Waist Bead History

 

KEMET = (The The Land Of The Blaks )

Kemet - Egypt

 

Waist beads can be traced back to ancient Kemet times or what we all now know as Egypt, In those ancient times waist beads were known as girdle. Waist beads have been worn for centuries by women in many Afrikan cultures, for many purposes such as rites of passage & as a status symbol, they come in many different colors, shapes & may also include decorative stones, crystals, or charms.

For many years waist beads has been used to calculate & keep track of weight loss or gain. If you were to gain weight, the beads would roll up the waist / stomach or will feel tight and if you were to lose weight, the beads would fall down & or began to feel loose.

In parts of the world where waist beads are a cultural tradition, the beads are often associated with womanhood, maturity, and growth. In many West Afrikan traditions, the mothers tie a pair of waist beads onto daughters at birth or during their first menstruation to symbolize their passage into womanhood. When they outgrow a pair of waist beads it also marks the transition into a new stage of life. For example the beads a girl wears during puberty will differ from the beads she wears after her first child.

 Many women around the world also use waist beads in intimate settings to enhance their sensuality. Waist beads may also be closely associated with fertility. Some women wear specific beads during sexual interaction when they’re trying to conceive. Special waist beads are also available for pregnant women. They’re thought to provide protection for the mother and growing baby.

They are a popular way for Black women in the diaspora to connect to their ancestors and celebrate their heritage and cultural practices.Today, the usage of waist beads by Black and Brown women in the West has evolved into a cultural tradition of its very own, one that reflects the diasporic experience.

Many women in the diaspora don’t have direct knowledge of their West African lineage due to the transatlantic slave trade. Reclaiming waist beads also means Blak women can reclaim the opportunity to walk in their ancestors footsteps. The beads are a constant physical reminder that heritage is never as far away as you may think .

Here at My Maat we purchase our hand made waist beads from Indigenous Women in Ghana. Women in Ghana wear waist beads as a symbolic adornment that can serve as a sign of wealth, femininity, and aristocracy as well as spiritual well being. They are the perfect tool for one’s spiritual & healing journey as they encourage confidence, beauty & self love within self. 

You can wear the waist beads for however long you desire, until you manifested what you wanted to manifest, healed what you needed to heal, and or you attracted what you wanted to attract.Please do not let people fool you into thinking that only slender women can wear them because Afrikan waist beads are worn beautifully by women of all sizes, shapes and ages.

 When wearing Afrikan waist beads, be sure to do so with right intentions and reason. When you receive compliments on them, be sure to not only say thank you but to explain exactly where it originated from, what it is & why you wear them. Just as we should apply open mindedness in our daily lives, we should also apply the practice of doing OUR OWN research, learning, applying & respectively appreciating the culture.