Hairdressing and hairstyles are global phenomena that achieve the purpose of styling, grooming, and socio-cultural development. Hair serves various purposes, such as aesthetics, adornment, social status, class distinction, and identification. This is not different from hairdressing among the Yoruba people of Southwest Nigeria. Hairdressing and hairstyles are strong features for identification and social status among the Yoruba.
Which is loosely translated as “one does not plait or cut a person’s hair without the consent of the owner of the head, ” implies that a person’s hair is a major representation of that person. Yoruba gods and goddesses also place a high premium on hairdressing. The earth, for instance, is personified as a woman who has her hair combed with hoes (while farming), hence the panegyric that describes the earth as
Loosely translated as “Earth, the goddess, who combs her hair with a hoe.” To the ancient Yoruba people, the woman’s hair is her beauty. If a woman’s hair is tidy and well-plaited, she is gorgeous. This is the inspiration behind the common Yoruba saying that
Th October 2016 By Nigerian Tribune
In Yorubaland, there is a god or deity associated with every profession. Osun, the Yoruba goddess, associated with hairdressing, is the goddess of fresh waters, fertility, love, peace, prosperity, beauty, and charm. According to Yoruba myths, Osun was the first deity/goddess to use a comb, and she was also the first hairdresser.
A style with either short or long knots. Braids run from the forehead, sides, and back of the head to the head to the crown/ middle area of the head. Another form of
(a calabash turned upside down): This style involves beautifully woven hair from the center of the scalp down to the front, rear and sides. The tips are typically made into knots and designed with beads.
Yoruba Hairstyles For Women And Children
(without legs)- is a style in which cornrows run from the front/top of the headto the ends and at the back of the head, close to the neck. This style was called
Because women in the precolonial Yoruba land had curly or coily hair. The ends of their hair would not stand straight and would just curl up. Hence the name
(back of a pig’s head)- is a style in which cornrows run from the rear of the head and end at the top of the head, close to the forehead. This style is going extinct because many ladies do not like how the back of their heads looks after making the style.
History Of Cornrows: Yorùbá Edition
(keep quiet)- the cornrows start from different points, the front/ top of the head and the back of the head, and meet at the center/ crown of the head (usually with a little opening). The hair forms a
(cockscomb)- this style is made to imitate a cockscomb. Women who wear this style signify that they are either married or are priestesses belonging to a cult (of Sango, Osun, Esu, Oya, etc.).
The Yoruba have a strong tradition of visual communication through sculptural forms and are acknowledged to be the most prolific wood carvers in Africa. But their sculptural genius is not confined to wood and other hard media. One of the liveliest sculptural arts in Yorubaland today is hairstyling. Hairdressers can be seen performing their art on shaded verandahs or under trees, often seated next to their colorful signs offering a variety of illustrated hairstyles for their customers to choosefrom.
Traditional Yoruba Hairstyles That Are All The Rage Even Now
In addition to being a popular art of reflecting and interpreting Yoruba contemporary life, hairstyles also perform the traditional function of indicating and maintaining social categories. They also are important in rites of transition from onecategory or status to another.
Symbols that are meaningful in many contexts or levels. The same hairstyle may convey different but related meanings depending on the context. It should be known that not only do women make their hair, but men also make their hair.
In addition to hair functioning in rites of passage related to the life cycle, it is also important to convey information about political and occupational roles and kinship affiliation in several secular contexts. There are several special hairstyles and rituals associated with the palace. Traditionally, messengers of each Yoruba king had his servants’ heads shaved distinctively to be readily identifiable.
Influential People That Portray The Beautiful Language Of Yoruba And Culture
Had alternate sides of their heads shaved every fifth day except for a circular patch on the crown. The hair on the circular patch was allowed to grow as long as possible and was braided and dyed with indigo. Each
(do not oppose the king) might be sent to a recalcitrant subject. His hair would proclaim his role as a palace messenger, while his name would proclaim his specific message. Upon the death of a king, his
At Ife, the heads of messengers were shaved on alternate sides every four days in a fashion similar to that described for the Oyo area. These messengers were called
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. They carried messages and performed errands not only for the king but also for the palace chiefs. Bilateral asymmetry in head-shaving was also extended to head and body decoration for certain ceremonial occasions. During the festival for the god
, who is said to have been born half black and half white, theemese paint the right half red in camwood and the left white with chalk. Bilateral hair and body decoration feature prominently in the hair behavior associated with the cult of Eshu, the messenger god.
Furthermore, hairdressing is also associated significantly with some indigenous Yoruba religious courts. Several Yoruba religious cults use hair both during the rites of passage related to the cult and as an indicator of specific cult affiliation by priests and members. For instance, in the Ijebu-Remo area at Shagamu, both Esu priests and female devotees have been observed to wear the following binal variations involving head painting, head shaving, and hairstyling: (1) one half of the head shaved, and the other braided or just cut short and left unbraided — one half may also be colored black with charcoal and the other red with O
Pre, Post Independence Hairstyles, Attire, Shoes Returning As 'old School'
; (2) the entire head shaved with one half colored black and the other red; and (3) a different braided woman’s hairstyle on each half of the head, for example,
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HistoryColonialism and Yoruba Society: Transformations, Challenges, and Resilience This article explores the complex historical interplay between British colonialism and Yoruba society in Nigeria, shedding light on the transformative effects it had on governance, culture, and the economy. It underscores the enduring resilience of Yoruba culture, revealing how the community adeptly navigated the challenges of modernization and globalization while preserving its distinct identity.Black women across the world have always used protective hairstyles to keep their natural hair free from damage and express style, status, or self-identity. Protective hairstyles range from weaves and wigs to box braids and cornrows, which come in many different styles native to specific regions.
Now, the cornrow hairstyle goes back many generations in Africa, where this style essentially acted as a social security number for the women in their respective villages/cities. For the purposes of today’s discussion, we will focus on the cornrow styles, or
Before we dive into the multitude of cornrow hairstyles and their meanings, let’s take a quick look at the definition of a cornrow and a brief history.
Hairstyles In African Culture
According to Mike Awake in his article “What Cornrows Mean, ” he defines cornrows as an “endlessly malleable African braiding technique that survived the Middle Passage . . . coined for its resemblance to a field of indigenous American crops.” In ancient Africa and even today in many villages, certain cornrow styles were used as a form of identification and held various meanings. Women would often adorn their hair with beads or cowrie shells to display their wealth and express their femininity. The process of “hair-making” was so detailed and controlled that even the types of combs, such as the
, the physical head; so naturally, the process of hairstyling was very sacred (it is even associated with the traditional Yorùbá goddess, known as Ọ̀ṣun). The hairdresser, the
ú hairstyle is a style with either short or long knots with braids that run from the forehead, sides, and back of the head to the middle of the head and form a crown on the middle of the head.
Contemporary Hair Plaiting Among Men In The Twentieth And Twenty First...
Style signified motherhood in both life and death and was often worn by middle-aged women with children. It was made by combining the
Hairstyle is formed with cornrows that start from the front and back of the head and meet in the center to form a crown, which forms an opening similar to that of a mouth.
Hairstyle is made to imitate a cockscomb. It translates to “piled up” and represents either a married woman or a priestess belonging to a cult of a
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