Revealed: Real Reasons Why Nigerian Women Wear Waist Beads..

Beads are usually small round pieces of pierced glass, wood or
metal strung together to serve as adornment for the waist, neck
or ankle beads. Waist Beads are common with females and they
are an excellent tool for women to feel more feminine and
beautiful. These beautiful gemstone waist beads are hand made
and customized. The tradition of wearing beads is an age long
one, from time immemorial; it has been worn for varying reasons
by the royalty, for body adornment, deification and decoration.
The wearing of beads on the waist was made popular by the
Yorubas in Nigeria. Overtime the culture of the use of beads has
been associated with both spiritual and material reasons. In some
parts of Africa, the beads are anointed in oils and the woman
stands over a smoked pot and commences to ‘smoke her self’.
This practice aids in sensory pleasure for
the man. Some beads are adorned with bells, which is a signal to
let the man know that the woman wants to engage in se.xual
intercourse. The Yorubas have a revered usage attached to the
waist beads. It is also worn as a form of birth control, as a way
of preventing obesity or also for their ‘healing’ and therapeutic
powers.
They refer to the waist bead as ILEKE or LAGIDIGBA is made of
palm nut shells string together, while the ‘bebe’ which is also
worn around the waist is made of glass.
The Yorubas have a belief that the waist beads possess some
erotic appeal and have the power to incite desire or deep
emotional response on men. Waist Beads in Yoruba are also used
for birth control, the beads are laced with charms and worn by
the women to prevent conception and were also around the
waist of baby girls to perfectly shape her buttocks.
Gone are the days when beads have been thought to be worn
by ‘UNSOPHISTICATED’, forward or slutty women alone, also
different stories abound on the usage of waist beads by ladies
and some men who believe they are infused or laced with charms
or Juju or Juju will never touch a woman wearing beads with a 10
foot pole for the fear of falling under the supposed spell of such
women.
For a while, waist beads almost went into extinction but now the
re emergence of beads has added a new dimension into the craze
among Nigerian Ladies. While some men ablor it, some request
their partners get them as it makes them more sensual and
attractive.