Proverb #495

“Ọgwụ an'egbu ewu,ọ nga n'oli.”

Literally: the goat will not die because it is tethered. That is it's usual place.


The sage that gave us this proverb came through to comment a bit on it. What he said was;

'What seems a position of discomfort to others may actually prove a picture of propriety and right order.'

Other cultures make pets of goats. We the Igbos, nurse and raise them on farms, bring them in to stables for births, place them back out to pasture, give them away as a denominator of our wealth and place them on a tether in a rich man's backyard, for the kill. All right and proper for goats, to our minds [paraphrasing Arthur] ...

Seasoned speakers, writers of the language might wonder why ọgwụ as a word was used as opposed to owu - thread or ụdọ - rope?

Arthur again, ọgwụ presents a better picture of general bondage and is a word almost universally used for the sense across Igboland. The best way to describe ọgwụ is in the sense of a 'spell cast to place one on a tether or under bondage'. When the Igbo's pray, they say: "Tọpụ anyị n' agbụ" - which is, loosen or free us from our bonds. Agbụ is the word used and is a tether  or represents more generally bonds or chains. ... Agbụ gave occasion to words like agwụ, ọgwụ, agbọọ - and these latter derive from it. Ọgwụ has gained much correspondence across Igboland to represent magic - a general migration of meaning. Even this should be written about and perhaps we will do so, on another proverb.

Fortunately, our picture is of a free roaming goat. We think it was destined for the supper table at Easter all the same. :-) Happy Felicitations !

Editorial

Here's a tethered goat given to your editor at Mbano during a traditional wedding. The feeling among Mbieri is that after they have paid the dowry and celebrated in a traditional wedding, the bride's family give the groom's family and his accompanying kindred host a goat which allows them boast to all those who stayed home over the felicitations: 'Anyị riri daga ha apụighị g'anyị ewu.' - We were fed right up to being given a goat to continue at home.
The tethered goat is usually slaughtered the next day in the home of the groom and apportioned out in coco-yam leaves to all callers.



This proverb shows the same assimilation of speech as on Proverb #419. 
The letter group 'ghị' is silent, a kind of lisp ... Arthur Iwualla, an' = anaghị.
... ọ nga n'oli = ọ[wụ] nga n'oli.

Proverb contributed By Arthur Iwualla, Orodo, Mbaitoli.

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© ifont 2011, as it appears her

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