The art of weaving for the wayuu people 'Wayuu bag"

Mochilas are the ultimate expression of Wayuu. They are easily recognizable by their colors and designs. The mochilas are made in crochet a technique introduced by Catholic missionaries, the elaboration of each piece can take 30 days. 

Women Handbag, Wayuu bag sol star crystal, cristales collection 

 

 

 

Women Handbag, Wayuu bag Granate crystal, cristales collection 

 Wayuu Mochilas are made with wild cotton and other natural fibers typical of the region. The Wayuu twist strips of goat's wool or beef to form threads, ropes, and cords. They use the cones or gauzes made of cotton thread.

Thread for weaving the Wayuu bag, Wayuu mochila.

Thread cones for weaving the Wayuu bag

Weaving for the Wayuu people is more than a cultural practice and a heritage from their ancestors, it is a way of conceiving and expressing life as they feel and desire it. When a Wayuu woman weaves a mochila, she weaves her dreams, intertwining her life in each point expressing her deepest thoughts. ⠀

 

Yajaira, Knitting a Wayuu bag, Wayuu mochila

 

In the past, this was only a job for the woman since the man's main function was to shepherd and fish. Nowadays, in some communities, men have also started to work on the elaboration of the mochilas.  Silvia Ardila Love by Grace has several male artisans, one of them is Joel who along with his wife Celia is part of this dream.

Joel one of our male artisans

 

But how the Wayuu woman learned to weave?  For the Wayuu people, it was the spider or Wale' Kerü who taught the Wayuu woman how to weave. Wale' Kerü is a weaving spider who used to make girdles and hammocks when the sun came up, and she always made her drawings before spring. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

Spider weave

Wayúu asked him how he made them, so the spider started telling them. They say Wale' Kerü first taught a woman. That woman then told how the spider would teach them how to weave if they gave her a donkey or a goat, and then the Wayúus gave her their clothes and necklaces. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The story also says that Wale' Kerü fell in love with a Wayúu, ran away with him and when he took her to his family, the Wayúu's mother told him: "Take this material so you can make girdles" and Wale' Kerü ate all the cotton and from his mouth started to come out the thread already twisted and ready to be woven.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Wale' Kerü taught the girls who stayed in the compound, asked them to pay attention, not to look sideways, not to be distracted, because he could not be teaching all the time.

 

 

Part of our dream is to help the communities we work with to preserve the heritage of weaving and to pass it on from generation to generation, and we are doing this through the demand for the mochilas in our communities.

 Today the Wayuu Mochila is part of the heritage of Colombia and is known throughout the world. Characters form the world of entertainment wear Wayuu bags, with their different outfits. Kourtney Kardashian, Alessandria Ambrosio, Beyonce, Shakira, Katie Perry, Myles Cyrus, Sofia Vergara, Martha Stewart, and Princess Beatriz of the Royal family of England are some of them.

Kourtney Kardashian in Florida

 

Katie Perry in Coachella 

 

 

 

We continue to offer our women's bags that you can wear crossed, on one shoulder or hand. Crystal and femininity collections along with Makisias are supporting the project of carrying energy through solar panels to the community around Maicao.