belief in cowrie shells as amulets moved them from
a unique-shelled animal from the tropical ocean
water to be sacred and spiritual icons for genera-
tions of descendants of black people to come.
West African CurrencyOn the west coast of Africa, approximately start-
ing in the 14th century, several nations used
cowrie shell currency as a means to acquire
goods just as much as gold. Initially, cowrie
shells were transported from the Maldives,
located in the Indian Ocean, by Arabs.
Europeans took notice and were startled that
West Africans on several occasions accepted
cowrie shells as a means of exchange for goods
over gold. Eventually, the Dutch and English
imported cowrie shells into the gateway of West
Africa by way of the Guinea Coast.
In time, cowrie shells diminished as a mone-
tary means of exchange, but they were spiritually
elevated, made sacred by myths, and adorned
traditional West African people’s masks and
sculptures.
Traditional West African art in general empha-
sized the human figure as the primary subject,
with visual presentation in an abstract form to
represent an image, rather than creating a natural
likeness. Art became important in a ceremonial
context, and artistic creation can reflect a multi-
plicity of meanings to various members in the
social network.
When the African artists place cowrie shells on
their creations (mask, sculpture, clothing, etc.),
the artwork can cause an inspired believer of
African descent to transcend emotionally and spir-
itually, especially if presented in a ritual and cere-
monial context. There are references in the deep
collective unconscious of Africans caused by thou-
sands of years of attraction to and reverence for
cowrie shells.
Some examples are the magnificently adorned
cowrie shell Helmet Mask Mukyeem and Face
MaskNgaady A Mwaashfrom Kuba, Democratic
Republic of Congo; Helmet Masks from
Cameroon; the splendidly saturated cowrie shells
Image of Twins—Ibeji wood sculpture from
Yoruba Nigeria; nicely placed cowrie shells on an
exquisite Dogon walking stick; fully covered nat-
ural gourd shekeres from Nigeria; and a Priestess
crown for Dada Bayonni (gentle ruler and sister
of Shango) in Maceio, Brazil. These functional
pieces of artwork were created by Africans.The Diaspora and Divination
Also, cowrie shells adorned and spiritualized the
hand-made garments and jewelry of the tradi-
tional African religions in the diaspora. For
example, Chief Priestesses of Yemaya in Brazil
and Cuba embed cowrie shells on elegant white
and ocean blue garments and majestic crowns. In
addition, they adorn themselves with several
long cowrie shell necklaces, as well as cowrie
shell earrings, bracelets, and rings, during sacred
and ceremonial times.
Likewise, the Chief Priests of Shango in Brazil and
Cuba placed cowrie shells on white and fire red ele-
gant garments and majestic crowns. They also adorn
themselves with long cowrie necklaces, bracelets,
and rings during sacred and ceremonial events.
Divination is one of the inner circles of African
descendants’ cosmology and epistemology. For a
substantial amount of traditional people of
African descent, participators and believers in the
diaspora, there is no partition or disconnection
from the omnipotent force (its names and con-
cepts are many, but it is one), higher souls (pow-
erful intermediaries), and those who made their
transitions from this realm of existence (ancestors)
into another. They believe that the love of the
omnipotent force and powerful spirits can change
conditions and events for the better with human
belief and effort.
A divination oracle reading with cowrie shells
is a ritual that worshippers in the faith believe
can move the veils between the spirit and human
world to semitransparency and open windows
and doors for positive changes. People of African
ancestry who are devotees of their traditional reli-
gions believe that cowrie shells act as a catalyst to
facilitate personal communication with powerful
spirits in their traditional religions.
Divination is a dynamic and complex procedure
based on the up and down positions and patterns of
the cowrie shells after they are shaken up and
dropped on the ground. The positions and patterns
of the dropped cowrie shells to the ground speak a
coded language that priests or priestesses can interpret
with insight and wisdom to counsel, encourage, orCowrie Shells 183