-
“Akan use symbols and proverbs abundantly in their daily expressions. Ability to use proverbs, figures of speech and metaphors wins for the speaker recognition of intelligence and wisdom. “Nyansapo” means “wisdom knot” and suggests that, when the wise ties a knot it takes an intelligent mind to untie it. The saying implies that there are underlying meanings behind all symbols and figures of speech and activities of the Akan people.
It takes a person with insight and profound intelligence to understand the true meanings of their actions. In other words, a foreigner observing traditional Akan person ( in fact, indigenous people) will take everything by face value and conclude as such. The one may assume for example, that they were making noise when they were actually singing; that they were pagans when they were actually religious; that they were lazy when they were actually in recreation.
For this reason, early foreigners considered that Africans did not have education and that it was they brought education to Africa. The fact is that these foreigners interpreted the Akans (Africans) through their own (foreigners) cultural lenses to which they arrogantly believed that everyone should conform.” – Metaphor of Nyansapo (The Wisdom Knot) – pg 6.
2 Comments-
Teach!
-
Interesting perspective.
-
