Performance of the Somali Proverb and Elders use of Both Verbal and Non-Verbal Skills during Clan Meetings to Deliver the Message

Abstract

Among the Somali community, the art of speaking eloquently with abundant use of proverbs is not only a cherished skill, but it is also an institutionalized public behaviour where the young craves for it and the elderly practices it.

The social rating of an elder statesman in the community is directly linked to his ability to hammer points in the clan meetings, not through a plain or prose form of speech but by his power of persuasiveness by employing relevant proverbs. To deliver the message of the proverb, some performance skills are always at work.

The study explores performance in the Somali proverbs and elders’ use of both verbal and non-verbal skills during clan meetings to deliver the message .The aim is to show the two way relationship between the performance and the mode of delivery of the message in the proverb. The main proposition of the study is to confirm that the performance of the Somali proverb does not only add color to this art but rather aids in communicating the message of the proverb.

The research is based on material collected through field research .The research area was northern Kenya & south –western region of Somalia. A total of 21 proverbs were collected but 18 of them were analyzed to induce evidence for the arguments and statements made in this study. A total of 18 respondents were interviewed. Those were 12 men and 6 women who were considered community opinion leaders.

The study is based on two theoretical approaches:

1. Sociological approach and
2. Ethno poetics approach

The two approaches are chosen to interrogate the social and the performance aspects of the proverbs.

The study recommends further research into this area especially the often elusive non-verbal elements of the performance.

Keywords: Proverb, performance, gesture, Somali