African Wisdom

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© 2023 Ifeanyi Uhuegbu. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by LitPrime Solutions: 07/26/2023

ISBN: 979-8-88703-126-2(sc)

ISBN: 979-8-88703-127-9(e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022923913

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Dedication

PART 1

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

PART 2

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

PART 3 

Proverbs at a Glance

Bibliography and End Note

Dedication

I would like to express my sincere thanks to my wonderful wife Dikachim who gave me all the support and the encouragement to write this book.

I wish to specifically thank Reverend Dr. Richard Udoh and wife Rita for identifying the potentials. They pressed it on me that I have something on the inside which the world would like to read and the result is this book.

PART 1

Chapter One

Introduction

Stories are part of the African life. Africans relish narratives and telling stories. These are often deployed to teach lessons and pass messages of values. Proverbs are fundamental to the stories. They are vehicles used most times to drive home the importance of the stories.

Scenes of people gathered in the villages under the moonlight telling stories are common in Africa. They are a way of life. The ability to tell stories coherently and articulately is highly respected in the traditional African society. Most often, the intelligent quotient of a child can be identified and developed through this means.

Ability to use proverbs and appropriately in moonlight gatherings, folklores, dances, and conversations as well as in songs in various village activities is well regarded. No wonder, at many of these occasions the elders participate in telling the stories, thereby educating the young ones both in the art of storytelling and in history. This setting that combines a deep acculturation process is captured in the saying that when the mother goat is chewing cud, the kids watch the mouth. The young ones learn the art of storytelling and use of proverbs in this way. It is part of the socialization process.

Proverbs are indeed second nature to the elders in the African society. They use them freely during conversations and in story telling. The recognition of this situation is reflected in the culture in which any one person who applies proverbs in the course of speaking in the presence of the elders often adds as our elders said or as you elders would say it.

The idea in this, is to give reverence to the elders present and also acknowledge the source of the proverb being used. It would be rude for a young person to pretend to be teaching the elders the use of proverbs. Such acknowledgements help the child when he uses a harsh or vulgar proverb. It saves the young person from incurring the wrath of the elders.

Proverbs are the lubricant of any good conversation. At public meetings, crucial consultations, marriages, funerals, sundry social events and in such formal correspondences as sending emissaries to a foreign land, proverbs are profusely used. The ability to use proverbs adequately and freely in many African societies is a big credential for recognition and for entrusting people with responsibility of speaking for group or community. The capacity to wrap messages in proverbs is a reflection of maturity and wisdom or tendencies in those directions.

When the mother goat is chewing cud, the little ones watch her.

Proverbs mainly derive their substance from the culture of the people. Just as African cultures are rich, colourful and diverse, so also are their proverbs. But a close look at each culture’s body of proverbs often reveals common link with others. For sure there are common grounds, even in experiences. The experiences which evolve from the distinct heritage of each culture form the foundation from which proverbs flow.

Usage of proverbs covers every aspect of life and living. There is virtually no issue or circumstance in the African world that does not have an appropriate proverb around it. Such proverbs may have evolved after careful observations spanning a long time. African proverbs are profound words of wisdom which reveal African philosophies.

In the setting in which they prevail, proverbs are believed to be said to the wise. However, for the sake of the less than wise and the young minds, ordinary prose becomes handy. This is the root of the saying that If it were not for fools, conversations would have been only in proverbs. The point here is that the wise does not need too many words to grasp a message. An appropriate proverb is enough for any wise mind to receive the message being communicated. A good proverb stimulates thought, gives understanding, knowledge and entertains.

Usually it is considered superfluous, if not an outright blunder when a man who communicated proverbially, is also made to break them down. To expect that of any speaker is to ask for too much. On the other hand, it doesn’t speak well of any recipients of proverbs communication to ask the communicator to decode it. Such conduct exposes a message receiver as being less than wise. Consequently, it is said that When a man who spoke in proverbs goes ahead to interpret them to the recipient, the dowry paid on the recipient mother’s during marriage was a waste. A testimonial for a person does not get worse than that. It is an indication that the person did not receive proper home training. Such an unwise person is often a subject of ridicule.

If it were not for fools conversations would be in proverbs.

