How does Metaphors reveal people's culture and weltanschauung?

Answer 1

The narratives, expressions and key words used in a culture often signify what is held with high regard, cherished or revered. The use of metaphors to convey important values of a culture is universal and they can be found in such diverse texts as:


Buddhist writings:


In this ocean of the world in which it is so hard to live, this great round of misery will never end;


Confucius sayings:


Study without thinking, and you are blind; think without studying, and you are in danger;


and Celtic proverbs:


Obdurate is the human race-harder than stones are their hearts-when they do not pay attention to the vastness of all the pains.


Much can be learnt about the central values, beliefs and attitudes of people through the metaphors they construct. For example, a Maaori whakatauki (or proverb) reads as follows:




Na tau rourou

Na take rourou

Ka ora ai te manuhiri


This is literally translated as:


By your food basket

And my food basket

The visitors will be fed.

Answer 2

I'm not certain that metaphorical allusions make any sense outside of a specific cultural context.

Consider the metaphor "she's a fox" in contrast with "that man is a fox" which both make assumptions based on observations in special circumstances. Different cultures than those rooted in Western European/North American perspective might make the assumption that the expression means the same thing in both cases - yet while the first means 'a woman of attractive appearance' the second references the devious crafty and cunning reputation of a fox and is only fully understood in the context of Aesop's Fables where a fox is frequently used as a character.

Similarly Shakespeare's metaphor "the world is a stage..." is not going to make much sense to a people like the yano-mamo without explaining the context of the cultural reference and what a stage was to Elizabethan theater, or at least the equivalents in modern movies and television production.

Answer 3

uh....it doesent?

if youre implying that metaphorical evidence is indeed evidence id have to say youre wrong.

then again your comment is far too vague to answer...so im proboblaly off.

Answer 4

I am going to pass on this one.