By Lanre Sonubi
I recall an African scholar wrote that every man that dies in Africa is like setting a library ablaze.
As early as six years old, we were taught African proverbs, riddles, folk tales, and jokes before we were even taught how to read and write. That was a beauty growing up in a typical African community.
I recall we used to have a Yoruba dictionary in the house then. My father would always speak our traditional dialect—Ijebu—any time he got excited or angry. His proficiency in writing and speaking both Yoruba and English languages used to fascinate even his contemporaries. He was a true African.
Most of us have/had a semblance of that man in our fathers. They were tough, principled, resolute, and proud of their roots. That should have been our edge, coupled with our rich heritage of culture and nature.
Our true strength should have been in those strong ties we have with Mother Nature.
Nevertheless, here we are.
I recall an African scholar wrote that every man that dies in Africa is like setting a library ablaze. Now I ask myself “how many libraries have been set ablaze?” I am certain, even the National Bureau of Statistics does not have the answer.
All hope is not lost though. I laud the initiative of Africa Day celebration—the annual commemoration of the 1963 founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), presently recognized as the Africa Union (AU).
On every May 25th, we remind ourselves how much more we need to do as Africans, while commemorating how far we have come as a peculiar race.
Going back to the beauty of African culture and languages, we cannot but talk about proverbs. Many African proverbs are strongly tied to the earth and animals, conveying lessons of life and learning often through daily, seemingly menial procedures. An example of a Zimbabwean proverb is “there is honey but no bees” — describing a situation when you find something free for the taking and without consequence.
Here is a list of 20 African proverbs from around the continent. Some are known to come from specific tribes, ethnic groups, or countries, and others have an unknown source and are listed simply as “African proverbs.”
Have a read and pluck out some ancestral insights from the motherland to carry with you.
- A bird that flies off the earth and lands on an anthill is still on the ground. – Igbo proverb
- Where water is the boss there the land must obey. – African proverb
- A spider’s cobweb isn’t only its sleeping spring but also its food trap. – African proverb
- If you do not have patience you cannot make beer. – Ovambo proverb
- If you pick up one end of the stick you also pick up the other. – Ethiopian proverb
- You must attend to your business with the vendor in the market, and not to the noise of the market. – Nigerian proverb
- When you befriend a chief remember that he sits on a rope. – Ugandan proverb
- A doctor who invoked a storm on his people cannot prevent his house from destruction. – Nigerian proverb
- He that beats the drum for the mad man to dance is no better than the mad man himself. – African proverb
- The young bird does not crow until it hears the old ones. – Tswana proverb 20.
- If you carry the egg basket do not dance. – Ambede proverb
- Even the best cooking pot will not produce food. – African proverb
- The child of a rat is a rat. – Malagasy proverb
- He who is unable to dance says that the yard is stony. – Masai proverb
- When the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spreads death to the branches. – Nigerian proverb
- Even the lion, the king of the forest, protects himself against flies. – Ghanaian proverb
- Birds sing not because they have answers but because they have songs. – African proverb
- If your only tool is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail. – Gambian proverb
- When you show the moon to a child, it sees only your finger. – Zambian proverb
- Be a mountain or lean on one. – Somali proverb
- A flea can trouble a lion more than a lion can trouble a flea. – Kenyan proverb
