Òròòru làá ṣ’èkà – Yoruba Wisdom on Cruelty, Exposure, and Consequence

Last updated: January 16, 2026

 

Yoruba Wisdom

Òròòru làá ṣ’èkà; ẹni báá ṣě ní ọ̀sán kò ní fi ara ire lọ

Literal Translation

Cruelty is done in the dark; whoever does it in broad daylight will not escape unscathed.

Interpretation

This proverb rests on a profound Yoruba understanding of shame, secrecy, and social order.

Cruel acts (ìkà) are typically committed under cover — darkness, concealment, or ambiguity — because cruelty is instinctively aware of its own wrongness. Night (òròòru) here is not merely time; it is a symbolic cover.

The second clause sharpens the warning: anyone who commits cruelty openly, without restraint or fear of witnesses, is courting consequences. Yoruba society assumes that daylight activates accountability — eyes are watching, tongues will speak, memory will record.

Thus, the proverb is not excusing cruelty done in secret; it is exposing the recklessness and arrogance of cruelty done openly. It warns that when evil loses shame, punishment soon follows.

Application

This proverb is commonly used to:

• Condemn open injustice by the powerful
• Warn tyrants, bullies, and oppressors
• Signal that public wrongdoing invites public reckoning

In leadership, it cautions rulers who oppress openly, assuming immunity.
In social life, it rebukes those who humiliate or harm others publicly.
In moral discourse, it affirms that impunity is fragile.

Yoruba wisdom accepts that wrong exists — but it insists that brazen wrong never lasts.

Broad Theme

Cruelty, Accountability, and Consequence

Supporting Themes

Public versus hidden wrongdoing, shame and moral awareness, abuse of power, social accountability, justice and exposure, arrogance and downfall, ethical restraint

Closing Reflection

Cruelty knows it is wrong; that is why it prefers the dark. When it steps boldly into daylight, it announces not strength, but desperation. And in Yoruba wisdom, desperation always leaves a trail.