The Proverbs of Omenuko, the First Igbo Language Novel

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By WayoGuy
Sunday, 03 February 2008


Did you know that our distinguished Professor Chinua Achebe was only 3 years old when the very first Igbo novel, Omenuko, was published in 1933? Did you know that Pita Nwana is the father of the Igbo novel?

Some of us who were privileged to have been forced, yes forced, to study Igbo in primary schools were even luckier to have been made to read Omenuko. If you read Omenuko, in its Igbo language original, as I did, you will smell, feel, see, with all your senses, the authenticity of not just the narrator’s style, but also the labyrinthine richness of the culture and traditions within which the story takes place.

Pita Nwana, the father of the Igbo language novel, tells a simple story of Omenuko, a young man who concludes his apprenticeship with his master, in the business of trading, and found himself upwardly mobile to great things. But, like the proverbial spirit that kills a man when his life is sweetest, the protagonist experiences an unexpected mishap that suddenly grounded his progress.

What he does next, to salvage his business, an abomination of unspeakable proportions, forms the material and tragedy that takes the reader and Omenuko through exile from his village, regeneration while in exile, soul searching, atonement, and eventual redemption. All through the story, the reader is taken through authentic, though fictionalized, snapshots of early missionary and court interactions in Igboland.

For us in the diaspora, this story of Omenuko’s exile, though exiled internally in Igboland, and his nostalgic yearning for a return to his village, strikes a resonant chord. But that’s a topic for another day.

You will find, in this book, evidence that the proverbs of Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God, both written decades later, are all in Omenuko. You will find that our own fathers and mothers who have applied proverbs in their stories, including John Munonye (The Only Son), Flora Nwapa (The Concubine), Cyprian Ekwensi, Tony Ubesie (Isi Akwu Dara N’Ala; Ukwa Ruo Oge Ya O Daa), and numerous others must have read Omenuko.

Let’s hear from Pita Nwana himself on these timeless proverbs:

1. Awo anaghi agba oso ehihie n’efu (a toad does not run in the afternoon without a reason).

2. Oji oso agbakwuru ogu amaghi na ogu bu onwu (one who runs to join a war does not realize that war is death).

3. Uka akpara akpa bu isi k’eji ekwe ya (further discussion of an issue already settled is done with the nodding of the head).

4. Egbe bere ugo bere, nke si ibe ya ebena nku kwaa ya (may both the eagle and the kite perch but if one does not want the other to perch, may his wings break).

5. Onye no n’ulo ya n’eche mmadu, ukwu anaghi eji ya (one who is in his house waiting for a visitor does not get tired or develop waist pain).

6. Onye nwe ozu n’ebu ya n’isi (the relative of the dead person is the person who carries the corpse at the head).

7. Onye a na agbara ama ya na anuri, onye eboro ohi okwere la (while you rejoice at the news from an informer remember that the accused has not admitted it).

8. Emee nwata ka emere ibe ya obi adi ya nma (treat a child as his peers were treated and he will be happy).

9. Kama m ga erijuo afo dachie uzo ka m buru onu (I will rather remain hungry than eat so much that I collapse on the roadside).

10. Nwata ruru ima akwa ma n’anu ara nne ya, gini ka anyi g’eme ya? (what should we do to a child old enough to tie loin clothes if he continues to suck on his mother’s breasts?).

11. Oko kowa mmadu o gakwuru ibe ya, ma na oko kowa anu ohia o gaa n’akuku osisi (when a human itches, he goes to another human to scratch it, but when an animal itches, it goes to a tree).

You may have noticed that when these and other proverbs from Omenuko have found their ways into other books written in English about the Igbo culture, readers have invariably credited and praised the authors. But Omenuko does not have the same worldly acclaim and publicity as those other “Igbo” novels only because it is written in the Igbo language. Do you, an Igbo man and woman, not see something wrong here?

