Truthfulness at the heart of Somali culture

TRUTHFULNESS is an essential trait for any individual in the Somali culture. Somalis are regarded as an oral society due to their historic dependence on the spoken word as a means of communication with each and also as a reservoir for their collective memory.

They used both poetry, with all its forms, and prose to communicate their feelings, ideas and other valuable information across distant spaces and different environments.

For this reason, one must be truthful and reliable to convey that message without intentional alteration or misrepresentation.

Because the modern financial systems were not in place, Somalis commercial dealings were based on individual trust and good reputations. For someone to build and nurture a good name among society, he must be truthful and honest in all his trading as well as personal behaviour.

Truthfulness is also required from the clan elders and community leaders because they are the ones who will resolve disputes and criminal offences. To earn ordinary individual’s respect and for their judgement to be accepted, they should demonstrate a high level of impartiality, truthfulness and loyalty to the common cause.

It also played a pivotal role in the creation of new relationships between families and tribes through marriage. One very necessary attribute for a potential suitor would be truthfulness and a good name. The supreme status of the truth and how much Somalis valued it in their culture can be seen from the abundance of songs, idioms and famous sayings.