 |
WEAVING - THE THREAD OF AMAZIGH* (BERBER) LIFE Ever since the Amazigh (Berber) tribes settled in Morocco (some say they came from Yemen, others say they are originally from what is now Northern Syria) they have lived a nomadic and then semi-nomadic life, tending to flocks of sheep and goats and using their wool and hair for home-use textiles dyed with the plants and roots found in the area. These nomads still live as their ancestors did in tents made of panels of black goat-hair interspersed with brilliantly colored, intricately woven sections displaying ancient symbols used to ward off evil spirits. |
|
Tents These low-lying tents, which sparsely dot the rugged Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco and change location according to the seasons, are erected by the women of the family when they arrive at their campsite. Included in the foundation of the tent is an upright loom which serves the family by supplying not only the material of the tent and the floor but also precious and beautiful textiles for trading in the rural marketplaces. |
 |
 |
Rug Styles and Symbols Moroccan tribal rugs are like no other rugs on the market. The pile rugs, especially those of Rabat - a trade route stopover throughout history - tend toward Persian-style designs with a large central medallion and floral motifs, while the pile rugs of the High Atlas, with their emphasis on shades of yellow and black and traditional symbols, are unlike anything from Rabat. Amazigh textiles, because of the tribes' relative isolation in rural areas, have preserved ancient weaving techniques and mystic symbolism. In this society even the wool itself has special protective powers. The styles range from Naif designs of the Ouad Zemm region, to elegant and intricate embroidery-like weavings of the Zemmour and Beni Ouarain tribes. The Amazigh use their textiles in all areas of their daily lives: for the tents in which they live, as mats under their bedding, as saddle blankets and bags, as cushions for the sitting area of their tents and as wedding shawls and burial shrouds. To view examples please feel free to wander through the Tribal Carpet Souk. |
| * Amazigh is the word that the Berbers use to describe themselves. It means "free people". | |
 |
 |
 |
|
Nose
(represents the crow's beak which is worn strung around a child's neck for protection) |
Lion's
paw
(a symbol of strength;the claws are a symbol of protection) |
Finger
(a protective symbol) |
 |
 |
 |
|
Barley
(fertility symbol) |
Partridge
eyes
(a symbol for beauty and women in general) |
Chessboard
(associated with dizzy spells and celestial experiences, perhaps symbolic of religious trances) |
 |
 |
 |
|
Frog
(associated with fertility and also magical rites) |
Spider
(associated with fertility and also magical rites) |
Seeds
(fertility symbol) |
 |
 |
 |
|
Eye
(a symbol for protection against the evil eye; the cross in the middle deflects evil in four directions) |
Ouarida
(a kind of flower)
(the diamond shape is a symbol of protection against the evil eye) |
Scissors
(a symbol of metalworkers, whose occupation is treated with fearful respect as metal keeps away jnoun) |
 |
 |
 |
|
Sickle
(a symbol of metalworkers, whose occupation is treated with fearful respect as metal keeps away jnoun) |
Snake
and fish skeletons
(the snake represents a holy person and also has many magical and medicinal properties) |
Saw
(a symbol of metalworkers, whose occupation is treated with fearful respect as metal keeps away jnoun) |
 |
 |
|
|
Bird
(positive motif which carries baraka) |
Amulet
|
