Encyclopedia of African Religion

sea, as currency, decoration, adornment, signaling
horns, protective amulets, and tools for spiritual
divination. Cowrie shells, derived from small snail-
like creatures native to the Indian and Pacific
Oceans, became important in the culture and reli-
gion of Africa. In the ethos, belief, and soul of
many African-descended people, cowrie shells
speak a symbolic spiritual language on artifacts,
garments—and about the past, present, and future.
They are also used as tools in spiritual divination
oracle readings. This entry begins with a brief look
at their natural history and then discusses their role
in African religion past and present.

Natural History

Seashells as a food source are rich in protein and

trace mineral nutrients. They are still in abundance

and easy to attain along thousands of miles of

coastline. However, humans’ long encounter with

seashells is infinitesimal compared with their exis-

tence in the ocean. Currently, according to some

scientists, single-shelled life forms have been dis-

covered fossilized dating back to approximately

500 million years, during the Cambrian period.

Primarily located around the areas of coral reef

in the enormous Indian and Pacific Oceans (the

Cowrie Shells 181

Masked performer with antelope headdress (Ciwara, Chiwara). Bamako (national district), Mali.

Source: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives. National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.