Author Archives: Kahniley Sangare

Proverb – Jamaica

“Patient man rides donkey.”

Subject’s Analysis:

My grandmother a Jamaican native learned this proverb from her mother during childhood.  She said that it is native to Jamaica. She said that it means because donkeys walk very slowly, only patient people ride them. She added that it is a metaphor for the fact that “patient people will eventually come into victory”.

Collector’s Analysis:

I agree with my grandmother’s analysis of this saying. I think that she has it down. Donkeys are well known to be stubborn and slow means of conveyance. Some would even say that it takes the patience of a saint to deal with them. So the proverb is easily understood. I think that this Jamaican proverb uses the donkey, because of the fact that donkeys are prevalent work animals in the Jamaican countryside, to this day. I have childhood memories of our neighbor across the street owning a donkey, and using him to haul food such as sugar cane from place to place. The last part of my grandmother’s analysis I think is a hidden meaning of the phrase. Her saying “patient people will eventually come into victory” is a proverb that also emphasizes patience. It could be related to the phrase “slow and steady wins the race”.

Superstition – Belize

Dream Analysis

“If you have a dream about teeth falling out, this means death.”

“If you have a dream about rotting teeth then it means sickness.”

“If you have a dream about weddings or a big poofy white gown, this means death.”

“Dreaming of death means long life.”

Subject’s Analysis:

Suzanne told me these beliefs while constantly smiling. She told me that she believed the superstitions to a certain extent, but that she didn’t think that they were ironclad, or scientific. She learned these superstitions around the house from her Belizean mother and father when she was coming up. She said that whenever she had a bad dream her family would encourage her to talk about it, and then make analyses of them. Most times it would mean nothing but she was told what the above dreams were connected to.

Collector’s Analysis:

I think that these dream analyses are merely superstition. They do not come as a surprise, especially because I have heard similar variations of the same notions in my own household (Jamaican/African). The trend that I did notice was that these dreams deal with a lot of things that mean opposites. For example, happy dreams of weddings and pretty dresses mean death, and morbid dreams of death mean life. In addition the superstitions have some basis in logic for example: teeth falling out are often a trait that older people exhibit and being old is often associated with death, so I can understand the connection.

Folk Medicine

“This treatment was used to relieve ear infections, and drain the contents of your ear. My Venezuelan grandmother would roll paper into a funnel shape, and then stick the small end in my ear, then light the larger opposite end on fire. It would burn down towards my head, and before the fire got too close to my head, she would remove the cone. Then I would lean to the opposite side, and wipe out the contents of my ear. Afterwards she would insert a small piece of cotton in the ear.”

Subject’s Analysis:

“She applied it to me during childhood. I thought it was insane because I couldn’t understand how it was supposed to work. She learned it from her mother Esperanza when she was in Venezuela and couldn’t afford medicine or even just medical clinics.”

Collector’s Analysis:

I think that this is the perfect example of folk medicine that actually works. The process actually helps to drain the infected ear. That is really interesting,and also good because of the fact not everyone can afford to pay for medicine or medical care. I think that I would be scared as well if my grandmother started to light things on fire in close vicinity of my head.

Folk Art

“There are visual images and symbols of the Alpha. There’s a lot of ape stuff, and a lot of Egyptian stuff.”

Subject’s Analysis:

“There’s Egyptian symbolism for (pause) once again, undisclosed reasons. I learned it during initiation, from people who were already in the organization. It’s usually seen on banners and t-shirts and such. It could be on almost anything that has the Alpha Phi Alpha brand name on it. Some of the symbols are for informal purposes, on the collegiate side of things. I think that its fun to be able to identify with different personas or symbols. It’s like a mascot, you know? You embrace it as an image of your organization.”

Collector’s Analysis:

There are a lot of things that the Alpha Phi Alpha symbols are place on. The symbols include an ape, or at times some Egyptian symbols as Jeremiah suggested. However, what is important about the different Alpha Representations is the fact that there are divisions between their professional representations, and their interpersonal/collegiate items. Their collegiate things are worn at get-togethers and during everyday use. The other Alpha symbols are used to symbolize the organization in a more professional and discreet manner.  Directly, below I have shown some representations of the different symbols. Each of the images below is a patch to be worn on clothing. These would be worn on fraternity jackets or other apparel. Many of the Alpha symbols also incorporate the number 1906,which was the year the organization was founded.

PersonalBuy.com. Blackcollegestuff.com. Mar. 2008. 30 Apr. 2008
<http://personalbuy.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/alpha_patches.html>.

Ritual – Mexico

“At traditional Mexican funerals it customary for a mariachi or banda, to come and  play at the end of the burial. A popular song that they play is Cancion Michoteca. What the song talks about is yearning for your homeland and always carrying it with you.” “

Subject’s Analysis:

It’s a popular song because it means no matter where you are you will always have Mexico. The song comes from the Michonteca Indians, a tribe in Central Mexico. I learned it in my grandmother’s neighborhood, when I was a teenager, after going to several funerals of my grandmother’s neighbors.”

Collector’s Analysis:

I think that it is always customary to have music at a funeral. Usually, people will sing to express how they feel about the deceased, and express their sorrow. However the idea here is that you shouldn’t be sorrowful for the deceased. I have heard of that idea at funerals before, but the rationale behind it was always that the deceased had moved on to a better place. The thing behind this is that the funeral party shouldn’t be sad because they will always have Mexico.