Proverbs. The palm oil with which words are eaten. Those nutrient rich word pellets which have sustained community life across the continent and the world, probably from as far back as humans learned to use language. Proverbs summarize, often in metaphorical, witty, and rhythmic fashion, the morals, wisdom, truths, or traditional views of a group, storing and transferring ideas. This is why recently, I’ve found myself curious about what philosophies about the natural world can be found in African proverbs.
In this episode, we’ll learn some proverbs from across the African continent and explore what they teach us about the natural world in particular, and life in general.
Can’t Get Enough?
Read this collection of poems by Africans, historical or contemporary, whose focus is the natural world.
Listen to "Ukuta Yuva" i.e. To Praise the Sun A Nyaturu (Tanzania) prayer which pays homage to the goodness of the Creator as perceived through the Sun (Yuva), the Moon (Mweri), and the stars, more precisely the rain-bringing Pleiades (Kirimia).
Check out this virtual exhibition from the Benjamin Mkapa African Wildlife Photography Awards
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