Waist beads in Nigerian culture
I have always worn waist beads (Don’t judge me). As a growing girl, I started wearing waist beads when I saw my classmate wear one. At the time, they cost about fifty naira or less. They were just so pretty, and I loved how they adorned my tiny waist. My mom wasn’t so much of a disciplinarian, but definitely not my grandma who happened to live with us at the time. I had to hide those waist beads from her if I wanted to live to see another day. Lol!
Historically, women across all Nigerian tribes wore waist beads. The Yoruba tribe in Nigeria is known to have the most varied and unusual reasons for wearing waist beads. Nearly every woman wore a waist bead back then, regardless of their ages. And for very deep reasons too. For instance, a Yoruba woman could wear waist beads for contraception. This is what I mean — back in the days, waist beads were seen and believed to be fertility ornaments that women wore to calculate their ovulation periods, and avoid having sex with their husbands. Sometimes also, these beads were said to be laced with charms to prevent the woman from getting pregnant. Waist beads also served as symbols of love from parents, suitors, husbands, or even family members.
They enshrine the feminine side of every culture that wears them and are similar to…
I’m much older now, and I still believe waist beads are one of the best accessories any woman can be adorned with. The jiggling around the waist just ‘bursts brain’. For me, they’re so beautiful and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. However, in modern-day Nigeria, several opinions have been formed as to whether the waist bead should still be worn, or not. The average Nigerian mother would most likely say to her daughter that waist beads are worn by morally loose women. As a matter of fact, two of the three most dominant religions in Nigeria would definitely kick against wearing waist beads. So, yeah, it’s a No-No in many Nigerian homes.
Regardless of all that’s been said about waist beads, everyone remains entitled to their personal opinions. And that’s exactly why I took to social media to find out what people think about wearing waist beads, especially in today’s society. There were responses of all sorts — mostly cool, but some were totally shocking. Let’s get reading…
Note: These responses have been lightly edited and condensed for coherence.
WOMEN WHO LOVE WAIST BEADS (like me!)
“It’s hot. I want more women using it please”
- Ene
“[The] Waist bead is fine and lovely”
- Statia
THE MEN WHO LOVE WAIST BEADS
“[The] Waist bead is a beautiful thing. It’s been a part of African beauty apparel [for] a long time. And it makes the woman sexually appealing, so they say. But overall, it’s accepted in many African cultures.”
- Opeyemi
“Yes to waist beads please!”
- Kingsley
“I love it”
- David
“Seeing waist beads on a lady’s waist is alarming and it’s tempting to grab her from behind…”
- Olawale
“Beautiful! They enshrine the feminine side of every culture that wears them and are similar to wrist beads for men.”
- Seye
THE MAN WHO HATES WAIST BEADS
“I don’t know why ladies wear it in the first place.”
- Omotunde
The responses, huh? You would agree with me that more persons are hopping onto the waist bead train, as opposed to those against it. However, some people have pretty spiritual reasons for refusing to wear waist beads. Here’s what someone had to say:
“Juju (voodoo) people have spoilt the whole concept of waist beads. The so-called ‘kayanmata’ people. They have the one they call “blue eye.” They sell it for more than 10,000 naira. If [women] wear it, any man they sleep with will give them plenty money.”
- Anna
And then, there are the waist bead activists!
“Just like the anklet and nose ring, the waist bead is just another form of fashion and way of showing one’s femininity. But because of our so-called moral uprightness in Nigeria and our spirituality, we see it as something bad and any lady using it is either a ‘hoe’ or destiny destroyer. It’s not so. We tend to forget that there was a time waist beads were one of the jewelry worn especially by females from the major ethnic groups.”
- Marvelous
Personally, until now, I have never viewed waist beads in a spiritual light. I mean, what’s the point? Anyway, everyone is entitled to their personal opinions, and that’s about it. I will keep rocking my waist beads, and being just fine!