Proverbs are believed to be no respecter of persons. They could be sublime and come in various forms. Some could ordinarily be considered interrogative while some are rhetorical. Yet some come in rather plain vulgar form. Intended message and circumstances dictate the appropriateness of a proverb. The most important thing in a proverb usage is that the intended message is clear enough not to leave the receiver conjecturing the actual meaning.

Proverbs are as dynamic as culture. They could be fashioned to suit changes in the society. Contemporary developments in African cultures have given rise to many proverbs. It is said in a more modern phrase for instance that: A man who does not have money to buy stout beer often deride the drink as being too bitter.

Stout beer is of course, a relatively new beverage in the African society. Prior to the arrival of the European, otherwise referred to as White man in Africa, stout beer was not part of the stock of drink in the society. Alcoholic beverages as they originally came in the setting were mainly palm wine and such local brews as pinto, brukutu. Akpetesi amongst others.

What is important in the proverb in reference is the message; that most people without the means to acquire a particular commodity or item are usually dismissive of that which they cannot afford. It often comes easily to people to wave off what they do not have.

As with culture which is hardly outgrown by its own, nobody outgrows proverbs. They are always there for application when relevant. In fact, the older one gets the closer the hug with proverbs. That way they are passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition.

It is hardly the case that any parent sits his child down to teach him the art of using or speaking in proverbs. No parent sends the child to school to learn proverbs.

The acculturation in proverb deployment comes mainly through experiencing its usage, usually by the older and wiser people. Reading books on proverbs as a guide to their use is a latter-day source of acquiring knowledge about proverbs. This means is however, still not a common route to learning use of this deft communication skill.

There are no fast rules to the application of proverbs in a conversation or writing. They can be employed at the beginning, middle or end of any conversation. Whether a proverb comes in form of a story or question is determined by context or thrust of the message. It is all at the discretion of the user. The important thing is to have them effectively propel the transmission of a desired message to the audience.

A proverb wrongly used can cause more problem than the good it was meant to achieve. That is the basis of the saying that A slip of the tongue is more dangerous than a slip of the foot. That is to say, an unruly tongue can cause an irreparable damage to a good cause.

Here the eternal advice of the bible comes in useful; that it is better to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry. The bible also notes that although the tongue is a small member of the body, it can cause a lot of havoc. A tiny spark, the holy book says can set a great forest on fire.

It is better to either remain quiet or use plain language in a conversation or presentation than for someone to use a proverb that doesn’t fit. Such faux pas may be unpardonable. Therefore, it is counseled that anyone who is not adept at the application of proverbs should do well to be smart as the proverbial man who on being called up to speak at a public forum said his kinsmen have said it all. Such is deemed more honourable than to speak and exhibit lack of proper grounding.

It remains common today in the African societies to find orators; politicians, preachers, various categories of salesmen, and many others using proverbs extensively to pass their messages to their respective publics. This disposition is not for nothing. Proverbs leave catchy phrases and messages that sink with the individual or the targeted audience and subsequently may make them draw a reflection and respond to the information communicated. They act as the engine oil in conversations, making their users apply them freely while scoring points along the line. Proverbs are catalysts for conversations, dialogue, and public discourse.

A slip of the tongue is more dangerous than a slip of the foot. 

The adage that if a child washes his hands well, he dines with the elders manifests clearly in the use of proverbs in Africa. A child who has learned the apt usage of proverbs is revered and elevated above his peers in the society. In many gatherings, such a young person is often easily granted audience whenever he wants to speak. He may sometimes be given responsibilities at the expense of his seniors and those more educated in western style.

Good usage of proverbs depicts wisdom. And wisdom, according to the bible, is the foundation of life. In fact, it is life. King Solomon was regarded as the wisest man of his era. That reckoning as the wisest of men still subsists. He was famed for churning out about 3,000 proverbs. These are still as profound and relevant today as they were thousands of years back. Such is the eternal depth of proverbs.

Without doubt, the proverbs of Solomon which were inspired by God have stood the test of time and are still standing in time. While it is a fact that proverbs are living and dynamic, it is a fact that many witty proverbs of the modern times have proved far less enduring than old ones. Indeed, many modern proverbs have been vacated by circumstances that have proven them wrong. Many of them are coined out of human experiences and insight and are bound to disappoint sometimes.

