The Igbo of Nigeria have a proverb popularised by writer Chinua Achebe that goes: "Unless it dies young, the penis shall surely eat bearded meat." This was a way, I guess, to say that things happen in due course and there is no point in rushing to indulge in sexual activities. The testicles, penis and their exploits are a point of reference.
In Zambia the Bemba coined a saying, "ubuchende bwamwaume tabonaula nganda", which translates to "a man's whoring does not break up a family". These chauvinistic words, the roots of which must lie in polygamy, seem to suggest that it is alright for men to sleep around. Or, alternatively, that the family can survive the vagaries of patriarchy. It is perhaps what a Guinean proverb refers to that says: "A child can play with its mother's breasts, but not its father's testicles."
The word "chende", the root for the word for testicles in some languages, is quite popular in African proverbs. In Ghana there is a proverb, "It requires a lot of carefulness to kill the fly that perches on the scrotum", which does not really require explanation.
From [African culture uncensored - News - Mail & Guardian Online]
2 voices:
Achebe used that Igbo proverb in his book, Arrow of God. I remember reading that when I was barely in my teens and it made me wonder even more why today some make it look like any reference to private parts is vulgar. Worse of all, it's found to be all right when the penis or vagina is mentioned in English but unacceptable when these are mentioned in our own languages.
I read Arrow of God a long time ago, so wouldn't remember particular expressions in it. What I remember is a pleasurable book from the master, pitting invasive cultures with ours. I still have my copy and must whip it out for a good read.
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