Sennit
Encyclopedia
Sennit is a type of cordage
made by plaiting
strands of dried fibre or grass. It can be used ornamentally in crafts, like a kind of macrame
, or to make straw hat
s. Sennit is an important material in the cultures of Oceania
, where it is used in traditional architecture, boat building, fishing and as an ornamentation.
, an exclusive craft product of the Fiji
Islands. Only Fijian artists know how to weave the beauty of magimagi into the traditional Fijian look.
and throughout Polynesia
for cordage made by braiding the fibers of coconut
husks. It was important in attaching the ama
(outrigger
float) via the iako
(spars) to the hull of canoes
, stones to war-club handles, erecting hale (houses), etc.
, sennit is called afa. It was used as cordage in the construction of traditional Samoan architecture
, boat building with many other functional uses. Afa is handmade from dried coconut
fibre from the husk of certain varieties of coconuts with long fibres, particularly the niu'afa (afa palm).
Sennit is mentioned in Robert Gibbings
book Over the Reefs (1948). He refers to its use in Samoa in 1946, where he was able to observe its being made on many occasions. He notes that its crafting was a constant occupation in Samoan villages, because so much of the material was required. A significant quote from the book, made by a village chief to Gibbings, emphasises the importance of sennit in Samoan culture: "In your country," said a chief to me, "only a few men can make nails, but in Samoa, everyone can make nails." (p. 118) He was referring to the sennit that is used to bind the structures or huts in which they lived. Sennit had a variety of other uses, including in shark fishing, where it was used as a noose
that was placed over the shark's head as it came alongside the canoe.
"They showed me the sennit noose they had used - five years old and as good as new. They said it would last another five years if cared for." Robert Gribbings.
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
made by plaiting
Braid
A braid is a complex structure or pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material such as textile fibres, wire, or human hair...
strands of dried fibre or grass. It can be used ornamentally in crafts, like a kind of macrame
Macramé
Macramé or macrame is a form of textile-making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting. Its primary knots are the square knot and forms of "hitching": full hitch and double half hitches...
, or to make straw hat
Straw hat
A straw hat is a brimmed hat that is woven out of straw or reeds. The hat is designed to protect the head from the sun and against heatstroke, but straw hats were also used in fashion and as a decorative element of a uniform.- Manufacture :...
s. Sennit is an important material in the cultures of Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, where it is used in traditional architecture, boat building, fishing and as an ornamentation.
Oceania
Fiji
Sennit is the western term used for magimagiMagimagi
Magimagi is a product made of coconut husk.The process of weaving the husk into the traditional look is very labor intensive. The earliest record of the unique Magimagi design is listed in the Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition by Wilkes...
, an exclusive craft product of the Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
Islands. Only Fijian artists know how to weave the beauty of magimagi into the traditional Fijian look.
Hawai'i
The term is also used in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and throughout Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
for cordage made by braiding the fibers of coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
husks. It was important in attaching the ama
Ama (sailing)
The term ama is a word in the Polynesian and Micronesian languages to describe the outrigger part of a canoe to provide stability. Today, among the various Polynesian countries, the word ama is often used together with the word vaka or waka or va'a , cognate words in various Polynesian languages...
(outrigger
Outrigger
An outrigger is a part of a boat's rigging which is rigid and extends beyond the side or gunwale of a boat.In an outrigger canoe and in sailboats such as the proa, an outrigger is a thin, long, solid, hull used to stabilise an inherently unstable main hull. The outrigger is positioned rigidly and...
float) via the iako
Aka (sailing)
The aka of a multihull sailboat is a member of the framework that connects the hull to the ama . The term aka originated with the proa, but is also applied to modern trimarans....
(spars) to the hull of canoes
Outrigger canoe
The outrigger canoe is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull...
, stones to war-club handles, erecting hale (houses), etc.
Samoa
In the Samoan languageSamoan language
Samoan Samoan Samoan (Gagana Sāmoa, is the language of the Samoan Islands, comprising the independent country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language—alongside English—in both jurisdictions. Samoan, a Polynesian language, is the first language for most...
, sennit is called afa. It was used as cordage in the construction of traditional Samoan architecture
Architecture of Samoa
The architecture of Samoa is characterised by openness, with the design mirroring the culture and life of the Samoan people who inhabit the Samoa Islands. Architectural concepts are incorporated into Samoan proverbs, oratory and metaphors, as well as linking to other art forms in Samoa, such as...
, boat building with many other functional uses. Afa is handmade from dried coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
fibre from the husk of certain varieties of coconuts with long fibres, particularly the niu'afa (afa palm).
Sennit is mentioned in Robert Gibbings
Robert Gibbings
Robert Gibbings was an Irish artist and author who was most noted for his work as a wood carver and engraver and for his books on travel and natural history.-Life:...
book Over the Reefs (1948). He refers to its use in Samoa in 1946, where he was able to observe its being made on many occasions. He notes that its crafting was a constant occupation in Samoan villages, because so much of the material was required. A significant quote from the book, made by a village chief to Gibbings, emphasises the importance of sennit in Samoan culture: "In your country," said a chief to me, "only a few men can make nails, but in Samoa, everyone can make nails." (p. 118) He was referring to the sennit that is used to bind the structures or huts in which they lived. Sennit had a variety of other uses, including in shark fishing, where it was used as a noose
Noose
A noose is a loop at the end of a rope in which the knot slides to make the loop collapsible. Knots used for making nooses include the running bowline, the tarbuck knot, and the slip knot.-Use in hanging:...
that was placed over the shark's head as it came alongside the canoe.
"They showed me the sennit noose they had used - five years old and as good as new. They said it would last another five years if cared for." Robert Gribbings.