Henna is a natural plant based dye that is traditionally used to die the skin, hair, clothes and other things. Artistic henna patterns on the skin are something you cannot help but notice when living in Chad (and probably many other African countries). It is something I have found quite intriguing, so although I haven't been brave enough to go and get it done to me yet, I thought I'd put together a bit of info for those of you who might be interested too!
It is common to see Chadian women with the soles of their feet and the tips of their toes and fingers entirely coloured in the black dye. Many Chadian ladies also wear prominent designs on the skin around the feet, ankles, hands and wrists. Traditionally, special designs and patterns are used to mark special occasions such as weddings but nowadays it seems no particular reason is needed. Culturally, African women associate henna art with beauty and it is also supposed to draw extra attention from the male species.
We have also been told about women using hot, melted rubber on their lips and gums to permanently blacken them (à la tattoos), despite the severe swelling and no doubt, excruciating pain. The things women go through in the name of fashion!
Thankfully henna is not so permanent. Sourced from a plant native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, and northern Australasia in semi-arid zones, henna used for staining the skin is powdered by drying, milling and sifting the leaves. It is then mixed with a mildly acidic liquid to form a thin paste which is applied directly to the skin. In order to set the dye after it is applied to the skin, the limb is held over a flame. How long the henna lasts depends on how long it has been heated. (Wikipedia)
 |
| Areas of henna body art practices in the early 20th century - North African Henna: History and Technique, Catherine Cartwright-Jones |
Locally, it seems that hair dye is now commonly used as a common alternative to natural henna. I assume this is simply because nowadays hair dye is easier to access and does a similar job. Our friend here in N'Djamena learnt first hand that the hair dye factor means you should to do the usual hair dye skin reaction tests beforehand, or you may experience an unpleasant break-out of sorts J. Another friend gave it a go while visiting Hadjer Hadid, a village beyond the Guera in eastern Chad.
Below are some henna designs based on Bible stories. There is an explanation of each (as found at southasianpeoples.imb.org/henna). Henna designs can be a great source of interest, provoking conversation and curious questions. As a result, you can see how henna can actually be used as an effective tool for teaching Bible stories in the community.
No idea whether these designs are prevalent in Chad, however they’re an interesting example of how traditional customs can be used to build the Lord’s kingdom.
On the palm of a hand is a fruit surrounded by a vine. On each side of that vine is a heart. One heart represents God and the other heart represents man. When the man and woman sinned, they were separated from God. The vine and the fruit are a symbol of that separation.
In this drawing there are four shapes in the middle of the hand that tell the story. These four shapes are distinct. In one is a fruit. This is a reminder that Cain worked the soil. In the next shape is a peacock. This is a reminder that Abel took care of the animals. In the next shape are small leaves. This is a reminder of Cain bringing only his fruit as an offering. And the next shape you see a more decorative beautiful flower, this is a reminder that Abel gave the best of his animals to God.
The rainbow is a reminder of God’s promise to not flood the earth again. The peacock is a reminder of the dove that Noah sent out looking for land. Just below the peacock’s beak is a branch. This is a reminder of the olive branch that the peacock brought back to Noah after the flood.
In the fingers there are numerous stars. This is a reminder of God saying to Abraham, “Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky.” There is a rainbow in the hand; this represents God’s promise to Abraham and the fulfillment of his promise when his son was born.
In the middle of the drawing, there is a burning bush. This bush has 10 flames around it symbolizing the 10 plagues God sent on the land. Above that bush is a rainbow; this is a reminder of God’s promise to bring the people out of slavery.
The rainbow in the hand represents God’s promise to all mankind that One would come to take on all of our wrongs. The sun is a reminder that after the Promised Saviour died He would come to life again, seeing “the light of day.” The sun is also a reminder that the Saviour is a “light to the nations.” The rainbow is at the bottom of the design and everything on top of it symbolizes the Promised Saviour carrying our burdens.
There is a star at the top of one finger that is a reminder of God putting a star in the sky to lead men to the place of Jesus’ birth. The sun at the bottom of the drawing is a reminder of Simeon calling Jesus a “light to the nations.”
On the wrist there is a square design; this is a reminder of the mat that the paralyzed man was brought to Jesus on. Under the mat design there are footprints that are a reminder that after Jesus healed the man he got up, took his mat and walked.
On the bottom side of the hand there is a small pile of rocks. That is a reminder of how the man would cut himself with stones. Then you see two lines. One line does not have a break in it and the other does have a break in it. The one with the break is a reminder of the condition the man was in before he met Jesus. He had a problem no one could control or fix. These spirits bound him. But after he met Jesus he was set free; Jesus set him free from the evil spirits. The cross is a reminder of this. Then you will see a mango design through the fingers. There are ten of them that are a reminder of the ten towns the man went to, to tell his story.
In the shape in the middle of the drawing there is a flower. This flower represents the woman. Below the flower there is a stem with twelve thorns. The twelve thorns represent the twelve years the woman was sick. Above the flower is a cross. The cross is a reminder of Jesus. The flower is touching the edge of the cross and that is a reminder of the part of the story where the woman touches the edge of Jesus’ clothes.
There are two fish in the drawing. Those are a reminder of the fish Jesus multiplied to feed the people. There are also five flowers as a reminder of the five loaves of bread Jesus multiplied to feed the people.
There are two “roads” that both start on the left side of the hand. One way is narrower than the other. The way that is narrow has a flower at the end of it, and the other road leads down to the bottom right side of the hand. This way is wider than the other. The flower at the end of the narrow way depicts life.
In the middle of the hand there is a shape, which has two important symbols to remember this story. The first one is in the shape of a cross. This is a reminder of the death of Jesus. Above it is a flower. This flower is a reminder that Jesus came to life after three days.
The apple at the bottom of the hand is the fruit Adam and Eve ate in the garden. The rainbow represents promise. The first promise in the story is the promise God made to Noah and to all people after to never destroy the earth with a flood again. It also represents the promise God made to Abraham and the promise to all people for a Saviour. The flame in the drawing is a reminder of the Saviour being called “a light to all nations.” The star is a reminder of the birth of Jesus. The cross is a reminder of the death of Jesus. The flower represents life. Jesus came to life after three days!
Henna is also used to colour hair (with a reddish tinge) and is also known for it’s good conditioning properties. A few of the girls at SIL have experimented with the genuine product. It is like you cake thick red/brown mud all over your head, wrap it up in plastic and then you wait. Like with flaming henna patterns on your skin, the longer you wait, the darker the colour and longer lasting the effect.
