Bijagos Island Children wearing Amulets
These children live in the Bijagos village of Inorei, on the island of Cahabaque (Guinea Bissau). Here, the younger children all wear amulets, or ju-jus, which are intended to protect them from all manner of harm. The ju-jus in this photograph consist of a tiny horn which is supported and ornamented by an elaborate piece of macrame-style knotting.
A small percentage of the people of Guinea Bissau are Muslims, and they also wear amulets. However, theirs contain quotes from the Koran. The people of the Bijagos islands are animists, and the content of their amulets is a secret known only to their priests.