The word nyoka literally means "snake." It refers to the physical appearance of the long, rectangular beaded panels that are identified with Ndebele brides, but it does not seem to imply anything snakelike about the garments' wearers. Unlike Western bridal veils, these Ndebele creations were worn after the wedding on important occasions. There seems to have been quite a lot of variation on how they were worn: attached to a headpiece, draped from the shoulders as a cape, even worn down the front of the body.