A white woman, Frances W. Pritchett, took the time to translate the book into English just four years ago. Do you see the irony here? Do you? Well, I don’t really need an answer because, as Pita Nwana wrote in Omenuko, uka akpara akpa bu isi k’eji ekwe ya (further discussion on an issue already settled is done with the nodding of the head). While my preference is that you read the book in the Igbo language original, I am happy that there is an English version now.

To give you an idea of the problem of which I write, consider that Things Fall Apart has been translated into over fifty world languages and Omenuko just one or maybe two. How then can we write about our culture in Igbo language without limiting the readership? Must we all write about our culture in the English language?

There is a solution to this serious chasm between the readership of Igbo language novels (such as Omenuko and Ije Odumodu Jere) and those of books about the Igbos written in English (such as Things Fall Apart and The Only Son).

Can any person introduce a style of writing that will bring a lasting marriage between English and Igbo by preserving these idioms and proverbs in novels and short stories, while still presenting the Igbo/African stories through the English language?







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Robot
Villager

# 1
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var sbtitle2294=encodeURIComponent(The Proverb, Read the full article.

Posted by Robot| 03.02.2008 16:00









Ochi Dabari
Villager

# 2
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Interesting thoughts, WayoGuy. It does not stop at the relegation of novels written in African languages. These days, children are not even encouraged to understand and speak their African languages. I am not referring to those overseas alone. Accost a child on the street of Lagos, Makurdi, Jos, Enugu, Ibadan, etc and speak the local language to him/her - the likelihood is that there will be no response, b/c they all speak only English language. It is worse if the child is from a well-to-do family. Not being able to speak one's language is equated to intelligence, in the eyes of the African. The Asians are rocking the world but the children all still speak Asian languages, whether they are in Europe, America or Australia. Our languages will die out, if it continues this way. Children learn languages very fast, so it does them no harm to speak your language to them, while they keep on with English in school. I do that with my children, to the applause of a majority of people whose children don't speak any Nigerian language, but there have been challenges from some oyibo Africans who think that I am confusing my children. They certainly do very well in school, not just trying but at the very top. So, I don't know what confusion I have caused. Only last October, a girl from my place in her 20s, who grew up overseas, asked me to bring back books in Igede, so that she could understand the language. I pitied her, and did bring in some books but I know it is going to be mighty difficult for her to learn now, particularly as her parents persist with speaking in English to them. If only they had kept up with the language at home while she grew!

BTW, the first Achebe novel I read in Form One was Chike and the River. In it, Achebe referred to one Peter Nwana, a very miserly trader that resided at Onitsha. Was that just coincidental or did Achebe have any issues with Pita Nwana, the author of Omenuko? And BTW again, I am just hearing of Omenuko and its author today. I read The Palmwine Drinkard but none of the other local language novels. The reason is obvious - I do not speak or read of the 3 major languages well enough.

I think academics amongst us should look at the local books and try to translate or revive them. I brought back some of my old books last October, and among them is a gem on animal science, written by a prof at UI in the 50s. I have been wondering if I should update it. He is long retired and may actually be dead. I know it may be difficult linking up with his family and publisher.

ochi

Posted by Ochi Dabari| 03.02.2008 16:46









Willy
Villager

# 3
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WG,

Good one as usual, actually, this is more serious than many.

My thoughts -

First, I think The Concubine is Elechi Amadi's work, not that it matters much here, just a little housekeeping.

Then the serious issue of acclaim - you may want to reconsider your position if you reflect that there are scholarly pursuits and there are roadside readers like you and me.

You are an attorney (at least on this board) , and I, , well not to worry, but suffices it to say that neither of us belong to the U.S. Modern Languages Association (MLA), Society for the Promotion of Igbo Language and Culture (SPILC) or literary associations in Nigeria or elsewhere.

Point is that Omenuko is accorded more importance than you know, going from your writing, even Ekwensi's earliest writing is accorded precedence over TFA going by publication date and ground breaking steps it was.

All said, I must commend you for pursuing this language revival in more ways than one, but is it exactly that noble?

The Jews may have lost their earlier language, but are they not better off today than 2000 years ago when they spoke their original Aramaic?

