Chinua Achebe's partial list of proverbs
Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter. You cannot plant greatness as you plant yams or maize. Who ever planted an Iroko tree – the greatest in the forest? You may collect all the Iroko seeds in the world, open the soil and put them there. it will be in vain. The great tree chooses where to grow and we find it there…so it is with greatness in men. We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own. The Igbo, always practically put it concretely in their proverb Onye ji onye n’ani ji onwe ya: He who will hold another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep him down. If you want to eat a toad you look for a fat and juicy one. An only palm fruit does not get lost in the fire. A man who lives on the banks of the Niger (river) should not wash his hands in spittle. A man does not challenge his Chi to a wrestling match. When a new saying gets to the land of empty men, they lose their heads ov...