African Food and Art

This blog explores the wisdom of African proverbs, the depth of folklore, the beauty of art, the stories of history, and the flavors of timeless African food recipes.

Five African Proverbs About Deceit and Lies

African proverbs, quotes, and sayings about cunning, deceit, and lies. 

African proverbs, quotes, and sayings about cunning, deceit, and lies

Every day we face an epidemic of deception. Hardly anyone never lies but as the African ancestors say lying is the work of petty spirits leaving the truth behind in the dirt. Below are 5 famous African proverbs, quotes, and sayings about cunning, deceit, and lies.

African proverbs, quotes, and sayings about cunning, deceit, and lies

African proverbs have deepened the inner awareness of the fearful, strengthened the convictions of leaders, been received as warnings by the rebellious, furnished rules of conduct for the community, comforted the broken and depressed and inspired the young and old to act as one in society.

African proverbs, quotes, and sayings about cunning, deceit, and lies

African Proverbs are words of wisdom and warning against cunning, lies and deceit

African proverbs predate written literature therefore, it is impossible to trace them to their beginnings. Many proverbs from Africa which we are familiar were, as far as we know, first used by Africans, Arabs, Asians, Greeks, and then Romans. Many African proverbs have been the words of unknown African philosophers, the fragments of lost historic oral records that are now the attributed responses to ancient European academics.

African proverbs, quotes, and sayings about cunning, deceit, and lies

There is no region of practical life that African Proverbs do not occupy, for which they do not supply some wise hints, counsels, and warnings. There is hardly a mistake which in the course of our lives we have committed, but some proverb, had we known and attended to its lesson, might have saved us from it.

African proverbs, quotes, and sayings about cunning, deceit, and lies

What warnings do many contain against unreasonable expectations, against a looking for perfection in a world of deceit, imperfection, and generally, a demanding of more from life than life can yield. There can be no greater mistake than the attempt to tie down an African proverb and restrict it to a single meaning, when indeed the very character of it is that it is ever finding or making new ones for itself.

Below are 5 famous African proverbs, quotes, and sayings about cunning, deceit, and lies.

  • When a woman goes on a secret trip, she gathers firewood and returns home.
  • The thief does not steal in an unfamiliar place.
  • It is hard to cure the madness that originates in the family.
  • Anything the hawk gives birth to will not fail to carry off chickens.
  • If the child learns the trail of the snake, he will also learn the wanderings of the snake.

African Proverbs teach us in everyday life. African proverbs inspire with ancient words of wisdom. African proverbs enlighten mists of forgotten centuries. 


Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

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