People growing up in western countries are often unaware of general folklore, parables, and traditional wisdom from Africa. Our educations tend to focus mainly on myths, parables and wisdom from western nations such as Greece, Rome, and other European countries. With this in mind, let's take a look at a cross-section of some wise sayings from around the continent, and analyze their meaning.
"Two ants do not fail to pull one grasshopper". This proverb is popular in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The meaning is quite simple and, for that reason, accessible to young students. An ant attempting to capture a grasshopper for food will have difficulty, but two ants can work together to pull the grasshopper to the desired location, the implication being that this will provide them with a meal. The basic moral of this story is that unity among peoples is very important, and this forms an important lesson for children.
"The chief's son has to collect firewood when destiny destroys him". This proverb, originated in Sudan, is quite poignant. It realistically states that even those born into luxury or privilege are not exempt from tragedy or other humbling experiences in life. Collecting firewood in this example is a task associated with members of society who need to help with manual tasks. If the unexpected in any form comes to privileged members of society, they too will need to participate in regular work and will not be able to maintain their high, relatively idle lifestyle. This can remind people that there are no guarantees in life, and that one's status and station in life are subject to change. It can also encourage leaders to be understanding of the plight of regular people, and to avoid developing too much pride.
"A debt is not a loss once one knows the debtor". This proverb from the small Batembo ethnic group in the Congo stands in sharp contrast to the way we in the western world view debt. When someone loans goods to someone else among the group, according to this proverb, the view is typically taken that there need not be a specific set of repayment terms, conditions, or time-frame. The lender is seen to be providing valuable resources to the community as a whole, in order to keep these needed resources in the hands of the community at large. There is no room for greed in this philosophy. The lender assumes that he or she will be repaid later in the form of other community goods. This is a rather karmic view of things. If one creates a society based on sharing and mutual respect, he or she will naturally come to reap the benefits of that society in the future. Missionaries to the Congo accepted this philosophy on a more religious basis; it reminded them that generosity is rewarded in heaven.
"Cows are born with ears, later they grow horns". This Sudanese saying is very valuable to anyone in any society around the world. The gist of it is that children are born into the world learning from their parents and observing others around them. At a certain point, however, children tend to believe that their elders know nothing of value. They start to labor under the delusion that they are the first to experience life events and that they alone know how to interpret and learn from them. This saying reminds children of this tendency they have to become arrogant. The ears represent learning from others at a young age, and the horns basically represent the arrogance that comes with thinking elders have nothing to share or have invalid opinions.
These parables are just some of the many interesting ones to be found around the African continent, and they further serve to remind us, in the west, that Africa is not one homogeneous large nation in itself, but a diverse continent of different peoples and languages who have diverse histories, stories, and philosophies.
Article by: Lindsey Feldman