Weaving Bonds for Security

          Textiles which originate from Morocco are some of the most dazzling and Impressive of Africa due to the vibrant colours, many textures, the rhythmic variations in design patterns, and the power which comes with them. Originally meant for almost purely utilitarian purposes, as furnishing for the family house or tent, and personal clothing, the art of textile weaving has grown in such a fashion that it is now considered to be the most distinct of the Islamic and African textiles (Jereb 1996, 43-44). The elaborate nature of the textiles acts as an indicator of social status, lineage, wealth, and the religious background of the weaver (Jereb 1996, 44). They are a story of the weaver, tell the life of her tribe, displayed on her clothing and walls of her house, by the symbols of power history, and position which developed over long periods of time. The creation and display of textiles is an incredibly symbolic activity, surrounded in spiritual and personal power.

The materials needed for textile making considered incredibly valuable, and by extension so is the process. Since ancient times, Moroccan tribal weavers have prepared their own dyes from materials they gather themselves, such as local vegetable and mineral sources (Jereb 1996, 48). Dyes include red from madder root, black from pomegranate skins, saffron or almond leaves make yellow, indigo produces greens and blues, and tea and henna makes redy-brown earth tones (Jereb 1996, 47). The yarn itself is usually sheep`s wool, predominant in Moroccan textile weaving, however small amount of goats hair, silk, cotton and rayon are added (Jereb 1996, 52). The wool and cotton are most often used for the weaving, while the super fine silk and rayon are used for brocading and embroidering (Jereb 1996, 52). During the meditative process of yarn and fabric making/dyeing, the women keep a constant and regular awareness of the spiritual world to ensure the spiritual purity of the material is free from evil (Jereb 1996, 45). This is especially true during the weaving process as that is the time when, once the yarn is ready and considered lucky, evil can be woven between the threads of the textiles (Jereb 1996, 45). If the women maintain this state, they can be assured that the materials for textile making will be of the finest material and spiritual quality.

This is a hand forged iron and wood rug weaving
tool that can be found on Etsy.com for sale 

The tools of the weaver are as significant as the materials. “The loom itself remains the ultimate symbol of magical protection: it is looked upon as a living thing and treated as such, and it is thought to possess baraka.” Their hooks and utensils needed for weaving, which are made out of wood, will have talismans carved into them to protect the textile and the weaver from evil (Jereb 1996, 45). If the weaver has paid careful attention to the number and combination of threads necessary to produce a design, the finished product will not only be beautiful but be a spiritual net or shield to protect the owners/wearers from misfortune, specifically the evil eye and djoun (Jereb 1996, 45). The power of the loom, talismans of the tools, and mind set of the weaver will permeate the fabric, making the very fibre of the rub, shawl, blanket, or tunic radiate positive energy.

All symbols carry baraka, a Berber word referring to beneficial psychic power, which are intertwined with the old traditional customs, rituals and beliefs of their culture (Jereb 1996, 45). The use of crosses, linear sequences and the eight-pointed Berber star throughout Morocco are, “used as textile motifs, tattoos and crosses are believed to have the power first to draw and then disperse or dissipate evil in the six directions of the Berber universe – north, south, east, west, above and below” (Jereb 1996, 47). This is similar in the application of embroidery, where many motifs and designs were originally derived from both henna designs and indigo tattooing (Jereb 1996, 54). The styles of embroidery and weaving have undergone similar, if not the same, changes one would expect in the artistic vocabulary with relation to patterns, styles and colours (Jereb 1996, 54). Historically certain patterns incorporated motifs and designs into the embroidery and weavings as ways of preserving the motifs and designs forbidden by the Arabs (Jereb 1996, 54). This is an additional layer of spiritual energy which the weaver will incorporate into her work. The combination of spiritually pure materials, tools, and talismanic designs act as a shield for bad luck and evil.

The symbolic power and prestige of textile production in the Moroccan, and particularly Berber, social world is rich in not only iconographic material, but in spiritual energy as well. The position women hold in society is higher than I had personally originally thought because of the importance their knowledge and skills of textile production has in protecting the people who use their fabrics. If it was not for the women, who pass down the knowledge and skills of textile weaving to their daughters, evil and bad luck would follow the Moroccan and Berber tribes. Therefore, to a certain extent, the women are the ones keeping the people safe.