Adage

In Yoruba Language - Ewure ile ana a’ma s’eni do’mugo
English Translation – Your inlaw’s goat can make you appear senseless

Usage

Oftentimes, we draw inference from past events to guide us through present situations, so does our forefathers draw lessons from past events to guide them and those to come. This saying is used to explain how circumstances can sometimes make us appear as a fool – when we are indeed not foolish!

Further Explanation

The maxim above was drawn from the story of a man who went to his girlfriend’s house for the first time. On getting there, he met only the girl’s mother pounding dry yams for yam flour (elubo). He greeted the woman and learnt that the girl had been sent on errand. He was about taking his leave when the mother of the girl told him to help keep an eye on the yam flour till she returns. While he was waiting for her to return, a goat attempted to eat the yam flour, and he grabbed the goat by the hind leg and started beating it. When the girl’s mother came and met him beating the goat

she became furious and asked if that was how he will be beating her daughter when he finally marries her

The man kept quiet.

Again the woman asked him to keep an eye on the yam flour while she went inside. This same goat came back and attempted eating the yam flour, out of fear, the man did nothing. When the woman came back and saw the goat eating the yam flour,

she became more furious and asked ‘Are you that senseless, can you not beat and drive the goat away???

This was how the man looked foolish in front of his in-law-to-be!

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