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African Proverbs & Myths As a class, Read pages 19-21. Definitions. Oral Tradition: The telling of stories and histories by word of mouth. Myth: A symbolic account of the origin of things. Mythology: A collection of myths Proverb: A short saying that embodies a general truth
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Definitions • Oral Tradition: The telling of stories and histories by word of mouth. • Myth: A symbolic account of the origin of things. • Mythology:A collection of myths • Proverb: A short saying that embodies a general truth • Griots: A professional African historian who is trained in oral tradition. They memorize the important events and the names and actions of rulers going back for hundreds of years.
Definitions • Bias:A prejudice that makes it hard to judge fairly. • Indigenous:Born in a region • Perspective:A view of the world that has developed from a people’s collective experience. • Prejudice:A preconceived opinion for or against a person or group. • Stereotype:A preconceived and oversimplified impression of the characteristics of a person or situation.
Review & Reflect page 20 1. Why did so many historians ignore the value of the oral tradition? • European historians did not see the value of oral storytelling because it was not part of their own historical traditions. They had little experience with and were ignorant of oral storytelling, so they viewed it as a primitive and inaccurate practice.
Mother Africa, I know that your people pass knowledge through stories and sayings and rhymes. I know your people are very wise. What do the people of Libya say? The people of Libya say: The camel does not see the bend in its neck. What do the Fula people say? The Fula people say: Patience can cook a stone. What do the Ashanti say? The Ashanti say: If you understand the beginning Well, the end will not trouble you. Flocabulary Lyrics
What do the people of Tanzania say? The people of Tanzania: Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. What do the Ethiopians say? The Ethiopians say: When one is in love, a cliff Becomes a meadow. And what do the Ewe people say? The Ewe people say: Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story. Flocabulary Lyrics
The people of Libya say:The camel does not see the bend in its neck. • Meanings: It is easy to see the faults in other people, but harder to see your own.
The People of Libya • For hundreds of years, the camel was the car of the desert, and in many places it still is. Able to travel long stretches without water, it was the perfect animal for transporting people, food and goods across the seemingly endless sands of the Sahara. • In Libya, the camels have long necks that are curved sharply. Locals, who think the camel’s neck is unattractive, believe that a camel cannot see its own ugliness.
The Fula people say:Patience can cook a stone • Meaning: Patience can solve any problem, no matter how impossible it may seem.
The Fula • The Fula people live in many countries in West and Central Africa. Many Fula groups are nomadic, herding cattle and sheep across the African plains. • The Fula people eat all kinds of food, but they do not eat stones. This proverb takes something that seems impossible (cooking a stone) and says it can be achieved with patience.
The Ashanti say:If you understand the beginning Well, the end will not trouble you. • Meaning: Knowledge will free you from worry.
The Ashanti • The Ashanti people are a major ethnic group who live in central Ghana. They have a long, rich history that includes the Ashanti Kingdom, which ruled the land around present-day Ghana in the 17th century. • The Ashanti are a very proud people who believe that they have been chosen by God to do good in the world. They place a strong value on doing things well and not rushing or being lazy, and they value knowledge. Stories from ancestors are passed down every evening after dinner.
The people of Tanzania:Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. • Meaning: Even if people have little power on their own, sticking together makes them very strong.
The People of Tanzania • Tanzania is a country on the east coast of Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean. The people there are a mix of original Bantu speakers and Arab traders who built settlements in the first century. They speak Swahili, but come from many different ethnic groups. But despite their varying cultures, the people know that sticking together makes them stronger.
The Ethiopians say:When one is in love, a cliffBecomes a meadow. • Meaning: Love makes the whole world seem wonderful (but also makes you a little crazy).
The Ethiopians • Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in the world. Fossilized bones from some of the earliest human ancestors have been found there, and powerful civilizations called Ethiopia home since around 1000 BCE. The famous Greek historian Herodotus once remarked that he thought the Ethiopians were the tallest and most beautiful people in the world. They were fierce fighters; they created powerful empires and successfully repelled all European invasions until the 20th century. But Ethiopians were also peace-loving people with a strong appreciation for stories and art. • Many African proverbs mention love as a powerful force that can make rational people do irrational things. Love was celebrated in Africa, but people who were in love were sometimes made fun of.
The Ewe people say:Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story. • Meaning: You can never really understand something unless you get both sides of the story. And history is written by the conquerors.
The Ewe people • The Ewe are one of the major ethnic groups in Benin, Ghana, and Togo. They mostly form farming communities, but also hunt and fish. Hunters are revered in the communities that rely on hunted prey for food, so a hunter who returns with a lion or steer will have an audience who wants to hear about the kill. People listen to the story, but they also realize that the hunter might be exaggerating to make himself look better. They’re only getting one side of the story – the lion, after all, is dead.
Youtube Clips • Proverb: When the sun comes up, you better be running: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7u3fJ_vvd4 • Myth: Crocodile Mythology Africa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QRGrmybaA8&NR=1 • Myth: African Creation Myth: Anansi Spider http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn4kPjGAb7M
Task • With a partner, create your own AfricanMyth. • It could be about animals, landscape, origins of life, etc…. • You will read this to the class! • Time: 15 mins
Originals: Cheikh Diop page 21Think it Through • Why were Diop’s ideas so controversial? Why do you think European scholars rejected Diop’s claim that ancient Egypt was a Black African nation? • Diop was controversial because he challenged the dominant European thinking of the day. • Many Western scholars were unwilling to accept his idea that the ancient Egyptians were Black Africans because so much of modern Western civilization had its roots in ancient Egypt. • Diop’s ideas were in stark contrast to European notions that Africans were inferior.
