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Why Do We Use Proverbs?

6/23/2015

There are times when you need to be quiet.

When diviners first start to learn odu in order to divine or do readings for people, they usually begin by memorizing a lot of proverbs (refranes). These proverbs capture key ideas associated with the odus, and help the diviner remember the messages associated with each one. Historically and culturally, many of the proverbs are rooted in Spanish language and culture, but they were picked up and incorporated into the Lucumí religion by the Africans who came to Cuba in colonial times. As embodiments of folk wisdom, the proverbs lent themselves well to odu interpretation because they capture universal truths about the human experience. Other proverbs are very specific to the religion, and require some knowledge of odu to interpret correctly. The most important thing about proverbs is that they open a conversation between the diviner and the client, so the client can reflect on his or her own situation and understand why the problem exists.

For example, most Spanish speakers have heard someone say: En boca cerrada, no entran moscas (Flies don't go into a closed mouth). This expression exists in the general culture, and can be used as a warning when someone is talking too much or being indiscrete in their comments. But, it is also a proverb associated with the odus Ogundá Osá (3-9), Ojuani Ogunda (11-3), and Eyilá Eyioko (12-2). Because it's such a well-known and common proverb, it shows up in more than one odu, but it has a specific application in each one. All three odu speak about the problems associated with talking too much. Depending on how the odu falls, and the circumstances of the person who has come for divination, the proverb can refer to a variety of interconnected problems. The person might have enemies and, if he tells them too much information, they can use it against him. He might be too blunt and lash out at another person in anger. This can cause relationships to sour. He may say the wrong thing at the wrong time and unleash a tragedy by speaking out of turn. He can betray a close friend or family member by telling a secret. There are always things in any conversation that are best left unsaid. Sometimes the individual needs to learn when to keep his mouth closed. In any event, the diviner can use the proverb to begin a conversation and explore what's causing problems for the client.

Proverbs Make Us Reflect on Our Own Situation

Use the right tools to do the job.

Some proverbs are more obscure and not well known outside the Lucumi faith. For example, a proverb associated with Ocana (1) says, "Con una atarraya no se puede pescar un hipopótamo (You can't capture a hippopotamus using a fishing net). Obviously, the hippopotamus is native to Africa, not Cuba, but anyone who has seen a photo or drawing of one knows it's a very large animal weighing well over a ton. In 19th century Cuba, it would have represented an exotic, rare animal, an impossible prey for an average man with limited resources. The listener would understand that the hippopotamus is a metaphor, representing a big and difficult task, or perhaps an unrealistic goal. Although the hippopotamus lives in the river, it's not the same as a fish, and it wouldn't be effective to use a fishing net to catch one. If you don't have the right tools or preparation, you aren't going to succeed. This is a timeless message that extends well into our century, even when most of us no longer fish for our food. In Ocana, people can be very hard headed and refuse to listen to good advice. They're not realistic about their goals, and they don't know when to quit. They need to learn to assess their own abilities better, and to determine if they've got a realistic chance of succeeding before they launch into a new venture. They may need to work in a team or ask for help, which they're usually reluctant to do. The diviner will recite the proverb as a way to start the conversation, and ask the client how it applies to his life.

The Cultural Context of Proverbs

Looks can be deceiving

Most proverbs have been translated into English so that practitioners who don't speak Spanish can use them in divination. But, some of them are very culturally specific to the tropics. They require more than a literal translation. For example, in Eyiunle Odí (8-7), the proverb says "Por mucho que vuele el aura el pitirí la alcanza" (No matter how high the aura flies, the pitirí catches up to it). The proverb makes no sense unless you know something about the two birds referenced here. The aura is a kind of vulture that typically flies high above the ground looking for food. The pitirí (or pitirre) is a much smaller bird that typically lives in shrubs lower to the ground. But it will aggressively defend its territory from larger birds when necessary. The message as it related to the odu is that people in Eyiunle tend to be arrogant and think others are beneath them. The proverb reminds them that they shouldn't underestimate people who appear smaller, weaker or less important They might be surprised when the smaller person catches up with them and overtakes them. The diviner needs to understand the cultural references in order to interpret the proverb correctly. Sadly, some people no longer learn proverbs because they consider them old fashioned and don't see the value in them. I believe they contain wisdom that never goes out of date, and they engage us in critical thinking skills that help us gain more self-awareness and a better understanding of the world around us.

I have a section of my website devoted to proverbs, and I'll be adding more to it in the coming weeks. I invite you to take a look at the proverbs and think about what they suggest to you.

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What's a Patakí? Story-telling as a source of knowledge

6/21/2015

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Story telling is a way to share knowledge

One of the ways we pass along knowledge of the Lucumi religion is by telling stories or recounting myths that are part of an oral heritage. These stories are called patakís. We don't recognize any particular person as the author or creator of a patakí because we don't know the exact origin of the stories, how or when they came into being. But we do know that they are old stories, having roots in west Africa and brought to Cuba via the slave trade in the 19th century. Unlike the Bible or other written religious texts, there is no single authoritative version of the patakís. Lucumí practitioners learn patakís from their elders. Over time, generations of storytellers have modified and embellished details, creating folk tales that reflect the imagination and creativity of the people who tell the stories. Because patakis existed primarily in oral form, the act of learning and reciting them depended on the memory and skill of the person speaking. For this reason, people today may know different versions of the same patakí. Despite small differences in the telling, however, the overall message or "moral" of the story remains the same. A patakí, in its most basic form, isn't a work of literature or fiction. It's a religious text, and it exists to teach us a lesson about our world.

