The culture of honour and shame among the Atyap and their neighbours is significant to upholding human dignity, and helps in inculcating different kinds of teaching into members of the society especially youths.
3.5.1 To teach wisdom
Anyone who is honoured is believed to be a man of wisdom36 and others could go to him or her to learn or acquire wisdom in order to help their family members or wards. Since honour
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Metaphors, Signs and Symbols of Honour and Shame could be used to refer to honour or to shame. There are
several metaphors, images, numbers and cultic symbols that were used by the Egyptians, the Mesopotamians, the Canaanites, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians and the Romans, though the Jews abolished the use of images except Yahweh but they also had some symbols and signs for honour and shame. They used such idea in their socio-cultural life and religion to explain various concepts like in Isaiah 24:23 and 33:9, the sun is said to be confused and embarrassed which symbolizes the extinction of the sun light on the day of the Lord. Figures
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is acquired through one‘s commitment to community service, others are encouraged to seek advice or counsel before embarking on a project from one who has been honoured. Often, such a person is consulted before a new king is appointed or before titles and gifts are bestowed on members of the community. It is considered a shame for elders to behave improperly in the community by indulging in any form of abuse, alcohol addiction, laziness, promiscuity, using unfair means for making gains and taking advantage of weak women. 3.5.2 To teach holiness
Anyone who keeps the laws and regulations of the society is considered upright/holy and clean, and blessed by the ancestors, while those who disobey the laws or customs of the land are a shame to their people. Honour teaches people to strive to be holy and blameless in the community and to dissociate from shame or anything that can lead to ridicule and mockery. It also helps members of the community to live as one. An honourable person moves in the company of elders and titleholders without qualms, no matter his age, while a corrupt person, no matter his/her age, is considered an object of scorn and shame by all and sundry, to the shame of his/her family and clan.
3.5.3 To teach human dignity
On a general note, the distinction between honour and shame helps members of the community to respect one another without gender difference. It shows that all are created in
like 3, 7 and 12 are sometime interpreted to mean perfection. Certain imagery was used for honour while others were used for shame. The image of qalon is linked to a prostitute in her adulterous relationship with other gods and whose nakedness metaphorically indicates disgrace and shame (Jer.13:26, Hab.2:16) and as harlotry in Ninevah (Nah.3:5). The word haper could mean bringing shame or reproach to others (Prov. 19:26, Isah. 54:4, Jer. 15:90, 50:12, Mic. 3:7) and yabesh for 8 times in the primary sense means to dry up, wither, as to shame, be ashamed (II Sam. 19:5, Isah. 30:5, Jer. 2:26, 8:9, 6:15, Joel 1:11) or acting shamefully through idolatry (Hos. 2:5) (Renn 2006:888). In relation to the Israelites, putting one‘s shame could be seen in (Jer. 46: 24, 48:1, 20, 50:2) as a process of the action on the people in their society and before others. De Silva further states that bowing is another sign of respect and honour in their cultures (Gen. 18:1-2,19:1, 23:17, 37:7-8, 41:43), even stretching or prostrating on the ground was a prominent gesture by which one party show honour to another, recognizing and acting out the honour to another (De Silva 2005:432-433). Like the Yoruba‘s in western Nigeria, they practice honour to elders by prostrating flat on the ground, the Igbo will kneel down and the Hausa from the north you have to bow to show respect, all of these are signs of respect and honour. You do that even in the public to be an example to others, on matter who you are and where you find yourself respect is a watchword. Sometime you are severely disciplined for not showing respect. Somehow, it is like ‗tit‟ for ‗tat‘ you do for your seniors and your juniors also do for you and on it goes as a way of good life for the people. Among the southern Kaduna people you simply bend from your waist as men while women kneel down, it is that of women that is most prominent in the society even today.
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the image and likeness of God and that people should strive to live to respect one another as such pleasing the creator. Thus, awards and titles are not bestowed only on men but on both sexes and all categories of people based on the person‘s observance of the laws and customs of the society. Moreover, because people know that they could be honoured or despised, they often strive to be careful and hardworking to earn the trust of the community. Nonetheless,
there might not be some people who still misbehave especially when no one is looking. 3.5.4 To encourage the people
Honouring people is one way of encouraging hard work and integrity in the community. Members of the community strive, on a daily basis, to live up to societal expectation knowing that one day they could be honoured and considered wise or shamed and considered foolish if they fail to conform to societal values. Honouring people acts as a catalyst for unity and cooperation in the community as everyone is pushed to play his or her own role in a responsible way. It also encourages people to perform their duties towards God, their fellow humans and the society at large. It is apparent that if there is no idea of shame, people may not be able to keep away from profane pleasure and entertainments that compromise the integrity of the community and undermine the faith of the young people in the society. 3.5.5 To unite the community
The unity of the community depends on how well members are able to keep to the regulations, because just as the laws of the scriptures points people to the fear of God, so do the dos and don‘ts of the community bind the people as one. It is good to know that a person is honoured based on involvement in community projects and members‘ welfare, and that a person is shamed for not associating with his or her people. In the community, all elders are parents to all youths, and all children belong to any parent, male or female. They could discipline, bless or curse the young ones and it would stand as no one could change what the whole community ratifies.
3.5.6 To teach culture
Culture is a traditional way of social interaction and the standard set by a group of people, family, clan or tribe on how to relate respectably to one another. Some of the significant issues in culture include the people‘s respect for God/gods, their King, honour to one another, avoidance of shame, respect to humanity, order in the community, family organisation and many more issues related to Men, Women and Youth/Children, taboos, stories, festivals,
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virginity, chastity, dowry, marriage, birth, miscarriage, and death etc. As such culture is an honourable way of observing honour and shame in the appropriation of human dignity. Therefore, the community uses the daily social life of the people to teach the younger ones dignity through their culture.
3.5.7 To transmit history
The culture of honour and shame is another way of transmitting historical facts from one generation to another, sometimes through stories, customs and the cultural practices. History is an important aspect of the social life of a people and the people‘s history also gives a true picture of who the people are and their worth. Their heritage and culture are considered significant to the people.