Sawabona, Shikoba. Words of wisdom

(Adamma Igbo Masquerade Dance)

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During the colonial period Africa was a country conceived as poor in it's culture and social construction. But Chinua Achebe is determined to criticize this point of view, giving particular relevance to the use of the Igbo language through the text "Things Fall Apart".

One of the issues that we discussed in class, (or better said: that where exposed in class),was the fact that Achebe realizes that african people have complex social consructions, just like the "white people", the "white population", and of course it can not be understood under the colonialist European framework.

Although it is not Igbo, here we have a particular example of african language that exemplifies why is the language that relevant for Achebe:

Sawabona is a greeting from the south of Africa that means: " I respect you, I value you,you are important to me". Shikoba is the usual answer for this greeting, which means: " I exist for you then"

We can se that through few words africans can express a complete toughts, but not only that, it is a complete thought with values, culture and tradition in between.

“The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”  ― Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart

What I want to establish here is similar to Achebe's point of view. Not because a culture is different and seems incomprehensible it means that we have to discredit it's value. But the whites have always replied as bloodsuckers, exploiting everything on the path.

An analogy that we can make here is that Africans apply their culture and traditions though their language while European and most of the Occidental cultures (if not all of them) set aside the roots and use language as a tool to share ideas or thoughtswith foolishness.

“Among the Igbo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten.” ― Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart

European and American people have lost the idea of language as the art of conversation, the art of sharing, something that unites us.

Nowadays it seems to be something that makes us fall apart.