Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary defines a proverb as “a short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought.”  I see proverbs as windows into cultures.  They express what a society’s members see as evident and true.  As such, each culture has many proverbs that are unique to it.   How many Americans believe that “at night, all cats are gray”?  French people think so.

Below are some orcish proverbs that I created for Queen of the Orcs.  One note of explanation:  Orcs believe that the chest, not the heart, is the site of emotions.  Their expression “big chest” combines the meanings of the human expressions “brave heart” and “big heart.”