These days, Juju hats are gaining popularity as beautiful wall decorations. Many individuals adore Juju hats because of their unusual shape and the intriguing materials used in their construction.
Juju hats aren't only for hanging on the wall to decorate or brighten up a space; there's a fascinating backstory behind them. They are a Cameroonian headgear that symbolizes royalty and leadership, these hats take days to make by hand and are made of woven grass and feathers.
Here are Five Interesting Facts to Know about JuJu Hats
The Country of Origin for Juju Hats is Cameroon.
The Bamileke, a Grass fields tribe from Cameroon in West Africa and Cameroon's major ethnic group, make Juju hats. For hundreds of years, the Bamileke people have worn Juju hats as a part of their traditional attire and are highly significant in their culture.
Different Traditional Names are Used for a JuJu Hat
In Cameroon, Juju hats are sometimes known as Bamileke hats or Tyn hats. The term "juju" is a French word that means "toy." It's used to describe the spiritual beliefs of numerous West African cultures, such as the Bamileke. Juju is mostly associated with magic-imbued objects like amulets and other jewelry, as well as spells.
Viewed as a Symbol of Royalty
The practice of Juju is a West African belief system that utilizes both objects and incantations. During traditional Bamileke ceremonies, chiefs, royalty, and royal dancers wear Juju hats as part of their attire. The person wearing a Juju hat will frequently also wear it with a traditional Elephant Mask to identify their position's wealth and power. Only a king may don an elephant mask.
The Bamileke people of Cameroon, for example, believe that a Juju hat is passed down from one generation to the next symbolically because when an elder Bamileke dies, his or her Juju hat is given to the next family member.
JuJu Hats are Still Sold to This Day
Juju hats are readily available to this day in certain parts of Cameroon. Like anything else, you get what you pay for as each artist can craft these differently with either expensive or cheap raw materials. We have seen some Juju hats that are pristine, white and full of feathers and exact same designs that look dingy, colors are off and just not appealing. So do your research prior to buying.
100% Made by Hand
The process of creating a Juju hat demands a significant amount of expertise and talent, and the majority of these hats take weeks to complete by hand. The grass-based Juju headwear is held together with woven strands that are hand stitched together.
The construction of Juju hats is seasonal and typically made during the warmer months of the year to avoid any rain or water damage to the hats. Feathers used are typically harvested from domesticated chickens or alternative wild birds. Majority of Juju hats used today come from domesticated chickens.
With a drawstring, the Juju hats may be opened or shut to preserve the feathers inside and make storing them easier.
5 Must Know Facts of JuJu Hats