How much can one deduce from a Nations proverbs the level of sophistication of its people?

I have been drawn to the sayings from different African nations posted on the BBC Africa website. At first i found the sayings amusing but gradually I've become embarrassed. I grew embarrassed as it began to occur to me that perhaps one could determine the level of intelligence of a nation by the proverbs of its people. When i looked at it in this light, it seemed to me that many African peoples' appear to reason one dimensionally. Take this latest proverb:


Today's African Proverb:

“The country rooster does not crow in the town”

A Swahili proverb sent by Abdalla Alwi Bafagih, Toronto, Canada


It seems that the proverb is drawing reference to the idea that someone important in his backyard cannot presume to be important elsewhere. A little like "the small fish in a big pond" syndrome. However the proverb was constructed one dimensionally. For a proverb to work, it must make scene in at least three levels. The proverb above works only at one level i.e the king of the castle is not the king of the world. It fails at the second level, whereby the imagery most make sense. For instance, in reality, a village rooster can crow in town and they regularly do. Even in London city, roosters do crow in many allotments.

These one dimensional African proverbs would be tolerable if not for the fear that they are one dimensional by default. Either the authors know what they want to get across but lack the intelligence to get them across or the authors come from societies in which the level of social substance is infantile. These proverbs are not lost in translation but lost in trying to formulate three dimensional concepts.


Ironically, I found that the Nigerian proverbs and those from Uganda are consistently the most sophisticated ones posted on the site.


Take this Nigerian Igbo saying, translated loosely as: the Agama lizard that fell from the tree, noded its head in praise of itself - When no one clapped - for having survived.


This works on many levels. Firstly, on the imagery level, Agama lizards do appear to nod, and they appear to nod more vigorously when they fall from a great height ( stunned i expect) . Secondly, the proverb tells one to encourage themselves in adversity. Thirdly it tells you that there are many ways of viewing things. fourthly it tells you that sometimes people don't see the woods for the tree.

Today's African Proverb

“A fool is thirsty in the midst of water”

An Ethiopian proverb sent by Liyana Tefferi, London, UK



People die of thirst all the time at sea

It might have been better not to attempt the proverb but just state the idea categorically, thus: only incapable individuals fail to take advantage of limitless opportunity.

Today's African Proverb

“Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped”

Sent by Ndawula Robert, Kampala, Uganda




Not bad-----> it has elements of do not loose site of the woods for the trees...

The fact that it compels you to look at it more than ones for meaning, hints at complexity.

Interesting, but was the bbc africa website your only source?

I remember seeing on a kenyan forum someone refering to these nigerian proverbs as stupid, to me they're quite intelligent and well thought.
what do you think of these?

www.kenyanlist.com/kls-listing-show.php?id=130681

1. Agbajo owo la fi so ya - (You can't beat your chest with 1 finger. You need them all)

2. ‘’When hot water quarrels with the flour, it's the cooking stick that always mediates’’

3. ‘’A monkey that eats grass instead of bananas is a goat’’

4. 'Getting married to a Girl that weighs more than 80kg is Polygamy'•

5. ‘‘When a tsetse fly perches on your scrotum, it takes great skill not force, to kill it.'

6. 'However much the buttocks are in a hurry, they will always remain behind’’

7. 'If the throat can swallow a knife, the anus must find a way of expelling it’’

8. ‘’no matter how hot your anger is, it cannot cook yam’’

9. ‘’the man who marries a beautiful woman and a man who plants corn by the roadside have the same problem’’

10. ‘’the frown on the face of the goat does not prevent it from being taken to the market.'

11. No matter how far you urinate, the last drop always falls at your feet’’

Famous Ugandan Proverbs and wise sayings and their Significance

www.sayingsfromafrica.info/2012/12/top-proverbs-from-east-africa.html?m=1

nor be by power dem take dey stand pen*s

osystein: Interesting, but was the bbc africa website your only source?

I remember seeing on a kenyan forum someone refering to these nigerian proverbs as stupid, to me they're quite intelligent and well thought.
what do you think of these?

www.kenyanlist.com/kls-listing-show.php?id=130681

1. Agbajo owo la fi so ya - (You can't beat your chest with 1 finger. You need them all)

2. ‘’When hot water quarrels with the flour, it's the cooking stick that always mediates’’

3. ‘’A monkey that eats grass instead of bananas is a goat’’

4. 'Getting married to a Girl that weighs more than 80kg is Polygamy'•

5. ‘‘When a tsetse fly perches on your scrotum, it takes great skill not force, to kill it.'

6. 'However much the buttocks are in a hurry, they will always remain behind’’

7. 'If the throat can swallow a knife, the anus must find a way of expelling it’’

8. ‘’no matter how hot your anger is, it cannot cook yam’’

9. ‘’the man who marries a beautiful woman and a man who plants corn by the roadside have the same problem’’

10. ‘’the frown on the face of the goat does not prevent it from being taken to the market.'

11. No matter how far you urinate, the last drop always falls at your feet’’

Dont know if they're all Nigerian, haven't come across any of these ones, however some actually work figuratively, image-wise, and as well as conveying some form of human story/experience informed by more than a cursory understanding of life....depending on how complex life is in the relevant society.


Thanks for the list...

oh, and I'll revisit them, each and see if i need to reevaluate my perspective.



just to add...

I remember seeing on a kenyan forum someone refering to these nigerian proverbs as silly, to me they're quite intelligent and well thought.

It would be helpful to know the criteria these Kenyans apply when ascribing merit to proverbs and adages. If not, then one might suppose that individuals whose proverbs are often straightforward- for example - "If you see a bull coming at you, run for dear life!!" may view more complex proverbs as foolish.

I believe that complexity and sophistication are humanly understood and not obscured by perspective -cultural or not. However i have began to notice a new attitude amongst the young. It is a sort of unwillingness or incapability to be open to knew cultural ideas. I have especially noticed it among Europeans. i don't know if it is perhaps old with them, maybe a utilitarian attitude of mind deliberately cultured in order to enable colonizations and the attitude of superiority which this entails. In any event, I notice it ( i call it Arrogant Ignorance) creeping up among the young of all cultures in the West and maybe beyond. In England for instance you might come across inner city young people telling
someone with received pronunciation "You Speak Funny" without an ounce of self-consciousness -or even mischievous twinkle in the eyes, that they may actually be the once speaking funny.