What does cowries represent in Igbo land?

What does cowries represent in Igbo land?

Spiritual meaning. In African legend, a love of cowrie shells shows that you could be family to an ocean spirit of wealth and earth. It also represents the Goddess of protection in the ocean. In Africa, and in the Americas, the cowrie symbolized destiny and prosperity.

What do cowrie shells symbolize in Nigeria?

Also, the headquarters of The West African Central Bank in Benin is heavily decorated in cowries. Til today the white shells are a symbol of wealth. We love it when Africans stand by their roots. Throughout Africa and the Americas, the cowrie symbolized the power of destiny and prosperity.

When were cowrie shells used?

Cowrie shells were traded for goods and services throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, and used as money as early as the 14th century on Africa’s western coast.

What do sea shells represent?

Seashells also provide relief from stress and offer a protective shield. Shells are also a symbol of good communication, positive and healthy relationships and prosperity.

Are cowrie shells African?

Cowrie shells tend to send unmistakable vibes of Black culture—and for good reason. The small shells have a long and intriguing history in Africa and for the Black community in general. In traditional African culture, the small humped, ovate shells hold significant spiritual and even monetary value.

What is the purpose of seashells?

seashell, hard exoskeleton of marine mollusks such as snails, bivalves, and chitons that serves to protect and support their bodies. It is composed largely of calcium carbonate secreted by the mantle, a skinlike tissue in the mollusk’s body wall.

Is it bad luck to keep shells in your house?

Lifeless Decor Whether it’s vase of shriveled cut flowers, a taxidermied moose head, or even a seashell, dead things in the home can bring you bad luck—or so they say!

How were cowries used in Africa?

They also represented power in trade. Europeans in the 16th century were able to use cowries to enter the valuable African trade markets, where they used shells to buy goods, including people. In America, cowries appear in spirit bundles, as parts of jewelry, and on clothing, hinting at their use as amulets.

What were cowrie shells used for in ancient Africa?

It was a universal form of currency whose relevance weaved into the cultural fibre of Ancient African societies. The durable and light-weight characteristics of the shells made them an ideal trading currency long before the world adopted pounds, dollars, or any other form of paper/coin currency.

What is a cowrie shell used for?

The cowrie shell has many uses and meanings. It has been used as money in many cultures. They are popular for jewelry, and religious accessories all over the world. Found in the Indian Ocean and the Sahara desert. Cowrie shells are especially important in much of ancient Africa.

Who introduced the cowrie shell to Africa?

Caravans of Arab traders were probably the first to introduce the cowrie shell into West Africa, possibly as early as the 8th century. By the 15th century the shells circulated as money, especially in the Empire of Mali. But it is only with the Portuguese, French, British and Dutch that Africa found itself under an avalanche of these shells.

What is the significance of the cowrie?

It also represents the Goddess of protection in the ocean. In Africa, and in the Americas, the cowrie symbolized destiny and prosperity. Also thought of as the mouth of Orisha. Believed to have taught stories of humility and respect.

How are cowries used as a divination tool?

Many communities across western Africa and beyond use these shells as divination tools. The fortune-teller throws or simply drops the cowries onto a typically circular surface, and interprets their positions to tell the future. The number of shells used depends on each diviner and the tradition they come from.