The Power of Words (Ofo Ashe)
Words carry creative power in Yoruba thought. Spoken with intention, words can bless, curse, heal, or harm. Guard your speech carefully.
Words carry creative power in Yoruba thought. Spoken with intention, words can bless, curse, heal, or harm. Guard your speech carefully.
The tongue has no bones, but it can break bones. Speak blessings, not curses.
Yoruba Verbal Arts
Written about in
- What African wisdom says about what to say and what to leave unsaid
The tongue has no bones, but it can break bones. In Yoruba practice this is close to literal: Ofo incantations are believed to activate spiritual power, so speech belongs with actions rather than with descriptions of the world.