Messages and sense in most proverbs are weighty when set in the context of time and society in which they were fashioned out. Preferably, proverbs are best used in the original language in which they were framed. Many proverbs lose their actual meaning in the course of effort to translate them to either English or any other foreign language. There are native words and idioms that cannot be easily substituted with English words.

The determination to avoid distortion that may follow such translation from an original language to a second one accounts for the retention of Latin words and phrases in various official documents and communications. The idea is to retain the exact meaning of a particular expression as was intended in the original language of the construction.

Chapter Two

Proverbs: Business of the Elders

When I told a friend and colleague from Kenya, Pastor John Nganga that I was writing a book on ‘African proverbs’, the first question he asked was "How old are you? Pastor Nganga’s reaction was not exactly new to me. Amongst my peers and relations, each time I use a proverb in conversation, the common reaction is always the raising of eye brows. The next thing that follows is the question: Why are you always talking like an old man? Many of those who know me well enough and are convinced that I am not the old man as my proverbs reflect simply hold that I must have been brought up under the tutelage of an old man.

Truly I grew up under several elderly relations, men, and women. As a little boy growing up, I loved listening to moonlight stories and talks delivered by the elders in village gatherings and meetings. My interest was nourished the more through reading novels and plays by African writers, especially Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi, and Ola Rotimi among others. Studying Theatre Arts and Journalism in my first and post graduate studies in the university gave me another opportunity to develop much desires for the use of proverbs.

Are proverbs really the exclusive right of the elders? While the answer may not be an emphatic yes, it remains a fact that the elders are more adept in deploying them and indeed make use of proverbs more than any other demographic segment in any African society. They use them profusely in discussions, meetings, counseling, admonishing, in diplomacy and all phases of life. They are not only custodians of cultures; they are also proverb custodians. It does not mean there are no young men proficient in the use of proverbs. However, the truth is that any young person skilled in the use of proverbs must have learned it through good associations with the elders.

It is easy to appreciate therefore, why most times young people presage their use of proverbs in the presence of an elder with it is you elders who said... Or our elders said. This is a tribute to the wisdom of the elders as well as an acknowledgement that they are the repository of tradition and wisdom.

Though it is said that a widely traveled child is more knowledgeable than a grey haired elder in the village, that does not translate into approval for a child to disrespect his elders. The elders deserve their respect. It is part of the African cultural heritage.

It is generally believed in Africa that respect for the elders is ultimately in the interest of the young ones. For as the saying holds, when a child accords respect to elders, he will grow up to become one. This is in tandem with the fifth of the Ten Commandments of the Christian faith which says honour your father and mother. Then you will live a long full life in the land the Lord your God will give. This is the only commandment with a promise. Our father and mother in the broad sense usage here is easily accepted to refer to any elders or equivalent of our biological parents.

A widely traveled child is more knowledgeable than a grey haired elder in the village. 

Elders are commonly believed to have wisdom and experience. The is naturally derived from several years of practical life lessons as well as being witness to varied circumstances of life. Experience is often difficult to quantify and cannot be abridged. It remains the best teacher. The value of experience is highlighted regularly in media advertisements for job employment opportunities. The emphasis in such advertisements to the effect that a certain number of years’ experience is an advantage for securing the job says it all for the inherent value in experience. Experience is an important part of human existence. By virtue of age, the elders have experiences of life in their kitty. This advantage enhances their position as custodians of culture and traditions in every African society.

Expectedly, many proverbs have been woven around the elders. The proverbs convey a lot of wisdom and instructions for all to learn. After all, it is said that the words of elders are words of wisdom. A wise man hears them and becomes wiser.

The elevated status of the African elders in terms of taking responsibility manifests clearly in the saying that an elder cannot be at home while a goat tethered to a stake delivers. Any such occurrence reflects the worst type of abdication of responsibility and bothers on an abomination. In other words, elders are expected to correct any wrong conduct right away or indeed prevent them from occurring in the first place. Such is the responsibility society entrusts on their shoulders.

An elder who decides to keep quiet in the face of wrong doings often loses the respect of the society. The