Silk headscarf "Cannabis"

We were inspired to create this headscarf by a plant known to each Ukrainian since ancient times.

As many as 70 years ago it an was irreplaceable raw material in a lot of industries and was grown in every Ukrainian village. This plant was mentioned in folk songs and proverbs (some of them decorate the kerchief), widely used in festive rituals, for instance, during divination on St Andrew’s day (“Andrew, Andrew, I am sowing the cannabis, I am swaying my skirt, longing to get married”), cannabis was consecrated together with other herbs on the holiday of Makovii, the traditional Christian Honey Feast of the Saviour – it was an integral element, and for good reason, because our ancestors knew so well how to deal with it that even gave medals for hemp cultivation.

There are numerous legends and myths connected with the cannabis – it used to be associated with the world of ancestors, it is believed that the first and the most common function of the weed is protective. It is often featured in legends about mermaids and witches, stating that a witch can’t tolerate burnt weed on Kupala Night. Since ancient times the cannabis has had sexual meaning, so called “shameful” folklore is riddled with metaphors about cannabis.

How did it happen that the plant honored in folklore by our ancestors and widely used in everyday life is now associated with whatever but not the importance it had just 70 years ago. Clothes, yarn, countless medicines, and food – all this comes down to hemp, what’s more, without any harm to environment. And what about buildings made of hemp?

With this headscarf we intended to introduce you one more page of our history, touch this page ourselves and enrich our knowledge about the life of our ancestors.

Moreover, we wanted to draw your attention to widespread stereotypes, which are absorbed without a prior independent study of the content and context, and destroy the myths resulting from the lack of such a study.