African Proverbs About Grief

Across Africa, grief belongs to the whole community. That is why it has been expressed by words of the elders and passed by way of word of mouth through generations.

When a Tree Falls, the Birds that Lived in it Scatter

This proverb comes from West Africa, and speaks of the sudden emptiness that follows after a person dies. The scenario after a tree is gone is that the birds must find new branches. This is what happens to a family when one member is taken. The routines, shared meals and familiar voice is and everything changes.

The Dead are not Gone, They are in the Roots

This proverb teaches that those we love do not disappear, but only become part of what holds us up. A person who has lost a loved one still carries that person inside them. The deceased person remains in their memories, in the values they hold dear and their way of living in the world.

A Tear is a Word the Heart Cannot Speak

This is an East African proverb which expresses that the pain which comes with grief often has no language. A tear however says everything because it tells the people around you that you are hurting. In many African communities, weeping together is how the community cares for the one who was left behind. They are not expected to be strong alone.

The River does not Forget the Mountain it came from

Even when water travels far, it remembers where it began. Grief works the same way. No matter how much time passes, we may move forward, but we never stop being shaped by the person we lost.

Sorrow Shared is Sorrow Halved

In many traditions, the whole village gathers, people bring food, sit in silence or sing. This is the opposite of the modern idea that grief should be handled privately. Sometimes, grief may be too heavy for one person to carry alone.