Brief History Of The Bead From 1700 To The 1930's

The word “bead” originates from the Middle English word “bede,” meaning prayer. (Trade Beads, 1) To most people today, beads are usually just seen as just an accessory. Many are not aware of the history that beads and the beading industry carry. In the Native culture, beads were and still are seen as very important. To the Aboriginal Peoples from 1700 to the 1930s, beads were significant because they were used for trade, they were used as decoration, and they had a spiritual/religious significance. History of the bead dates back 40 000 years and they have been made by every culture since then. (The History of Beads) In a firsthand encounter Mr. George C. Ricketts suggested to Mrs. Rivett-Carnac that a variety of ancient beads had possible
Religious beads could be split into two classes: those in which the shape and colour of the bead has some significance and those used as talismans. (Mrs. JH, 8) There was significance in the belief of the Evil Eye and it was believed that certain stones were connected with certain plants, gods, etc. (ibid) The idea is that if a child or person wears a conspicuous ornament, the eye of an unlucky person is likely to fall on that first. (ibid) Therefore, beads worn by children are always suspected to be worn with that motive. (ibid) The bead worn should at least be in the colour approximate to that of the stone sacred to the god, planet, etc, whose evil influence the wearer was hoping to avert. (ibid) For example, Saturn was associated with Sapphire which was associated with the colour blue and the Moon was associated with Diamond which was associated with the colour yellow and so on. (ibid) The evil eye had two counter currents: ne of dread of an active maleficent influence and the other was the fear that perfection brings with it ill luck. (ibid, 9) It was mentioned by Mrs. Rivett-Carnac that no native scribe would ever send in a piece of writing without a blot or deliberate imperfection introduced somewhere, as if the writing were perfect, bad luck would follow. (ibid) The same idea was echoed with embroidery and ornaments as some fault was purposely introduced to ward off bad luck. (ibid) Blue was the chief colour antidote to the evil eye and anything from the sea was seen as sacred and pure. (ibid) Blue being a sacred colour accounts for the high value on Lapis Lazuli. (ibid) White beads made from the bones of flying fox were also worn and their efficiency against rheumatism and aches and pains of joints was firmly believed in. (ibid, 10) At the beginning of the European trade, glass beads were not desired by Natives for their monetary or exchange value, but