Embeeba         Nobwenyeta    Eta       Eyikala            Nyamma         ye        Ekkapa

Rat                  Fatten              How    Remains          Meat                of         Cat

Andrew said that he did not remember when and where he had particularly learned this proverb from. However, he said that it should have been somewhere in Masindi district because it is where he grew up from. He said that this proverb was and still is one of the most commonly used proverbs among the Banyoro (Runyoro speaking people) of Eastern Uganda. Andrew went on to say that the proverb is used by all ages of people and is often used when one attempts to deviate from social order or hierarchy. A good situation to use this proverb, Andrew stressed, is when adolescent kids attempt to get of control of their parents guidance. To remind them that their parents are still elders who deserve their respect, one can use this proverb.  Andrew also said that the proverb is often playfully used to stress that certain things are meant to be a certain way. An example, he said, is when one football team (A) remains bogey to the other (B) no matter how good team (B) improves its play and team.  In that situation, Andrew said, team A supporters can use the proverb to exasperate those of team (B).  When I asked him whether the Banyoro only used this proverb, Andrew said he had heard it in among other ethnic groups. He gave Baganda as an example. He said Baganda used the same proverb in the same situations as the Banyoro even though there was a language difference. Andrew concluded by saying that even though he heard it among other ethnic groups, he believed that it was Runyoro proverb belonging to the Banyoro people.

Analysis

I like Andrew’s analysis of this proverb because he makes it easy to relate to. I think this proverb is used to maintain social order. In essence, it reminds those deviating from order that they really cannot succeed. It reminds me of the rappers. Today’s rappers like Snoop Dogg, 50 cent, and Eminem often brag in their songs about doing all kinds of illegal actions. They brag about using and dealing drugs, killing people and gangbanging. A person listening to their music would wrongly assume that these men are outlaws. However, all that changes when they are caught engaging in any of the activities they brag about. Like any other person, they get to be prosecuted.  In essence, no matter how big they become, they still remain under the law or “no matter how fat a rat becomes, it remains cat’s meat.” In this particular scenario, the constitution represents the cat and the rappers represent the rat.

I think this proverb is either monogenesis or polygenesis. As Andrew said, he heard it being used in other languages. In one way, there might be a possibility that different cultural groups came up with the same proverb. This would mean that the proverb has multiple beginnings. However, a more realistic way to look at this would be to assume that these different cultures were once one and just broke up. With such an assumption, then the proverb would be monogenesis.

Naazinna                                 Obulungi,        Ava                 Mu Dilo

Even he/she who dances         best                 leaves               the Arena

Betty told me he learned this proverb as a little boy of 6 while leaving in his native district Mpigi, central Uganda. Her said that his mother, who never told him where she learned the proverb, always used it. She said that the proverb was often used when someone thinking he or she was the best at something was stubborn to give others a chance to participate. Betty said that his mother always used this proverb when gossiping about a family member who she thought was selfish at whatever he or she was doing. An excellent time to use this proverb, Betty said, is literally when a dancer or musician is adamant to leave the stage for other performers to perform.

Betty said that this proverb is a basically a fairly polite way of asking someone to give others a chance.  That, instead of saying, we are fed up of you or we need someone else, one might use the proverb. Basically on hearing the proverb, he or she translates it on his or her own and does what it asked of him. In essence, Betty said, the proverb is meant to attack and eliminate selfishness and self-gratification.

Analysis

Betty’s interpretation of the proverb and I do believe that it can be held true in many situations.  The one situation that comes first in my mind is politics. Politicians just never want to give up their power. They always are power selfish and always feel that them or their parties can govern the society better than any other party. Even though they try to give credit to the opposition party, they go around and praise themselves in a way that discredits the opposition. They always do that to find a way to stay in office as long as they possibly can.

I think this proverb can be used to those politicians who stay in power for so long and often try to convince people that no other can but them. A good example of such politicians is Fidel Castro. This Cuban dictator was in power for over 30years. Even with his people’s dissatisfaction with Castro’s policies, he still claimed he was the best man for the job. I think someone should have told him that; “even he who dances best leaves the stage.” That would be a particular way of saying that they are fed up of him despite his supposedly good political policies.

