Histories are not passed on orally or written down in books…They are woven.
Myths of magical creatures and earthly spirits pervade the cultural history of Southeast Asia. The stories are centuries old, and like our textile designs, are not written down. These stories have been interpreted by master weavers and depicted in the intricate patterns they weave of silk or cotton fibers. This knowledge has been passed down from mother to daughter through the centuries.
These textiles have varied uses from everyday household linens to dowries to funerary cloths. Most interestingly, the Shamans, village seers and healers, wear decorated ceremonial shawls and headscarves during their rituals. Some symbols, such as the sacred eye, are said to be ladders to the afterworld which aid the shamans on their journeys to seek council from the ancestors.
