Traditionally, our way of life as Africans is very close to nature. Our neighbors are the trees, the bush, and the animals, and as we live alongside them, our worlds sometimes join. We have learned a great deal from our observations and experiences with nature, and the knowledge she has given us remains until this day. Take, for example the spider. Many people do not like spiders, but spiders have given us many important gifts. In fact, it was a spider that gave us the gift of weaving the famous kente cloth! This famous cloth, valued for its beauty and cultural importance, was inspired by the work of a small spider. Legend has it that Ota Karaban, a man from the town of Bonwire, Ghana, sat watching a spider weave its web. Ota became inspired by the beauty of the spider’s work, and he and his friend, Kwaku Ameyaw, decided to mimic the spider. They began the art of weaving, and after mastering the art, they introduced it to their chief, Asantehene (the Ashanti Chief). The Asantehene was so impressed with the woven fabric that he claimed it as a royal cloth.
The kente cloth remained reserved for royalty for some time. Kings and Queens wore the beautiful cloth only to special social and important spiritual and cultural events. Later, kente cloth became more widely produced and was available for those who could afford to purchase it. These days, we find many variations of the kente cloth, but the authentic African handwoven cloth remains sacred and special.
Although kente cloth is one of the most widely known of the African textiles, its symbolic details goes unnoticed and is not known or understood by almost all of those who wear it outside of Africa. In fact, each pattern and design has a name and meaning. There are well over 300 different cloth designs, each with many variations of color. Additionally, the individual colors have symbolic meaning as well
Green: vegetation, planting, harvesting, herbal medicine. Green symbolizes growth, vitality, fertility, abundant health and spiritual rejuvenation.
Red: sacrificial rites and blood. A symbol of spiritual mood, political mood, sacrifice, and struggle.
Yellow: the mineral gold, an egg yoke, ripe fruits and vegetables. It symbolizes preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility, and spirituality.
Pink: the female essence of life. It symbolizes tenderness, kindness, sweetness, and gentleness.
Blue: the sky. A symbol of peace, harmony, and love.
Purple: Earth and healing. A symbol of ritual, healing, and femininity.
White: spiritual neophyte and susceptibility. Symbolizes spiritual purity as innocence.
Black: spiritual maturity. Symbolizes intense spiritual energy, maturity, and potency. Symbols of contact with ancestral spirits, deities, and spiritual events.
Silver: the moon, female essence of life. It symbolizes serenity, purity and joy.
As kente cloths are traditionally very important spiritual and cultural symbols, it is important for those who choose to wear them to have at least a basic understanding of their importance and spiritual meaning. These prestigious cloths must not be taken lightly, and should be treated with honor and respect.
