Liberia: African Religion: “𝐓he Honey of the Truth: The Place of Proverbs in African Spirituality “

By Dr. Prof.  Kettehkumuehn E. Murray (former Representative, Montserrado County)

Across civilizations, 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 has always been revered—but nowhere is its nature more deeply understood than in 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭. In African Spirituality, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡. They also invite mortals who would converse with them to speak likewise: in truth.

Yet because truth can be too fierce for mortal hearts to bear, the gods coat it in sweetness before giving it to humanity.

That sweetness is called proverbs.

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐒: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒

Proverbs are 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, the honey of divine truth rendered in human words.

Whenever elders meet, they greet one another with proverbs—or soon afterwards, they offer one.

Not as ceremony…

but as an 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦. Proverbs are the honey-dipped “cojologbo,” which enables the bitter herb to be swallowed.

To speak in proverbs is to acknowledge that 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐌 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 (𝐊𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐇 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆)

Among the Kpelleh people, it is said that the 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡, a sacred sphere accessible only to the dead.

Ordinary mortals can not enter it.

Only the Jzoe—the Kpelleh high priest—may ritually approach that realm in times of deep crisis.

For the living, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲.

𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐒

This is why councils, assemblies, and family gatherings traditionally begin with proverbs:

to 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡

to 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡

to remind everyone that 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.

𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 “𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐘”

“The ear that refuses to hear advice will be buried with the head when it is chopped off.”

“The tongue is quick to speak, ignoring the ears that wish to first hear.”

These are not mere sayings.

They are 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬—guiding people of all cultures and faiths toward humility, listening, harmony, and humanity.

To speak in proverbs is to continue 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, ensuring that truth—however sharp—remains sweet enough to heal the wounds of the heart.

𝐀 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆

𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧.

𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮r door 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐞.

Asè.

May it be so

And so shall it be.

The Ancestors are wise.