The Culture And Spirituality Of Tribal Bangles
The Culture And Spirituality Of Tribal Bangles
Tribal jewelry is representative of a history of cultures with deep spiritual and social significance. Such significance can be seen throughout all tribal jewelry regardless of which part of the world it hails from. It is as old as the ancient civilizations of Africa and as modern as the newest fashion trends of Europe.
African Roots
In ancient Africa, bracelets were worn to accentuate a dancer's arm movements during tribal celebrations and spiritual gatherings. They were worn to honor and please the gods. Ancient hunters believed that wearing arm bangles would give them strength and favor from the gods during the hunt. Those of great wealth wore a lot of jewelry and large bangles. Bracelets and bangles revealed their social status, their family, and their tribe. The affects of ancient African beliefs can be seen throughout modern jewelry.
The Vikings' Contribution
In Ancient Russia, Vikings, among others, used bracelets and bangles to indicate social status and to accentuate beauty. Jewelry was also used in trading with other cultures as a form of money. Tribal jewelry of Vikings was carried to many cultures as they traveled throughout Europe and into the New World.
Celtic Beliefs
In the British Isles, bangles were often used to heighten beauty and denote wealth and status. In certain religions, bangles were used to express a person's spiritual status and place within the organization. Certain materials were believed to harness the healing power of the gods and were made into bracelets to be worn by one who needed healing or by the one performing the healing.
Animal Spirits Honored
Native American tribes used bracelets to bring out a woman's beauty. Hunters in some tribes wore arm bangles made of animal bones along with animal fur to hide themselves from the spirits of the animals they hunted. During celebrations and religious ceremonies bracelets and other jewelry were worn to accentuate the movement of the arms and to produce rhythmic sounds as they called on the gods for favor.
The Middle East
In the Middle East bracelets were worn by dancers to create rhythmic sounds and to emphasize movement. Women were given bracelets for beauty, while men wore bracelets and bangles to disclose their wealth and social status. They were also used for trading purposes.
Tribal jewelry comes, literally, from all over the world. Although the most notable and most reproduced come from Africa and Native American tribes, tribal jewelry also hails from parts of the Middle East, South America, Russia, and the British Isles. While each region and each tribe had its own particular uses for bracelets and other jewelry, they all had some uses in common like spirituality, social status, and beauty.
While many regions still hold to their roots where the use of jewelry is concerned, many more today wear tribal bangles for beauty and fashion. Ancient designs are made into modern works of art to be used and displayed fashionably in many parts of the world. Whether it is worn to accentuate an outfit or to highlight the beauty of the wrist and arm, tribal bangles are a popular fashion accessory today.
In every ancient civilization where jewelry was part of the culture, bracelets were used in spiritual dances to represent and honor gods and to heighten movement. Socially, bracelets were uses, along with other jewelry, to reveal social status at a glance. Today, tribal bracelets are commonly used by the fashion industry to heighten the beauty of a woman's arms and wrists and to accessorize an outfit.
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