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Thehaik (Arabic:حايك) is a traditional women's garment worn in theMaghreb.[1] It can be white or black, though is usually white. It consists of a rectangular fabric covering the whole body.[2]
The word is borrowed from theMaghrebi Arabic wordhayk, which comes from the Arabic verbhāka which means "to weave". First used inFrench in the formheque (1654), it underwent many variations – hayque (1667),alhaic (1670),eque (1670),haic (1683),hayc (1686). The wordhaik in French was at first of the femininegender (1725) and became masculine in 1830.[3]
The haik is of Arab-Andalusian origin,[4] and present throughout the Maghreb.[5][6] In 1792, them'laya, a black veil, popular in the eastern part of Algeria, made its appearance to mournSalah Bey, Bey ofConstantine.[7] Made from wool, silk or synthetic silk fabric, the haik succeeded, in a very short time, to spread throughout all regions of the country, but its use was adapted to the socio-cultural specificities of the region. English anthropologistThomas Athol Joyce describes women's attire of Algeria in his book,Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence (1915):
The dress of Arab women usually consists of a white striped shawl, called ahaik, made of coarse or fine stuff according to the social position and wealth of the wearer, which is thrown over the head, and completely veils the user from head to feet. Underneath this haik, arranged across the lower part of the face so that it covers all but the eyes, the bridge of the nose, and a small portion of the forehead left uncovered by the haik, is worn ahandkerchief of white linen known as anadjar, which is fastened securely across the face. The costume of Berber women is simpler than that of the Arabs, and consists chiefly of a long tunic-like garment fastened with a girdle round the waist, and a coloured shawl or cloth worn over the shoulders. The women are permitted much greater freedom than among the Arabs, and the all-enveloping veil orhaik is not worn. Their ornaments consist chiefly of necklaces, bracelets, chains of gold or beads, ear-rings, and sometimes nose-rings.[8]
Before him, the Spanish abbot Diego de Haedo, who lived in Algiers during the 16th century (1578 to 1581), described the haik worn by the women of Algeria in his workTopographia e Historia general de Argel (1612):
In order not to be seen outside their homes, they cover their figure with a fine white veil, which they tie with a knot behind the neck, below the eyes and forehead which remain uncovered, then they put over their heads a cloak of very fine woolen fabric, or of wool and silk fabric which they call huyque (haïk). They have this garment carefully whitened by means of washing with soap and fumigation with sulfur, etc. These mantises are like the malaxas we have already spoken of, or like a piece of cloth, 30 palms long and 14 or 15 palms wide. They wrap it around their bodies in such a way that they attach one point to the chest with large buckles or pins of gilded silver, then throw the body of the mantis over the shoulders and head, taking the other end or point under the right arm, and in this way they are so well wrapped that they have just enough to see a little, as through the helmet visor of a man-at-arms.[9]
One variety of the haik, thehaik mrama, became very popular among women for its design, the way it was worn, and the quality of the fabric used by artisans. Thehaik mrama appeared at the end of the nineteenth century and was worn by urban women of Algiers and its suburbs. This type of veil is often associated with feminine beauty and has inspired manyChaabi poets and singers, who dedicated many of their works to them.[10]
A variation on the haik called thehuik was worn from the 14th until the late 19th century in the Netherlands and Belgium, usually black and made of wool or silk. It was worn by women as a protection against bad weather. Later variants were worn during a period of mourning.
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