for her child, she gets herself a loaf of bread,” and “A home without a woman is like a barn without cattle” (Ethiopia). The last proverb is especially symptomatic of how belittling of women takes place even in proverbs!

Other instances of gendering occur in other cultures apart from the one cited above. For example, we have: “Mothers-in-law are hard of hearing (Democratic Republic of Congo); “When a woman is hungry, she says: ‘Roast something for the children that they may eat.’” (Akans of Ghana); “If you marry a woman at a pub, you will divorce her at a pub” (Ewes of Ghana); and “A bad son gives a bad name to his mother” (Why not his father?) (Ivory Coast).

It is not difficult for one to establish the mindset of the African male here. The origin of most of these proverbs could be traced to male characters – either kings, chiefs, the rich or notable males in the various communities, traditional healers, fetish priests, or linguistis at the chiefs’ courts.

These originators put their observations together in these proverbs to convey certain viewpoints. That the male originators sought to belittle their female counterparts should not be surprising because in the traditional African society, the male has always been on top of things. The woman’s place is the kitchen. This mindset is exposed by the gendering that occurs in these proverbs.

E. African Proverbs and Biblical Connections

It is interesting to note that some of the African proverbs have direct references to some sayings in the Christian Bible. There are clear references to issues that connect their meanings to the use of parables by Jesus Christ to teach lessons.

For example, “One who recovers from sickness forgets about God,” “Unless you call out, who will open the door?” (Reference to Jesus admonition: “Seek and ye shall find; knock and the door will be opened unto you; ask and ye shall be given”); “When the heart overflows, it comes out through the mouth” (Another direct reference to Jesus’ “Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks”); “If you offend, ask for pardon; if offended, forgive” (“If a man slaps your left cheek, turn the right one to him”)—all from Ethiopia.

There are indications that these references to Biblical sayings are not adventitious, especially coming from Ethiopia, which to some people is the Lion of Judah that the Bible mentions. Can we begin to see how expansive these African proverbs can be?

They involve the use of commonplace issues and known substances as points of reference but couched in a “coded language” that must be broken down before comprehension is assured. To reach the kernel, one has to crack the nut first. Such is the potency of the African proverbs.

F. The Nuances of the Proverbs and the Problem of Translation

The real import of these proverbs can be appreciated and understood better if heard in the original languages in which the proverbs are couched. Translating them into another language (especially, Egnlish, which may not have the appropriate linguistic resources with which to convey the nuances) means a loss of these nuances. To adequately represent the notions inherent in the original constructions of the proverbs means using the language of owners of the proverbs.

The impact would be greater in that case because the exact meaning would emerge. But when translated, the impression is watered down by the difficulties associated with the linguistic choices to be made in an attempt to represent the ideas in their original nature.

The constructions presented here must be viewed against this background though they make sense when read. My contention is that these proverbs can be better relished if presented in their original nuances and unadulterated conditions. These limitations are noteworthy as far as cross-cultural issues in linguistic representations are concerned.

What you see here is the result of intercultural convergences at the linguistic level and the impact on concepts. How do we adequately represent original concepts from one language to the other without losing their original nuances?

G. Colonialism and African Proverbs

The activities of the European colonizers created many problems for the African continent. The artificial boundaries separated ethnic groups from each other and disrupted oneness. In most areas, the artificial boundaries separated the people into different countries though they speak the same language and have similar cultural traits. The Ewe people of West Africa are found in three different countries—Ghana, Togo, and benin as a result of British, German, and French colonization. But they do things in common as Ewes.

Rwanda and Burundi give us a peculiar situation – the Hutu-Tutsi divide in both countries: two ethnic groups occupying two different countries. The Hutus and Tutsisare the dominant population groups in these two countries and make Rwanda and Burundi share common features in terms of proverbs. Artificial political boundaries created by the colonizers have not wiped off the cultural ties between the indigenes occupying the separate countries.

Some of the proverbs are common to the various ethnic groups on the continent, indicating that the influence of proverbs is pervasive. Proverbs know no boundaries. For example, we have “In a court of fowls, the cockroach never wins a case” (Burundi/Rwanda), which translates into “The fowl is never right in the court of hawks” (Ewe proverb in Ghana); or the Akan proverb (“The moon moves slowly but it crosses the town”) which is also found in the Yoruba ethnic group of Nigeria (“The moon moves slowly but by daybreak it crosses the sky”); or “Kola nut lasts long in the mouths of them who value it!” (Yoruba of Nigeria) and “Cactus is bitter only to him who tastes of it” (Ethiopia).

Another instance is shown by “When two dogs fight over a bone, the third one that passes by just picks it and walks away” (Ghana/Nigeria), which is similar to “Two birds disputed about a kernel; when a third swooped down and carried it off” (Democratic Republic of the Congo).

A third example comes from the Akans (Ghana) (“If you want to know what death looks like, ask sleep”) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (“Sleep is the cousin of death.”)

