What does the Bible say about waist beads or Anklets?
So many people attach spirituality, witchcraft, diabolism, fetishism to person’s especially ladies that wear waist beads and leg anklets. Go and check African history very well, waist beads and anklets are a part and parcel of our dressing culture especially for our foremothers. Yesterday, I tweeted about waist beads and anklets and why people should stop discriminating ladies that wears them.
Waist beads and anklets are part of the African Culture and they are beautiful. There is absolutely nothing wrong in wearing them. Please let us stop discriminating ladies that wear waist beads or anklets.
— Nigerian Health Blog (@DrUdomoh) December 12, 2020
Someone sent me a private message asking me what the Bible and indeed the Quran days about wearing waist beads.
What does the Bible say about waist beads or anklets?
Wait. What do you expect the Bible to say about African waist beads? Absolutely nothing. Waist beads have been used by African women even before Christ and they have existed for more than 20 centuries and counting. Do you expect the bible or the Quran to condemn use of waist beads and rebuke Christians OR Muslims from wearing them? Some pastors and imams have tried to condemn ladies who who wear waist beads but it is just their opinion…
There are no verses in the Bible or Quran that speaks against wearing of African beads. Even if there is, African waist beads are fashionable and our forebears wore them with a great sense of dignity. There is nothing fetish or demonic about beads. The Bible was written based on Jewish cultural heritage and the views of its writers are personal. No culture is better or superior to the other. As a Christian or Muslim, wearing waist beads is not what will make you not “make heaven” or “paradise”.
The Bible and the Quran got nothing on you if you want to wear beads. Based on our funny mentality, waist beads will become fashionable and sought after by Africans if “oyinbos” start wearing them today. Many Christians and Muslims will gladly embrace them and will immediately stop the discrimination against ladies that wears beads and anklets. Nobody will ask what the Bible says about wearing waist beads or anklets again. It is in our minds. When are we going to stop this our subtle inferiority complex? The Binis, yorubas, Igbos, Etsakos, Fulanis, Kanuris, Egyptians, Indians, Hausas, Zulus, different tribes South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ghana have been wearing waist beads, nose rings, tattoos, and anklets since the time of humanity. They adorn them for the beauty and many more.
To cap it up, I spoke with a female professor of Botany in the University of Benin invents the annoying public perceptions about waist beads. According to her, she wears waist beads and anklets (could see her leg anklets) and she encouraged women or men who like them to proudly put them on because they are not only a fashion statement, they represent our African ancestry and heritage.
In her words:
“I don’t care what the Quran or the Bible says or thinks about women that wears waist beads. Forget about the public perceptions about ileke idi. Christains and Muslims should keep to themselves their perception about waist beads. Waist beads have been a part of African culture since the 15th centuries. They are worn as a symbolic expression for: womanhood, femininity, fertility, spirituality, protection, seduction, confidence, sexuality, intimacy, status, wealth, celebration and so much more! While some waistbeads have energy crystals the main healing is through women embracing and celebrating themselves no matter the size. Healing starts with self-love. There are so many traditions and reasons waist beads are worn.
Here are the most common:
Adornment– Waist Beads help women embrace and honor their sexuality. They make women feel beautiful and help with a positive body image, self-love and acceptance.
Intimacy- Waistbeads are also worn for seduction and can provoke desire. Wives or women would often lure their husbands or partners with the rattle of beads or use them as a means to communicate their fertility at certain times of the month.
Weight Management- The practice of wearing several waist beads over time will help to keep the waist small and accentuate the hips. They can be a good tool to measure weight gain and loss.
Celebratory Purposes-Throughout several countries in Africa, waist beads have been used to adorn girls in celebration of how they have matured. Traditionally, mothers adorned their daughters with waist beads during their first menstruation as a rise of passage into womanhood.
Waist beads tell the story of our womb. They remind us that our curves and everything within our belly is what makes us women. STOP THE DISCRIMINATION.”
DR UDOMOH
