Until the Lion tells the story...

Monday, October 31, 2011

This African proverb tells what the AAGGKY is all about!!!... Telling "our" story, writing "our" histories.

The Lion's Story

One day a boy asked his grandfather a question. “Grandfather, is it true that the lion is the king of the jungle?”

"Yes," said the Grandfather, "it is true."

But the boy was shook his head in disbelief. “But Grandfather, if this is true then why are all the stories about how the lion is defeated by the hunter?”

The Grandfather smiled and answered the boy. “That will always be the way, until the lion tells the story.”

This proverb has provenance among many African peoples. In this instance it is attributed to the Ewe-mina people in Benin, Togo ad Ghana. 'Until Lions have their own historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.' (Igbo, Nigeria). 'Until lions start writing down their own stories, the hunters will always be the heroes.' (Kenya and Zimbabwe).

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