Everything about the African culture is something to be proud of, from the beautiful attires to the different traditional dishes, art, hairstyles, traditional dance steps, among other things.Â
Before the age of box braids, locs, bone straight wigs, and the likes, our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers were fashionistas during their time.Â
They also rocked beautiful traditional hairstyles with significant meanings. Here are a few of the hairstyles and their meaning.Â
Shuku
This has to be one of the most popular hairstyles these days. Back in the days, shuku was reserved only for wives of royalty. The hairstyle involves braiding the hair all to the middle of one’s head to form a volcano. In simple terms, shuku is a braided high ponytail.
Shuku comes in variants, shuku onididi (inverted braids), shuku ologede (banana-shaped braids), and more depending on how you want it.
Ogun Pari
Ogun Pari literarily means ‘end of the war’. The hairstyle was created to commemorate the end of the Nigerian Civil War.
The natural hair is divided into large sections and plastic plaiting thread is used to make long, thin braids. The braids are then bent into large arches, connecting the thin tops to the bottom of adjacent braids.
Abeti Aja
Abeti Aja is a traditional Yoruba hairstyle that translates to ‘like dog ears’ in literal terms. For this hairstyle, the hair is braided to form two dog ears, more or so a double shuku. The hair will then fall on both sides of the head, over the ears.Â
Ere
The Ere hairstyle identifies worshipers of the deity Esu. Esu is believed to protect travelers and have powers over fortunes and misfortunes.
The style involves a single, long growth of hair at the front or center of the head. The single-strand resembles a pigtail, which has religious significance to those worshipping Esu.
Idari Apakan
This male hairstyle identifies members of the Aragberi clan. They are noted for ancient knowledge of magic and herbs. It also identifies members of the Mesa royal family of the old Oyo.
Dada
The Dada hairstyle depicts an individual’s spirituality. Some Yoruba believe that natural, dense hair has religious significance, so the hair is often left to grow into dreadlocks from a young age. This hairstyle is associated with the deity Olokun. Parents believe that if they cut their children’s hair, it may cause sickness or death.Â
In recent times, this hairstyle has been taken to a whole new level. People now loc their hair to look like a real dread or make use of temporary faux locs sold in markets now. Â
Ilari Osanyin
Some Yoruba believe that when a child dies before the age of 12, the spirit is reborn into their family. These abiku children have hair shaved on either side every two weeks.
This ritual honors the deity Osanyin, the god of medicine. Court messengers also wear this hairstyle.
KorobaÂ
Koroba is a very unique Nigerian hairstyle. The hairstyle is often called a basket because it looks like a basket faced down. It is also called an inverted shuku sometimes because it is the reverse of the shuku hairstyle. The hair is braided downwards from the middle on all sides, forming a basket shape.
Eko Bridge
Eko Bridge is a traditional hairstyle that mimics the actual Eko Bridge (Lagos Bridge). The hairstyle is achieved by dividing the hair down the middle into various sections. Each section of hair is wrapped in black rubber thread and twisted to form a bridge on the head. This hairstyle is common amongst the natives and school girls.
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