- Text: “Αφού έφαγες το βόδι, φάε και την ουρά.” or “Since you’ve eaten the ox, you might as well eat the tail.”
- Informants Context: In Nestane, my village of birth, we were responsible for providing for ourselves on all fronts. We had constant responsibilities each and everyday so to not only maintain the properties of our families, but to also get the resources we needed on a daily basis. Chores that I often participated in included the baking of bread, attending to the maintenance of the land around our home and general household chores. Within the home, I was often responsible for preparing large meals for my family of eight people. I would continue to help do this during panagiri’s, our village festivals where everyone joined and gathered. These were difficult tasks, a lot of work. I was often exhausted by the end of each day. My job wasn’t even the most challenging. The farmers who were responsible for harvesting had enormous tasks ahead of them everyday. Near the end of the days hard work, this is when the proverb would often be used. “Since you’ve eaten the ox, you might as well eat the tail.” A person must finish what they begin. You’ve come this far – you might as well completely finish the job. Ox were an important part of the farming communities in Arcadia, hence where the term would originate. My mother used this when she was embarrassing me for being a slouch. It was a term used throughout the village. Whenever Ox were eaten, it was for festival or event, never for a normal day. They were popular animals. It could be thought of as this – the final bite, the one that you struggle to take, that is the bite that has your strength in it. So take it.
- Collectors Context: The value of this proverb and its meaning is outlined by the informant, but the ways in which these values and concepts surrounding the proverb relate to Greece still remains to be seen. This proverb is clearly a reflection of lower-class work ethic in Greece. The people described by the informant live by their daily discipline and deeds. This concept of finishing what one starts in a day of hard work reflects a culture that is disciplined. It reflects a culture that is intent on resolve, completing and following-through on their deeds and actions.
Fields
AGE: 87
Date_of_performance: May 9, 2025
Language: Greek
Nationality: Greek/Canadian
Occupation: Retired
Primary Language: Greek
Residence: Canada