Spiritual Meaning of Dada

What is dada hair called in English? Stylists describe dreadlocks as Rastafarian hairstyle, especially in Jamaica, in which the hair is washed but not combed and twisted while wet into tight braids or ringlets hanging down on all sides. Read the Spiritual meaning of dada guide.

However, critics say it may be untrue that dreadlocks originated in Jamaica because many cultures have worn dreadlocks from birth, even in Africa.

In Nigeria, especially among the Yoruba, “Dada’’ is the name given to someone born with dreadlocks and such a child is believed to be associated with power and magic.

The child with natural dreadlocks is believed to be so powerful to the extent that it is often said in Yoruba language that a “Dada’’ can never go broke and will never want anything.

Also, in some traditional cultures, the belief is that dreadlocks are worn to manifest supernatural powers and help to conjure spirits.

Beyond the Yoruba, “Dada’’ can be found in almost every culture and they are respected with the belief that they possess supernatural power.

In some extreme beliefs among Nigerian families, children born with dreadlocks are regarded as gods and in some instances, they are offered to the shrine.

Shaving of dreadlocks, it is believed, must be accompanied with a special ritual to be performed by a chief priest who will keep the shaved hair as medication in the event of the child’s sickness.

Among the Igbo, children with dreadlocks, called “Elena’’ (Child King), are believed to the reincarnations of deities or great men and women.

Spiritual Meaning of Dada Hair

Dada versus Dreadlocks

I don’t know about anyone else but whenever someone walks into a room I am in and this person has long rope-like strands as hair falling loosely from the person’s head, the first thing I do is ponder upon this person’s sanity. It’s almost like a conditioned response. This may be mainly because I have been exposed to a kind of thinking growing up and this kind of thinking doesn’t favour the appearance of hair in long rope-like form. Mind you this kind of hair that normally appears in this kind of form is normally known as “Dada” to the average Nigerian person. Leave aside whatever designation western civilization has given us. Dada is what we call this kind of hair.

The symbol of Dada

Symbolism is something I encountered in a subject Literature which I was taught in Secondary School. It normally referred to occasions where things didn’t just have surface meaning but when things or symbols represented other things or ideas.

Dada can almost be referred to as an actual depiction of real-life symbolism. And when it comes to Dada, the use of Symbolism is far from commendable. Dada normally means “untidy,” “irresponsible,not completely ly san and sometimes it has spiritual connections too.

At least from all I know and all I have been exposed to growing up in society, that is what is normally laid side by side when there is a consideration regarding a Dada person. So maybe this is why I am so fast to go down this route on the first sight of a Dada Person.

The cultural undertones of “Dada”.

From a cultural perspective, Dada is not just long rope-like matted hair as is seen by eyes. Dada is more than that. At least in two cultures, this is the case. In the Igbo culture (I am Igbo so I am going to start from home), dada has a spiritual connotation. Children born Dada are of spiritual origin—the dark side, and are possessed because their mothers visited shrines made with deities to conceive them. Source: Being a Dada in Igbo Land – Walter Dinjos – Medium

Also in the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, it is made mention in a part of the book that the Osu meaning Outcast (Osu is another part of the culture of Igbos. They refer to a group of people who are considered to belong to “the gods”) do not comb their hair hair. They are also not allowed to put razor in it. It is safe to assume that this set of people were also Dada kind of people. Perhaps it could be because these group of people who supposedly belong to the gods who had Dada hairstyles, that Dada became associated with spirituality and looked upon as ominous in igboland who knows?

In Yoruba culture children born with knotted or curly hair are called “Dada” or “Ekine”. It is from here that we derive the nomenclature “Dada”. They are considered to be gifts from a god “Orisa” and because of their knotted hair likened to cowries they are said to bring wealth to their parents.

Mystery Behind Dada

While the name “Dada” is born out of our own cultural means here in Nigeria, Dreadlocks commonly referred to as “Dreads” is not born from our own cultural means too. With regards to “Dreadlocks” it is acclaimed that it originates from the Rastafarianism that existed among the Black Jamaican population. People who belonged to the Rastafarianism movement identified themselves previously as “Dreads”. They began to wear their in hair long matted style that became referred to as “dreadlocks” and soon the name kind of stuck.

Basically Dada is our African Yoruba-cultural name for matted hair that is long and rope-like and Dreadlocks refer to hair that exists in a matted form whether work short or long. In both cases a similarity exists which is that both designations refer to hair that exists in a matted form. The only significant difference is:

One, where the name came from. And whilst Dada is a Nigerian Yourba name, Dreadlocks is is a foreign name.
Another difference may also exist when one looks deep into the history behind the designations.

Deadlocks over Dada

While in our own side of the world, Dada was being condemned and looked down on, in western civilisation it was beginning to make waves. And when a legendary artist like Bob Marley finally joined the Dreadlocks bandwagon, Dreadlocks finally blew. Then came the others who started wearing this hairstyle: the hippies, Goths, Vegans and even White people.

By the time Dada came back again to Nigeria after gaining much popularity all over in many places, it was no longer Dada. Our ugly, untidy, unkempt Dada hairstyle had suddenly become a trendy, classy, swagged up hairstyle known as “Dreadlocks”. Goodbye Dada welcome Dreadlocks. Dada upgraded to another level. In fact no one calls it Dada again, our Dada is now Dreadlocks. Long matted hair that was normally scorned is now “Dreads” and after a few scrolls on Instagram seeing how Ehis the Dada boy and Uti Nwachukwu are rocking their Dada you are probably thinking about migrating to their fan club soon.

When anyone wears “Dreadlocks” today, our former Dada, no one is Thinking about him as insane or looking at his hair and running because it has a spiritual meaning. They are probably seeing him or her as a very well to do person or even a celebrity because our Dada is now a fashion statement. Not to leave out that for you to be carrying Dreadlocks permanently you are not on anybody’s level because those strands of matted hair on your head cost alot to maintain.

What is Dada Hair Called In English

We all have a spirit inside us. It is our innermost self, and it is the essence of who we are. When we die, our spirit leaves our body and goes on to live in another place. This place is called heaven, or paradise, or paradise on earth (wherever you want it to be).

Our spirits are connected to God’s spirit. We share this connection with every living thing—animals, plants and even rocks and minerals. We also share this connection with each other as well—the people who love you, the people who love your family, the people who love your friends… everyone!

When we get together with other people who believe in God’s spirit and how it connects us all together as one big family of human beings on Earth then we will feel like part of something bigger than ourselves. It makes us feel good inside because it makes us feel loved by God’s love which flows through all living things including ourselves!