Historically, many pendants have been used as amulets – protective charms that bring luck and deter dark forces. They were a part of apotropaic magic which served to protect its practitioner from any negativity. Such pieces were more than decorative objects; each pendant represented a belief encompassed in a symbol. Even today, custom pendants often serve a protective purpose and may have a strong ethnical vibe as a bonus. Let’s take a small trip through different cultures and see what kind of pendants they use as amulets.
African Protective Pendants: Nyami-Nyami and the Symbolism of the Snake-Fish God
In African countries, protective pendants are deeply associated with local folklore. In Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, Botswana, and Zambia people revere Nyami-Nyami – a god of the Zambezi River. He is depicted in the shape of a snake with the head of a fish and has a wife, Kitapo. However, according to the elders, the two lovers have been separated since the construction of the dam. Be that as it may, the snake-shaped pendant is still widely used in many African countries as a lucky symbol.
Slavic Pagan Amulets: Sacred Geometry, Cross Symbols, and the Tree of Life
Ancient Slavic people practiced Pagan beliefs, thus, their protective charms embraced the power of nature itself. Amulets with their sacred geometry motifs feature different types of swastika, the most common being kolowrot, dukhobor, koliadnik, and ladinets. Furthermore, there were several cross symbols, each one representing a specific deity: 8-pointed cross – Dazhbog, 6-pointed – Svarog, and a 4-pointed one in a circle – Diia. Today, many custom pendants inspired by Pagan traditions feature a Tree of Life and serve as a powerful reminder of people’s roots.
Native American Amulets: Carved Faces, Medicine Bags, and Symbols of Bravery
Native Americans, especially Iroquois, used amulets from carved human faces, as well as some bird-shaped imagery. The material for their pendants ranged from bear teeth to stone and wood. Some fancier variations found by archeologists even feature pearls. Another quite common protective Native American amulet is a medicine bag – a leather pouch stuffed with stones, feathers, dry plants and worn around one’s neck as a pendant. However, this type of jewelry was deeply symbolic and had to be worn under one’s clothes. The contents of the bag were sacred and could be opened only by the owner. Today, such a secret leather piece would make a great men’s custom pendant, as it invokes masculinity and bravery.
Chinese Lucky Pendants: Symbols of Fortune and a Role of Stones
The Chinese tend to place more emphasis on lucky pendants than protective ones. Some symbols that bring fortune and can be worn as a pendant are the pan chang knot, a ruyi lock, and a dragon. The “luckiest” stones of all in the Chinese tradition are jade and red agate, but gold is also revered as an auspicious material. Depending on the field of life where one seeks fortune, Chinese masters recommend different types of personalized pendants. For example, a student seeking knowledge may benefit from a brush amulet, while a businessperson can find a dragon turtle a helpful piece. A pumpkin-shaped wulou would be a perfect pendant for someone on their healing path, and a traditional shuangxi character may bring a lot of affection to a romantic couple. If you want to bring just a bit more fortune to your endeavors but feel at a loss when choosing a luck symbol, you may want to consult a professional custom jewelry maker like Olertis.
Hindu Protective Pendants: Durga, Kavacha, and the Power of Mantras
In Hindu religion, people commonly wear pendants with Durga – a goddess with both a gentle and fierce motherly nature who is famous for killing demons. Another type of protective pendant worn by Hindus is called Kavacha, a name that refers to a protective mantra placed inside a silver tube closed at both ends. The outside of the tube is engraved with Sanskrit symbols, while a complete text of the mantra is written on a scroll and placed within this silver container. In the case of a custom-made pendant, you can place a different mantra inside, the one that perfectly suits your spiritual needs.
Australian Aboriginal and Amazonian Shamanic Amulets: Natural Materials, Symbols, and Spiritual Power
Australian Aboriginal tribes mostly use bones, shells, redwood, and bronze for their protective amulets. Some of the most exotic bone varieties feature shark vertebrae, echidna quills, Tasmanian devil teeth, and kangaroo phalanges. However, the protective power of those pieces is believed to come not from the materials themselves but from the coloring, ornamentation, and ceremonies used to charge this jewelry. With this being said, most of the ancient Australian amulets are actually headpieces or necklaces rather than pendants.
Finally, shamans from the Amazon basin value stones with naturally created holes in them as a material for their protective pendants. Apart from stones, their amulets may also feature knots and bones. Today, the most popular custom pendants inspired by the Amazon basin shamanic tradition feature such symbols as chakana, tumi, condor, a spiral, Pachamama, and some others.
While materials, forms, and symbolism of protective pendants differ greatly throughout cultures of the world, one consistent theme is clear: we all seek support in objects charged with spiritual force. Whether you choose a custom moissanite pendant, a secret symbol carved from bone, or an ethnically inspired mythical shape – the way your piece will work depends only on you and your beliefs.
