The history of drums and the color red is long and detailed.
In her book, When The Drummers Were Women Layne Redmond says this about the color red and the drum:
“Drums were often painted red, the color of blood, or sometimes green to represent vegetation. Throughout the ancient world these were the primordial colors of life. Mystical designs and symbols might also be painted on the skin-head, or the wooden frame. Threads or ribbons knotted with spiritual prayers or chants also often hung from them.”
“The Egyptians also believed that the mother’s menstrual blood descended from her heart to her womb to create the child’s new life. The mother’s heartbeat was the power behind the child’s new life as the goddess’s heartbeat was the power behind creation. This is why the frame drum was often painted red, for it represented the pulse of creation.”
The current manifestation of this ancient work, and the thread to which I am linked, comes to me by way of Nikiah Seeds of Ancestral Pathways
Nikiah is the current creator of the Red Drums and tells this story about how it came to be:
In the first year of my shamanic apprenticeship our teacher had us make our own drums for journeywork. In my journey I asked for images and information about what my sacred drum was to be for me, and all I saw was red…..
The entire shamanic journey was in red, my guides were red, and when I saw a red drum placed into my hands I knew that not only was red a sacred colour for me, but I now had to figure out how to make my drum red!
Over the next months, giving away to years, the significance of the colour red would come to me in my shamanic work and my work as a priestess to the divine feminine over and over.
With the guidance of my spirit helpers, Red has became a touchstone for my work as a writer, my business name, Red Moon Pathways, the mystery school, and my ceremonial work.
Since that time I have worked hard on how to dye drums using the old ways and of course incorporating new ways to keep the drums red for as long as possible. I have taught many, many women how to make their own red drums and sold just as many to woman the world over.
As far as I know, I am the only woman making and creating red drums in the world at this time.
About six months ago, one of the woman who is on my community facebook page commented on how much she loves her red drum, in turn I welcomed her as one of the sisters, and then another woman came on and welcomed her as well, and said three magic words–” You are now a “Red Drum Carrier!”
The moment I read those words, tears sprung to my eyes and I knew with every ounce of my being that this was a HUGE truth!
We as women have always been drum carriers, but have forgotten the ways, and red has always been our colour, the colour of the goddess, and the divine feminine, but this too was taken from us.
And so it is, that I believe that every woman who owns a red drum, IS a Red Drum Carrier.”
As I follow this path I too hope to be able to lead my own Red Drum Carrier ceremonies.