What can we learn from this attribute of proverbs in the African situation? We must learn that neither geography nor artificial political boundaries have eroded anything from the nature of the African proverbs. Whether spoken in Swahili, Ewe, or Yoruba, the proverbs retain their substances and teach lessons to the people.

H. More Thoughts on the Significance of the African Proverbs

The collection that I have in this project is only representative of what Africa has. Regardless of the scope of coverage, these proverbs remain relevant to the diverse ethnic groups and constitute the core of their oral literature. They are significant for several reasons:

(i) Each community cherishes its body of wise sayings which serve as pointers to how rich its language is;

(ii) Users of proverbs areacclaimed as knowledgeable (wise) in the traditional sense since those who can combine proverbs with ordinary utterances are among those who command respect in the traditional societies of old;

(iii) Proverbs as the language of the Chief’s Court. To be there, you must learn how to use them and speak as is done in that discourse community;

(iv) Appellations enunciated through traditional “talking drums” and interpreted by only a few who understand the language of the drums (source of honor and prestige/pride to the individual interpreter of drum language) also derive from proverbs;

(v) The use of proverbs is anindication that one has a good and reliable memory and can relate to one’s roots;

(vi) The proverbs bring up generational differences – only those who spend time with the “old” ones in the community could get the chance to know the proverbs. It is an indication that the user of the proverb is not “tainted” by modern linguistic influences from other cultures, especially non-African ones.

My discussion has revealed that the various African communities cherish their proverbs because of their relevance to discourse at various levels. In a fast-changing socio-cultural situation where cultures intersect at various levels, it is important that those who have proverbs do whatever they can to retain them in their linguistic repertoire.

In Africa, where orality is placed above written communication, it is obvious that the prevalence of these proverbs will continue to sustain the oral literature of the continent.

The significance of the art of public speaking (oratory) and influence on the society. The traditional linguists at the courts of the traditional rulers are known for their rhetorical powers.

Folk tales and the power of narration—morals and informal education of the society, especially children. The art of story telling is learned—occasion for communal activity as a form of entertainment and enactment of historical events, drama, poetry (funeral dirges, honorific appellations, etc.).

Traditional religious ceremonies—rituals and pouring of libation, incantations, ancestral worship rites, etc.

Ceremonies such as marriage rites, riddles, songs, etc.

Proverbs feature in almost every aspect of traditional African life.

Children’s literature (fables, folktales, etc.) cannot do without proverbs, which are regarded as the core of knowledge.

Metaphoric representations conveyed through proverbs become useful sources of knowledge.

Main figures in the proverbs—human beings, animals, Nature, the spirit world.

Proverbs relate to abstract issues (death, laziness, envy, love, power, wealth, poverty, strength, weakness, mood, etc.).

Lessons intended—either to praise, condemn, exhort, persuade or dissuade action. Warning, advice, admonition, curse, or blessing are also implied whenever proverbs are used.

I. Some Common Themes Cherished by the Societies

– patriarchy/male chauvinism

– gender issues (demeaning females): “Mothers-in-law are hard of hearing (Democratic Republic of Congo); “Woman without man is like a field without seed.” (Ethiopia); “A home without a woman is like a barn without cattle,” “A silly daughter teaches her mother how to bear children,” and “Saying that it’s for her child, she gets herself a loaf of bread” (all from Ethiopia); “If you marry a woman at a pub, you will divorce her at a pub” (Ewes of Ghana);

– Reference to the use of Parables by Jesus Christ to teach lessons to his own people – using common and known substances as common points of reference but couching the utterance in coded language that must be broken down before comprehension is assured: To crack the nut before reaching the kernel.

– Reference to Jesus’ sayings: “When the heart overflows, it comes out through the mouth” (Ethiopia) is similar to Jesus’ “Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks” (….)

Problem of Translation: Loss of the nuances of these proverbs in the course of being translated from their original African languages into English or any other language which doesn’t have the required linguistic resources to adequately represent the notions inherent in the original constructions. The impact is great because the exact impression is watered down by the translation difficulties.

What can we learn from this attribute of proverbs—ubiquity—in the African situation?

In the same sense, the Ewes of Ghana, Togo, and Benin share similar cultural attributes and have similar proverbs.

Any difference in the substance of these proverbs (according to the various regions—West, East, Central, North Africa)? What does it tell us?

Does geography also affect the nature of the proverbs?

J. Conclusion

Significance of the proverbs:

(i) each community cherishes its body of wise sayings which serve as pointers to how rich its language is;

(ii) user of proverbs is acclaimed as knowledgeable (wise) in the traditional sense since only those who can combine proverbs with ordinary speech are those who command respect in the traditional societies of old;

(iii) Proverbs as the language of the Chief’s Court—to be there, you must learn how to use them and speak as is done in that discourse community;

(v) Indicator of a good and reliable memory (vi) Generational differences—only those who spent time with the “old” ones in the community could be taught proverbs—indication that the user is not “tainted” by modern linguistic influences.