UNL expert on Yoruba people, proverbs shares culture in book

After Oyekan Owomoyela came to the United States in 1964, he soon longed for his homeland of Nigeria, and found comfort in remembering metaphors and proverbs from his culture.

A member of the Yoruba people -- a distinct culture of more than 25 million people (about 21 percent of the Nigerian population) living in the southwest corner of the West African nation -- Owomoyela came to the United States to study acting at UCLA. And, while distance separated him from homeland, Owomoyela's culture-rich upbringing shaped his career.

"When I first came to UCLA I started collecting the proverbs," said Owomoyela, a professor of English and coordinator of African American and African studies at UNL. "At first, it was a modest collection. But I was feeling nostalgic and it became a way for me to stay in touch with my home."

Collaborating with a colleague at UCLA in 1973, Owomoyela published a book of about 150 of the metaphors on Yoruba life. He has continued to collect the proverbs and in September published a second book titled "Yoruba Proverbs" at the University of Nebraska Press. The book lists 5,207 of the proverbs and is considered the most comprehensive collection to date of the Yoruba oral tradition.

"I am very pleased with the book," Owomoyela said. "And, to me it is especially important because it preserves a part of my heritage that is being lost."

Like many other African people, the Yoruba utilized metaphor in all conversations, from casual encounters to political parlays. Owomoyela explained that the proverbs were used as a polite way to give guidance without allowing individuals to lose respect.

"African people have always been an extremely cautious people when speaking to one another," Owomoyela said. "To them, speech is like an egg, and once you drop it on the ground, you can't just put it back in."

The right to speak proverbs to teach lessons was reserved to elders. When a young person wanted to use a proverb, he or she had to first ask permission.

Also, the proverbs could be used in such a manner that others may not understand the context, which would be clear between the individuals speaking privately.

"It really can be a way to talk in code," Owomoyela said, adding that proverbs were used primarily to reduce conflict among people in the region. "It is a very important device in situations where you have people living in close proximity to each other. When friction develops it causes problems. But, by using proverbs, people can be very diplomatic."

However, if an individual failed to catch the meaning of the proverb, or outright ignored it, Owomoyela said future conversations were often less polite.

"If they do not understand, then you are justified to speak with your whole mouth," Owomoyela said.

Owomoyela said one of his favorite proverbs -- which he uses often in his African literature courses at UNL -- is "the person whose head is used to crack a coconut will not eat any part of it."

While he continues to preserve the Yoruba's use of metaphor, it is a cultural tradition that is waning in Nigeria. Owomoyela said new generations are becoming more "westernized." However, he said the proverbs are being used in popular music and he understands the change as the Yoruba make the transition from a spoken to a written word tradition.

"The most influential people in Nigeria believe that we must become more westernized, they believe that is synonymous with development and prosperity," Owomoyela said. "I think becoming more westernized is a good thing, but it's kind of sad to see this very African way to communicate fade away."

Yet as it fades, Owomoyela acknowledged that "Yoruba Proverbs" is a way to preserve that history for future scholars.

Examples of several Yoruban proverbs:

"O jebe, o mube, o babe je'." Translation: "There you ate, there you drank, and there you fouled." (Meaning: Don't besmirch a place that has been good to you.)

"Eni ti a o le mu, a ki I go de e'." Translation: "One does not lie in ambush for an adversary one is no match for."

"Eni ti o sa la nle'." Translation: "People chase only those who flee." (Meaning: Those who act guilty are presumed to be guilty.)

CONTACT: Oyekan Owomoyela, Ryan Chair of African Literature, (402) 472-1836