Wayúu 6 Hammock

€1.564,50 EUR

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The Wayúu6 hammock: A sample of tradition and thought

Wayúu hammocks are distinguished by their magnificent colors and unique patterns, making them the most popular in the world. Wayúu women spend up to six months making a single hammock, ensuring its uniqueness. Each piece is entirely hand-woven, featuring exclusive designs and intricate weaving techniques. For the Wayúu, inhabitants of the La Guajira desert, weaving is of capital importance, being a tradition inherited from their ancestors. It is a way for them to share their vision of the world and their understanding of their environment. The patterns on the hammocks can symbolize elements of nature, animals or representations of their community.

Origin of Wayúu weaving: The Wayuu legend

In the vast expanses of the Guajira desert, an ancestral Wayúu legend tells the story of Irunuu, a young hunter from this community. One day, during his wanderings, he discovered an abandoned orphan girl, left to her own devices. Filled with pity, he took her home, hoping that her sisters would welcome her and teach her traditionally feminine tasks. However, the sisters, quick to reject, categorically refused to take care of her, thus leaving her in Irunuu's care.

When he had to be absent for his obligations, the young girl was cruelly mistreated by her sisters. But one night, while alone, she transformed into a beautiful young woman and began to weave vibrantly colored hammocks from the threads she pulled from her own mouth. When the sisters discovered these masterpieces, they claimed to have made them themselves. But Irunuu, awakened to the true nature of the young girl, punishes his sisters by transforming them into bats.

Irunuu, in love with the beautiful stranger, tried to hold her back, but when he took her in his arms, a fragment of a spider's web remained in his hand. The young girl then transformed into a spider and disappeared into the branches of a tree. Deeply affected by his disappearance, Irunuu decided to preserve his fabrics and store them carefully, so that future generations of the Wayúu could perpetuate the art of weaving. Thus began the spread of this artistic expression throughout the peninsula, thus perpetuating the memory of the beautiful stranger who had transformed Irunuu's life forever.

How do the Wayúu weave?

There are two main methods of making: crochet and looms.

The crochet technique was introduced to Colombia by Spanish monks after the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus. It is used for smaller pieces, with the use of a single wire. For example, it can take around 20 days to make a bag. However, due to the increasing demand for these items, two-thread bags have recently been developed to speed up the manufacturing process.

For larger pieces like hammocks, Wayúu weavers use a rudimentary loom called Anütpala. This craft is made up of two forked trunks (añiruwi) driven vertically into the ground. These trunks then support two horizontal pieces which serve as crosspieces to extend the chain.

The effects of rocking a hammock on sleep and memory

Researchers from UNIGE, HUG and UNIL have unveiled an interesting study on the power of rocking. The slow, steady movement of the hammock alters brain waves, inducing deeper sleep and strengthening memory. This is one of the unsuspected benefits of swinging, which could transform the vision we have of the hammock which would only be an object of relaxation linked to vacation. Discover all the details of this study here: The benefits of the hammock against insomnia and mood disorders.

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