Five Yoruba Cap Positions and Their Cultural Significance

Each culture around the world has their traditions and what they're known for, and when it comes to my own tribe, the Yoruba people, we've got numerous traditions that make us stand out and noticeable to others. Amongst our traditions in the Yoruba land is the wearing of a cap, which is known as "fila" in our language. While it's understood that almost every part of the world wears a cap, what you might not know is that the Yoruba people often use the position of wearing their cap to pass a message to everyone around, and in this article I'll be telling you the various positions Yoruba men wear their caps and what they signify.

In this article today I'll be talking about five different ways of wearing a cap, better known as a fila by the Yoruba people, and what each means. As I've said earlier, each position has a message it's passing, so without further ado, let's get to them.

• FOLDING FILA (CAP) TO FACE THE RIGHT: When a man wears his cap or fila and folds it towards the right side, what it means in the Yoruba land is that such a man is single and not married; he could be in a relationship, but inasmuch as he's not married, he tends to wear his cap to the right to show he's open for relationships.

• FOLDING FILA (CAP) TO FACE THE LEFT: This position of fila is more like an opposite of the first one above, because when a man in Yoruba land wears his cap and folds it towards the left side, it signifies that he's married, and aside from that, it passes a message across to ladies who see and like him to take their eyes off him because he has been taken by another.

• FOLDING FILA (CAP) TO THE FRONT: unlike how the first two positions of cap wearing talk about the relationship status of a man, this particular position focuses on something else; this position of cap is often used by young men or men who love to explore new things. So wearing your fila and folding it to face it right in the Yoruba lands means you're letting people know you're still out there to explore, see new things, and try new things, more or less like also saying you're ready to live life to the fullest or be the life of the party.

• FOLDING FILA (CAP) TO THE BACK: This position of cap wearing is also more like an opposite of the one above, which is a position of cap mostly worn by elderly men or men who believe they've done everything possible on earth and have seen enough of the world, so they are not necessarily open to trying out new things; they just want to live the remainder of their life in peace without giving new things a try.

• FOLDING FILA (CAP) TO THE TOP: This style of cap is also called the "Aro" style; it's a position of cap wearing that simply passes a message to others who see you that you're an individual who's proud, full of yourself, and wouldn't take shit from anyone. This position of cap wearing is often worn by proud people or well-to-do individuals who don't want to be messed with by others.

So that's about it for the various positions caps are worn by the Yoruba men and their various meanings. The Yoruba people still have lots of traditions that pass a message or make us stand out, and I'll probably pick one of those to talk about in the near future.

That's about it for today, so what's your tribe? What are your people's culture and traditions that make you stand out or that you believe others don't know? I'd like to know, and I appreciate if you tell me about it in the comments section. Stay blessed.

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All photos are taken and edited on canva.

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