I ask not to dissuade you from your pursuit or snigger at your crusade, but just to get you thinking on the value of language over and beyond the emotional.

Be well brother.

Posted by Willy| 03.02.2008 17:50









truthsayer33
Villager

# 4
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when I ring my folks in Nigeria the only Igbo they want to speak is 'wesertan union'

Posted by truthsayer33| 03.02.2008 18:52









Dimaanu
Villager

# 5
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=truthsayer33;4294985914>when I ring my folks in Nigeria the only Igbo they want to speak is 'wesertan union'

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To think that I actually tried to figure out "wesartan union" before the meaning finally hit me.
You are very funny!:lol:

Posted by Dimaanu| 03.02.2008 19:06









Akunne
JJC

# 6
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What a coincidence! Only last month, I found the translation of Omenuko online. For a book that I read (in Igbo) donkey years ago to pass an examination, it was such a thrilling read this time around. In agreeing with the author that more needs to be done to encourage the study of not only Igbo language, but other African languages, I would like to invite him and others to share an idea that I have about such a project. And to begin to work on it. I had the good fortune of sharing accommodation with Korean students while in college. What I learned from them beyond a smattering of their language, is the script, Hankul. It is not only elegant, it is easy to learn and is considered the most sophisticated, and scientific of the calligraphies of the east.
Ndigbo have a saying that we speak in dialects, but when we cough, it all sounds alike. There is something to be said about a unified written Igbo that accommodates all dialects without diluting the essence and meaning of words, idioms etc. This has been my dream for about twenty years. Let's do this!

Posted by Akunne| 03.02.2008 21:42









WayoGuy
Villager

# 7
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=Willy;4294985902>WG,

Good one as usual, actually, this is more serious than many.

My thoughts -

First, I think The Concubine is Elechi Amadi's work, not that it matters much here, just a little housekeeping.

Then the serious issue of acclaim - you may want to reconsider your position if you reflect that there are scholarly pursuits and there are roadside readers like you and me.

You are an attorney (at least on this board) , and I, , well not to worry, but suffices it to say that neither of us belong to the U.S. Modern Languages Association (MLA), Society for the Promotion of Igbo Language and Culture (SPILC) or literary associations in Nigeria or elsewhere.

Point is that Omenuko is accorded more importance than you know, going from your writing, even Ekwensi's earliest writing is accorded precedence over TFA going by publication date and ground breaking steps it was.

All said, I must commend you for pursuing this language revival in more ways than one, but is it exactly that noble?

The Jews may have lost their earlier language, but are they not better off today than 2000 years ago when they spoke their original Aramaic?

I ask not to dissuade you from your pursuit or snigger at your crusade, but just to get you thinking on the value of language over and beyond the emotional.

Be well brother.

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Willy, my brother:

Thanks once again for your unfailing dedication to our mutual enterprises. I hear you.

I think the striking similarities in the stories of Elechi Amadi's The Concubine and Flora Nwapa's Efuru, both of which I read in secondary school, have continued to confuse me till today. If you read both books you will wonder if both writers were reading from the same script while writing their stories. The mythology and traditions about the sea-godess are identical and so on.

The U.S. Modern Languages Association (MLA), the Society for the Promotion of Igbo Language and Culture (SPILC) and even the Ahiajoku Lectures and the Odenigbo Lectures are/were excellent and commendable efforts at promoting and preserving our language. I take nothing from them. In fact their goals are more expansive and more ambitious than what I propose, including the time-wasting disputes on orthography among Igbos of various dialects.

I am more focused on one thing, which is more urgent and in fact narrower than the goals of the aforementioned organizations and ventures. I am focused on what will help here and now in the mass marketing and preservation of our idioms, proverbs, and language through our stories without it all being written in English all the time. I hope to show you and the villagers, right here on NVS, in a few days, my proposed solution and my own personal effort in that direction.

Posted by WayoGuy| 03.02.2008 22:25

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/index.php/content/view/8456/55

Great effort!