Page 15 - Exposition of Dagara Morality FNAL
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1. DISCRETION *: The lesson of this proverb is that, as a head of the family, or a leader, you
17.a. Kornye yel ke nyuor ni gyelle. The partridge says that life is eggs must treat all to whom you are responsible impartially. So, this proverb can be
used to warn partial people against discriminatory practices. Each person
* when a partridge is in its nest and a person or a hunter is coming, it flies should be given his due. Justice must be applied equally to all at all times and
away very fast and leaves the eggs. It believes that if its saves its life and the eggs without fear or favour. In another context, it connoted revenge.
are collected, it will still be alive to lay some more eggs in the future.
2.b. A per-u-a, o na sagna a kog do zing? If that is the buttocks, will they
* The English equivalence is, “discretion is the better part of valour”. This allow the seat to sit on them?
proverb is an advice on how to respond, in times of conflict or war. Use your own
discretion in trouble moments. * The buttocks always sit on the seat; you never find the seat sitting on the
buttocks.
1. GOOD BEHAVIOUR
18.a. Bibile na pegr o nuru a yiree a nu langne ni nibere bondiri. A child who * The English equivalence is “do onto others what you want them to do
washes his hands well eats with the elders. onto you”. There are people who treat others in the society unjustly and when
they get a pinch of it, they do not take it lightly. This proverb can be used on an
* In the Dagara traditional houses, men and boys eat together and women unjust person who has been treated unjustly and he complains.
and girls also eat together. However, at times too, children eat alone, in order to
learn how to share. Thus, it is an elevation or privilege for a child to eat with 2.c. De lem nye, kur zu na e nen'a. Taste and see since the head of a tortoise
elders. is meat.
* A person who is fit to live with others in society is he who lives in * When a tortoise is caught and it is to be roasted, its head is normally cut
accordance with the moral norms. Good behaviour makes a person acceptable and thrown away because it is not edible.
to others and so, obedient or good mannered children are liked by adults and
such children are referred to as “those who wash their hands well”. Such good * This proverb tries to teach us the lesson that we should learn to chare
mannered children learn a lot of wisdom from adults. Good behaviour is general our social belongings or the national cake equally. We should give each person
always pays. his due. It also epitomises the tit for tat philosophy.
2.d. Dang kpe de dang saa zuu e. First to enter, its tail is never seen outside.
1. REASONABLE BEHAVIOUR
19.a. Dimili be bang diem yir e. One who is used to eating does not know a
father-in-law's house. * During the dry season, people go hunting in search for mice and other
animals. When they see the hole where they suspect some mice to be living and
try to dig it, they may come upon some mice which try to escape. That mouse
* Eating here doe not mean eating food alone, but also any habit that is
detrimental to your character. There are certain bad habits we get used to, so which had entered the hole first will never have its tail being the first to be seen.
much so that even when we are in our father-in-law's house where we are
expected to comport ourselves, we may still do them. * The English equivalence of this proverb is “first come first serve”. In our
human society, we have the tendency of favouring those who come late and our
relatives or those we supposedly think deserve that particular attention. This
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