Throwing Stones in Jest

In this interesting critical analysis of oral literature, in which she draws on field work, Helen Yitah discusses the place of proverbs in the social praxis of her native Ghanaian culture. She observes that the traditional tenor of proverbs is loaded with sexist implications designed to relegate women to the status of second class citizens. Adopting a feminist reading of the use of proverbs, Yitah argues that due to their subaltern position in society, women’s use of proverbs is more subversive than that of their male counterparts. Yitah posits that Kasena women not only manipulate proverbs differently but also create what she calls “counter proverbs” that are used to draw attention to the female condition as well as challenge certain norms established by the dominant patriarchy. This is innovative work that revalorizes the place of African oral traditions in contemporary society.