1.2 Proverb and Culture
A proverb is like a swift horse
——The Yoruba of Africa believe that people are not
qualified to take part in communal discussions unless
they are able to quote the proverbs relevant to each
situation. The “swift horse”proverb simply underscores
the importance of proverbs to this culture.
A proverb is a saying that expresses a common truth.
It deals with truth simply and concretely and teaches
the listener a lesson. It can help to understand a culture
and can help to determine if it is a group-or individual-
oriented culture. It may also help in understanding what
is desired and undesired as well as what is considered
correct or incorrect in the culture. (Ferraro, 1990)
In nearly every culture, proverbs, communicated in
colorful and vivid language, offer an important set of
instructions for members to follow. These “words of
wisdom” endure, so that each generation learns about
what a culture deems significant. As Seidensticker notes,
“They say things that people think important in ways
that people remember. They express common concerns.”
Hence, “proverbs are compact treaties on the values of
culture.”(Steidensticker, 1987). So if a culture symbol
is a word or an object that represents something in the
culture, then we can see proverb as a certain kind of
culture symbol.
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