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DO YOU KNOW THAT: The Concept of Red Carpet is from Africa and NOT the West – Believe it or Not

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In case you never knew, the idea or concept of red carpet, originates from Africa and not the West – as many have been made to believe for years now.

The orientation of red carpet is used to describe situations where long and large red carpet is unfurled to honor and welcome guests who grace events, usually VIP’s or celebrities. No one seems absolutely sure of the origin of the whole red carpet orientation but the concept of red carpet was first recorded in 485 BC in the ancient Greek story of “Agamemnon” when he returned from Troy.

He was greeted by his vengeful wife, Clytemnestra, with a red color path. However, Agamemnon refused because he felt only the gods were worthy to be greeted with luxuries. From African Mythology – the body of stories associated with a culture, institution or person studies, the concept of red carpet actually started from Africa and not the West.

The act of rolling out clothes unto the floor for revered personalities to walk on was a preserve of people in Africa. During ancient days of Africa, women mostly lay their expensive clothes, usually white clothes, down for Kings, Queens and dignitaries to walk on at social events as a sign of venerable welcome.

Even during marriage ceremonies or when someone being honoured, women unfurled their white clothes unto the floor for the bride and groom or the honouree respectively, to walk on. It was old ladies who usually did so amidst cheers and high spirited applause from all the folks.

From what I know, when the Westerners came to Africa and saw such treatments meted out to Kings and Queens, they mocked the folks. They said it was foolish for one man to lay clothes down for another man to walk on. They even burlesqued Africans for carrying Kings in palanquins.  They said it was preposterous and later even considered it as human right abuse.

Because Africans believed so much in oral literature, most of these cultural-orientations were not recorded. The West, who knew the essence of written literature, first recorded their concept of laying materials on the floor for dignitaries to walk on as far back as 485 BC. That is why it appears the concept of red carpet started from the West.

The question to expose the truth however is, if the concept of laying materials on the floor for dignitaries to walk on started with the West, then why did they see it as absurd when they came to Africa to find women lay down their expensive white clothes to welcome royals? Think it over…

Of course with Western civilization or Europeanization, Africans don’t appreciate what we have. Africans have now copied the Western orientation of red carpet and thrown theirs away. Indeed, languor for writing out Africa’s history and proclivity for Western civilization by Africans has made Africans lose most of our culture and belief systems; to the extent that now when you inform the very Africans of who they truly were, they deny or take it with a pinch of salt.

To the West who designed the red carpet, they’ve got some rules and regulative principles for walking on the red carpet. For instance; one is not suppose to hold anything: pen, phone, wallet, keys, and hold or hang a bag when walking on the red carpet, amongst others. Most Ghanaian or African celebrities flout these rules each time they walk on the red carpet. Of course the Penumbra (Africans) can never over shadow the Umbra (West).

So in case you are an African who was or is born outside Africa and by virtue of your relocation you never knew or don’t know that the concept of red carpet emanates from Africa, you know now. Most African Mythologies can’t be proven with evidence because they were transferred from one generation to the other through oral literature.

However, archeological findings and interrogation of certain facts, always brings out the truth. Once again, the concept of red carpet is from Africa – believe it or not. Until then….MOTWUM!!



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