Our elders say that the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them

 Another proverb used in Things fall Apart

“Each group there represents a debt to someone, and each stroke is one hundred cowries. But he has not come to wake me up in the morning for it. I shall pay you, but not today. Our elders say that the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them. I shall pay my big debts first.”

Here is food for your thought. To be diggested and shared.

Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten

As the elders say: “Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten”

Things fall apart, Chinua Achebe’s novel is one of my favourite readings. When in secondary school, this book was among the recommended books to study during my school year.

I must say i really enjoyed it but hardly got deeply involved with the meaning as i should have been as an african descent individual.

Then 15 years later, i stepped into W. Smith in Paris and bought Things fall apart, and started reading again now with all my african soul involved. I began to appreciate the ibo proverbs used in each chapter, and compared to my life experience, i understand most of my father’s advice and our custom and our way of living.

I am blogging to share my understanding of african proverbs illustrated with life experience, yours and mine and i hope something very rich and communicative come of it. I am not pretending to be an expert in proverbs meanings, not a very fluent english speater too, so when you don’t see what i am trying to get at, please ask, i will do my best to get myself understood.

I wish we could share wisdom, and each individual comprehension enlightening my knowledge of african sayings.

The art of conversation and argument depends, in fact, on the use of proverbs. By them the speaker shows his learning. Use of proverbs also enables the speaker to attack an opponent obliquely, without mentioning his name or the subject of the dispute.