proverbs
Sampson S. Ndoga Unit for Reformed Theology and Development of the South African society Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University South Africa
How to cite: Ndoga, S.S., 2016, ‘Childhood in the book Proverbs and in Shona proverbs’, in J. Grobbelaar & G. Breed (eds.), Theologies of Childhood and the Children of Africa, pp. 113-131, AOSIS, Cape Town. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/
aosis.2016.tcca02.04
with well-wishers than with her. Whatever the justification, this story does not sit well within an African frame of reference where words like adoption technically do not exist in many indigenous languages. The absence of indigenous words for adoption across the majority of languages on the continent underscores automatic kin adoption which is widely practiced when a child become parentless. For this reason, as Roby and Shaw (2006:200) observe, adoptions by non-kin have simply not been practiced in Africa. Interestingly, UNICEF’s (Cantwell 2014:34) position on adoption in African states is that, for children who cannot be raised by their own families, an appropriate alternative family environment must be sought in preference to institutional care, which should be used only as a last resort.
Forster (2002) adds that, in traditional African culture, there were no orphans as parentless children were cared for within the kin system. The African world view, as reflected in the Shona proverbial statement Mai kunatsa muroyi, ziso riri pamwana [A mother pleases a witch whilst her eye is on the child], presumes the utmost vigilance in the protection of children (Hamutyinei & Plangger 1996:233–234). The obligatory protection of children embedded in the African world view is stated clearly by Mangena and Ndlovu (2014). It is noticeable from the reactions to the above story that the African endearment of children stands in direct opposition to the calamitous actions of the young mother in the example.
This chapter attempts to decipher the African conception(s) of childhood within Shona proverbial lore with particular reference to the book of Proverbs. The book of Proverbs, which consists of wisdom poems (mostly in Chapters 1–9) and proverbial sentences (ch. 10 –31) in its compositional structure, utilises wisdom for its pedagogical agenda.
According to Dyrness (1977:189), biblical wisdom has to do with ‘the intensely practical art of being skilful and successful in life’. His view
parallels Matereke and Mapara (2009:199) who aptly imbue the general conception of proverbs as the residue of wisdom that is prescriptive of a higher precision of people’s world view and conception of reality. Walton, Matthews and Chavalas (2000:248) elucidate the process concerning the creation of wisdom as constituting ‘skills in living that combined the powers of observation, the capacities of human intellect and the appreciation of knowledge and experience to daily life’. This perspective can be added a divine orientation implied in Proverbs 1:7 (cf. Pr 9:10;
31:30) in which the motif concerning fear of the Lord motif is primary.
The beneficiaries of the instructions contained in this account are primarily identified as the simple or young (Pr 1:4) who are exhorted in Proverbs 1:8 (cf. Pr 6:20) to heed parental instruction. The home setting implied at the onset of the account is sustained throughout (Pr 1:8; 3:12;
4:1, 3; 6:20; cf. 10:1; 13:1; 15:5, 20; 17:21, 25; 19:13, 26; 20:20; 23:22; 27:10;
28:7, 24; 29:3; 30:17) and intimated as a treasured tradition in Proverbs 4:1–4. In Proverbs 4:3, the speaker refers to his early upbringing as ‘tender’, implying the weakness of an undeveloped character (Brown, Driver &
Briggs 1977:940) therefore rationalising the need for deliberate parental instruction without which he would remain unprepared for life. There is a predominance of a vocabulary related to parental obedience that locates this material within a family setting. Frequently, the son, who is the intended recipient, is required to obey through imperatives such as ‘listen’
(1:8; 4:1, 10), ‘do not forsake’ (1:8; 6:20), ‘accept’ (2:1; 4:10), ‘keep’ (3:1;
6:20; 7:1), ‘pay attention’ (4:1, 20; 5:1) and ‘bind’ (1:9; 7:3). Moss (1997:426) regards this material as (informal) parental teaching. He suggests that
‘wisdom is presented as the equivalent of parental teaching and that this understanding of wisdom lends topical unity to the first section of the book of Proverbs’.
The treasured home-based instruction presupposed in the book of Proverbs is reflected in the upbringing of children within Shona culture.
Gelfand (1979) describes the educational programme of the Shona as follows:
From the age of six the Shona child is continually instructed directly and indirectly through listening to wise sayings, such as proverbs, being presented with riddles (zvirahwe) to answer, puzzles to solve, songs to sing and especially games to play.
Most of these activities take place all through the year and anywhere children happen to be … However, a good deal of this informal instruction takes place after the evening meal at the dare (men’s meeting place), where the grandfather relates stories to the boys or tells them proverbs and what taboos they should know, or asks them riddles.
In the same way the grandmother talks to her granddaughters around the fireplace in the hut. (p. 85)
The use of proverbs and other wisdom devices in the educational programme particularises not only the prominence of proverbial wisdom as pedagogical means but also its inherent knowledge value. Masaka and Makahamadze (2013:136) correctly espouse that proverbs are not only the preserver of religious, ethical codes but also the enforcer of desirable human conduct. In both biblical and African settings, the quality of one’s offspring was a matter of cardinal importance, not only in determining personal decorum but also in predicting a lasting legacy through a well-groomed child. Therefore, Shona proverbs, representing one of the ethnic groups of Zimbabwe with whom I am familiar, will be used as a case study of the general view on children and their upbringing in dialogue with the book of Proverbs. I commence the study with some remarks on how proverbs function, followed by an analysis of selected proverbs on the upbringing of children. I end with some key observations.