Patakís are Used in Divination

An odu is determined by the way the shells fall on the mat

Diviners use patakís, along with proverbs or refranes, to deliver a message to the person who has come for a reading. For example, if the odu Obara appears when the shells are thrown, the diviner knows that the client has a problem related to speech, the way he uses his tongue. Either he talks too much, or people are talking about him. Or, his words are misunderstood. There is also a problem with lying. People may act one way to his face and speak badly about him behind his back. While the diviner could deliver the message in just this way, a more traditional approach is to begin by reciting a proverb or telling a story (a patakí). The diviner has to study in order to know which proverbs and patakís belong to each odu, and how to apply them to the client's situation. To begin the reading with a story draws the client into the conversation and requires him to do some critical thinking, not just absorb the information passively. He listens to the patakí and then the diviner asks him to reflect on how this story might apply to his situation. If the client can understand the patakí and its importance in his life at that moment in time, the client will understand on a more profound level the nature of his problem.

Changó Learns about the Importance of the Tongue

Changó has a fiery nature and is often the subject of gossip and intrigue because others envy him

Here is an example of how a patakí from Obara might sound when delivered by a diviner:

When Obatalá put Changó in charge off governing people, Changó was very young. No one respected him or took him seriously, so of course they never obeyed him. Every day somebody from the village went to Obatalá to complain about Changó as a way to make Changó look bad. Obatalá called Changó and spoke very bluntly to him, because Obatalá has never been one to beat around the bush. There were so many bits of gossip and malicious stories about Changó that one day Changó went to Obatalá and asked him: "Papá, why do people tell so many stories about me? Every day they say something different, and none of it is true!" But Obatalá knew that Changó was very hardworking and smart, and that he took his responsibilities seriously. He told him: "My son, I want you to prepare a dinner for me and all of my children. I want you to make the most delicious food you can imagine." So, Changó prepared a feast for Obatalá and all his children, just as Obatalá had requested. He served them beef tongue as the main dish. Obatalá asked him: "Changó, is tongue the best food in the world?" Changó answered: "Yes, papá, it is full of ashé, the best in the world." After some time went by, Obatalá asked Changó to prepare another feast for him and all his children. But this time, he instructed him to serve the worst food in the world. Changó once again prepared beef tongue, and Obatalá asked him: "Changó, son, if the last time you prepared the same thing and you said it was the best food in the world, why are you now serving tongue and telling me is the worst thing in the world?" Changó replied: "Naturally, papá, a good tongue can save a village and a bad tongue can destroy it." Obatalá said to him: "You're right, Changó. That's where you were born, in Obara Melli, and that's why you find everyone is always talking about you all the time. It doesn't matter what they say, good or bad, because whatever they say about you will make you great. Only on the day they stop talking about you will you cease to be Changó."

How to Interpret a Patakí

Obatalá inspires patience and wisdom

Once the information has been delivered in the form of a patakí, the diviner will probably ask the client to reflect on how it relates to his own life. Depending on the circumstances of the client, he may identify with Changó, Obatalá, or even with the villagers who are gossiping about Changó. The mention of the tongue is obviously meant as a metaphor, as a warning about the way human beings like to gossip. They can use their words to build someone up, or to tear someone down. How we react to the gossip is also important. If we're worried about what others say, we can become paralyzed and unsure of ourselves. But if we understand that sometimes people talk about us because they're envious of us, or they realize we're born leaders and resent that they aren't the same, then we can let their words roll off of us and not hurt us. What political leader hasn't had critics? Changó can be a hothead and react with anger to any imagined slight, but Obatalá, who is older and wiser, always advises a more intelligent approach. When he tells Changó to prepare a meal, he encourages critical thought in Changó. He wants the younger man to reflect on the dual nature of words and communication. It's important that Changó have a chance to figure out the problem for himself, in a calm and measured way. If he's going to be a leader, he has to rise above his enemies. He can't slander them and start a war with them. In the long run, Changó's greatness depends on his ability to distance himself from the talk about him, and use his position in the public eye to achieve greatness. As long as people are talking about him, it means he's doing his job, showing his leadership skills. A leader can't hope to please everyone.

The patakí also helps people understand the nature of the orishas and their relationship to each other. Through the telling of patakís, Lucumí practitioners learn the life stories of the orishas, when they walked the earth in human form and experienced many of the same situations that humans face today.

There are multiple patakís associated with each odu, and it's the job of the diviner to know which one is most applicable in the case of the person who's come for a reading. A godparent might also tell patakís to godchildren as a way to advise them about their behavior and conduct, or simply as a way to pass on knowledge about the religion.

Today, with the breakdown of traditional communities, there are many Lucumí practitioners who don't know patakís. To address this problem, some writers have started to collect and publish patakís on the internet and in book form. Remember, if you find these in your research, they are just one version of how the patakís might be told. In order to understand them on a deeper level and know how to apply them to situations in life, it's still very important to talk with your elders about them, and ask them to share their thoughts with you. The oral tradition creates bonds between people, and storytelling is an important part of Lucumí culture, even in the 21st century.