Traditional Benin Wisdom

“Silence is an attribute of the dead; he who is alive speaks.”

Living, engaged people communicate; withdrawing into silence is a kind of death.

“Anyone who sees beauty and does not look at it will soon be poor.”

Failing to notice and appreciate the good things in life leads to a poorer existence.

“Work is the medicine for poverty.”

Labor and effort are the true remedy for hardship and want.

“The world is a journey; the afterworld is home.”

Earthly life is temporary travel, while the true, lasting home lies beyond it.

“A great affair covers up a small matter.”

A major issue easily overshadows and hides a lesser one.

“Anyone who plants a tree before they die has not lived in vain.”

Leaving something lasting behind gives a life meaning and purpose.

“Before you ask a man for clothes, look at the clothes that he is wearing.”

Assess a person's true circumstances before making a request of them.

“Blacksmiths and woodworkers will never suffer from poverty.”

A skilled trade provides lasting security and income.

“Everyone has his place: the dead in the cemetery and the living at the table.”

Each person and each state of life has its own proper station.

“Fear a silent man; he has lips like a drum.”

A quiet person can deliver powerful, resounding words once they finally choose to speak.

“Many words do not fill a basket.”

Talk alone accomplishes nothing; results require real action.

“The misfortune that comes into town does not wear a turban.”

Trouble arrives unannounced and cannot be recognized in advance.

“The tortoise is friends with the snail: those with shells keep their shells close together.”

Beings with shared nature or circumstance naturally draw close to one another.

“The young cannot teach tradition to the old.”

Experience and established knowledge belong to the elders who have lived it.

“There is no god like one's stomach; we must sacrifice to it every day.”

Meeting life's basic needs takes daily priority over all else.

“We can only speak the truth when we turn off the light.”

Honesty sometimes needs the cover of privacy or darkness before it can be spoken freely.

“What you give, you get back ten times over.”

Generosity returns to the giver multiplied.

“When the mouse laughs at the car, there is a hole nearby.”

Confidence shown in the face of danger usually means an escape route is already secured.

“Who throws stones at night kills his own brother.”

Careless, unseen actions are most likely to harm the people closest to you.

“Words are like spears: once they leave your lips, they can never come back.”

Spoken words are permanent and cannot be withdrawn once released.

“The thing which is in the belly of someone, that is his vodun.”

What a person holds most dear in their heart is what they truly worship or serve.

“To eat a rat's leg regularly is better than eating a goat's leg only once.”

A smaller, steady gain is worth more than a large but one-time windfall.

“The green snake said, "Watching a person is better than biting."”

Careful observation and patience are wiser than a hasty, aggressive reaction.