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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2009 8:55:25 GMT
Africa is a treasure trove of interesting customs that have developed independently from the way both Western and Asian societies have organized things.
I thought this might be a good place to create a collection of some of the things that amuse or surprise us about African culture.
To start off, here is an interesting tidbit that I heard on the radio today, where the traditions of Madagascar were being discussed.
There is apparently a saying: Femme de l'ainé, jouet du cadet (wife of the elder, plaything of the junior)
In the culture of Madagascar, the younger brother is allowed to sleep with his older brother’s wife while the older brother is away for work or business. In practice, this sometime causes some bad feelings when certain precautions are not respected. The older brother is supposed to advise of his return ahead of time, to give the rest of the family enough time to return appearances to the way they were before. There are also times when the wife decides that she prefers to stay with the younger brother.
Once the younger brother is married, he loses his privileges.
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Post by imec on Jul 30, 2009 13:05:04 GMT
Sorry, not in favor - got no older brother.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2009 17:34:20 GMT
From Mali:
Rire de l'anus de son voisin n'est pas un crime, mais convier toute sa famille pour le faire est inadmissible.
Laughing about your neighbor's anus is okay, but calling the whole family to laugh is inadmissible.
meaning: Do not make fun of people in public.
From Mauritania:
Le crapaud aime l'eau, mais pas l'eau chaude.
A toad likes water, but not hot water.
meaning: Learn moderation.
Unspecified country:
A force de patience et de saindoux, l'éléphant sodomise le pou.
With patience and lard, an elephant can sodomise a flea.
meaning: Anything is possible if you are not in a hurry.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2009 21:03:48 GMT
But what about the kids they have? how would they know which brother was the father?
Poor woman, does she have any say in this at all? What a lack of respect for her!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2009 21:08:42 GMT
Many African families are very relaxed about this. I am not certain that it is necessarily a bad thing -- less of a chance of having a single parent family.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2009 21:47:22 GMT
'Si quelqu'un t'as fait du mal, assied-toi au bord de la rivière et tu verras passer son cadavre.'
If somebody hurt you, just sit by the river and you'll see his corpse float by.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2009 21:51:06 GMT
- 'Quand la pauvreté frappe à la porte, l'amour s'enfuit par la fenêtre.'
When poverty knocks on the door, love escapes through the window.
- 'La parole est comme l'eau, une fois versée on ne peut plus la ramasser.'
Words are like water. Once they are spilled out, you can't pick them up again.
- 'La main de celui qui donne est au-dessus de celle qui reçoit.'
The hand of he who gives is above the one of he who receives.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 30, 2009 22:14:14 GMT
The anus one is hilarious!
Many of these are quite wise, and it's hard to beat the pithiness of the elephant/flea saying.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2009 17:20:42 GMT
A dog knows the places he is thrown food.
A tree not taller than an ant cannot shade you. (Nigeria)
When your mouth stumbles, it's worse than feet.
It is better to walk than curse the road. (Senegal)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2009 18:22:23 GMT
Yep, wise sayings, those.
'when your mouth stumbles, it's worse than feet' ain't that so?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2009 22:06:12 GMT
He who swallows a coconut places great trust in his anus. (Côte d'Ivoire)
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Post by hwinpp on Aug 12, 2009 9:22:57 GMT
He who swallows a coconut places great trust in his anus. (Côte d'Ivoire) You sure that's not one of your own? LOL! I think I'll use it as a signature. ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2009 15:15:01 GMT
Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings.
The man who marries a beautiful woman, and the farmer who grows maize by the roadside have the same problem.
It requires a lot of carefulness to kill the fly that perches on the scrotum.
There's no virgin in a maternity ward.
Before you go out with a widow, you must first ask her what killed the husband.
Being taller than your father, does not mean you are older than him.
The day the monkey is destined to die, all the trees get slippery.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 27, 2009 17:22:13 GMT
These are great, Fulgenzio! Do you write them down as you hear them, or just happen to know a lot of them?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2009 17:54:55 GMT
I would like to invite some of these Africans to my Sunday school class*. It is so much more interesting than 'The Golden Rule' and things like that.
* if I had one
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Post by spindrift on Aug 27, 2009 22:31:21 GMT
All those years I lived in Kenya and SA and I don't know one African saying (and no African spoke to me or I to him!).....  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 5:10:44 GMT
Maybe they didn't want to shock you.
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Post by spindrift on Aug 28, 2009 16:46:15 GMT
I must have missed a lot.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 19:28:10 GMT
I have read many in books but they are easy to find on the net.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2009 0:59:49 GMT
He who swallows a coconut places great trust in his anus. (Côte d'Ivoire) You sure that's not one of your own? LOL! I think I'll use it as a signature. ;D ;D ;D LOL,both of you! Hw, I dare you! "It is better to walk then curse the road", this could be a campaign slogan for the next N.O. mayoral candidate.(because of all the potholes). |
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Post by hwinpp on Sept 3, 2009 7:51:00 GMT
I actually use it on a different board. People have commented... ;D
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2009 11:51:52 GMT
I actually use it on a different board. People have commented... ;D I'd love to see the accompanying avatar! ;D  |
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Post by komsomol on Sept 7, 2009 13:29:25 GMT
cool stuff
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Post by komsomol on Mar 31, 2010 12:27:24 GMT
I read this:
Throughout Southern Africa, boys are often circumcised around the time they reach age 11 or 12, right around the onset of puberty. It's believed that pubescent circumcision was used by some ancient cultures to mimic the genital bleeding experienced by girls.
Death isn't uncommon in South African puberty rituals, when boys are separated from the village and effectively starved as part of their initiation. Though most survive this separation, some others die from infection from the circumcision ceremony that follows.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2010 20:10:53 GMT
That's quite awful, Kom. When will these barbaric 'traditions' and practices stop I wonder?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2010 20:41:23 GMT
They could at least send them out wherever with some antiseptic and some bandages! Jerks!
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Post by spindrift on Apr 7, 2010 21:23:06 GMT
Kenyan proverb: Nine is nearly ten.
....of five fingers which is the best?
.... regular work tires a woman but totally wrecks a man.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2010 21:52:09 GMT
.... regular work tires a woman but totally wrecks a man. ;D The word 'work' could be changed for something else too. (Sorry I'll go back to being good now)  |
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Post by gertie on Apr 8, 2010 1:19:35 GMT
“Wherever man goes to dwell his character goes with him.”
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Post by spindrift on Apr 12, 2010 22:21:52 GMT
Deyana - |
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