Muna on / ei ole targem kui kana: Vastuolulised vanasõnad
The egg is (not) teaching the hen: Controversial proverbs

Summary/Abstract: The Estonian Folklore Archives at the Estonian Literary Museum contains 105 recordings of proverbs of the type “The egg is teaching the hen” (EV 6901) and only 11 of the type “The egg cannot teach the hen” (EV 6902). Still, the relative proportions need not imply actual predominance of the former view in the proverbial wisdom: although some of the proverbs of the former type have been recorded all in earnest, some have been registered in an ironic sense, but for a number of the latter kind no such specification is available. This proves that even the uses of one and the same proverb can vary. The proverb is always right, but that rightness depends on the context and moment of its use. Thus, there is an inherent plurality and freedom of choice when it comes to proverbs, and folklore in general. Folklore features various proverbs that engage in vigorous polemics with one another, while the fields in which they are used range from daily life to highly skilled political rhetoric.

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