Luganda Proverb, Mubende district, Uganda

“Okuyiita        No’     Omulangila                        Tekikufuula                       Mulangila”

“To Walk         With    A royal                          Does not make you                Royal”

Gilbert told me that he grew up in a village located in central Uganda. He said that this proverb was one of the most frequently used ones among the Luganda speakers or Baganda ethnic group. “It is fairly a common proverb and is used by all ages.” Gilbert told me that the proverb is most often used when someone of a lower class tries to copy and behave in a way that is considered high class by the society. Gilbert said that he frequently heard his family members and close neighbors use this proverb while gossiping about their family members who they thought were forgetting about them simply because they had wealthier or high-status friends. A good situation to use it, Gilbert said, would be when some random poor kid befriends a celebrity and forgets about all his old homeboys. In such a scenario, Gilbert said, if that poor kid tries to change his behavior to behave like his celebrity friend, then his old friends might use the proverb to remind him that he is still his old self. In short, befriending a celebrity does not make him a celebrity.

Gilbert said that this proverb is trying meant to ensure close ties between people in a given society. He also said it promotes uniqueness and dishonors fakeness. Like the proverb says, to walk with a loyal does not make someone royal, which is true. Royals are born in royal families if one is not from that family, they never can be considered royal. Therefore, Gilbert concluded, no matter how much effort one puts in, they can never change their identity.

Analysis.

However much I respect Gilbert’s explanation of this proverb, I think that sometimes people have to change their character and personality in order to fit in certain societies. I think this proverb, more than anything else, is against assimilation. However, sometimes one has to assimilate for his benefit. The biggest problem is the difference in class.  It is as if people in Gilbert’s culture want people to live and die in the same class they were born in. That, to me, is unrealistic. I like it when people take on assimilate only if it makes them comfortable.

On the other hand, I like it when people fake their identity just for the sake of fitting in the group. I will use rapper Clifford Harris (also known as T.I). He brags about dealing drugs, growing up homeless, and gangbanging even though those close to him claim he has never been in any of the situations. In this case, I say T.I is doing that because it is what most rappers do. He is trying to fake an identity just for the sake of it. In such a situation, I think someone should remind Harris that; “walking with the royal does not make you a royal.” In this case, other rappers represent the royals and Harris is one walking with and trying to be them.

Luganda Proverb – Entebbe, Central Uganda.

Nagazzina                  Edda   Agaabana        SSanja

I’ll dance                     Later    Earns               Banana leaves

He/she who dances     Later    Earns               Banana leaves

Hamis told me that he learned this proverb when he visited his untie around age 8. He said his auntie lived in Entebbe. However, he believed that she had learned the proverb while she was living with his grandmother in Masaka district, which is 100 miles away from Entebbe. Hamis said that the proverb is used when someone’s failure to keep time would cause him/her to miss out on something. A good example, Brian said, would be if someone supposed to catch a bus to at interview at 2pm went in the shower at 1:45pm. There inability to keep time would cost them being employed. When I asked him where the proverb came from, Hamis said this to me: “long time ago, the Baganda (luganda speaking people) had traditional festival dances. Dancers would – and still do – normally rap banana leaves around their waists as their costumes. One by one, they could take on the dance arena, which was and still is always surrounded by cheering fans. The fans would and still do toss money to the arena as an appreciation for the dancer’s skills. Dancers would and still pick up the money as they left the arena. However, because it was always so many dancers coming to the arena, by the time the last dancers hit the stage, people would have run out of money and those dancers only had banana leaves (those that broke off the branches while dancers did their thing) to pickup. Hence the proverb, he who dances later earns banana leaves.”

Analysis

I like the way Hamis breaks down this proverb. He actually makes it easy to relate to. I think this proverb is meant to discourage laziness and encourage time keeping. Like how any other proverb, this proverb tells us some aspects of the Baganda culture. It tells us that the Baganda have value time.  I would also say that the Baganda are a dancing culture. I say so because of the fact that they have a proverb derived from a traditional dance. That connection might sound illogical to some. However, I believe that if one were living in a war zone, then he or she would most likely tell war related proverbs. By that I mean that the environment one lives in shapes up his perception.

I think this proverb can be used on my roommate who came to the concert late. Recently, Lupe Fiasco had a concert on the USC campus. I told my roommate the time Lupe had to perform. Instead of coming to the show, he went to Hollywood and got caught up in traffic on his way back. He consequently missed Lupe and only came to stare at the stage. In this scenario, I would tell him that; “he who dances later earns banana leaves.” In this example, his coming late would represent the dancing and missing Lupe would represent earning the banana leaves.