Among ethnic groups in Africa proverbs are seen as wisdom handed down from generations and even in their most subtle form there is wisdom immensely valuable to learn and guide us. What do our ancestral scholars, whom we consider the wisest and most spiritually advanced, have to say to us today? One of those vehicles could be in proverbs. We collected some great proverbs through friends, and colleagues from across the continent often addressing universal themes human experiences, and various aspects of life. The themes include family, wisdom, morality, ethics, social living, knowledge, and cleverness. For example, in the Mandinka tribe, Proverbs highlight such aspects of life and culture as respect for elders; understanding one’s abilities and limitations; personal flaws; respect for the natural world; fear of dangerous animals; maintaining harmonious interpersonal relations; and bodily and spiritual cleanliness. The Yorubas of Nigeria cleverly emphasize the worth of proverbs with a[…]
