Ever since the dawn of time, hair has been a significant
adornment for humans. Cavemen and Cavewomen decorated their
hair with bones and shells, the Greeks colored and
decorated their hair with gold flakes, and in 17th Century
Europe, hair was white, curled, and very very long.
We have an emotional connection to our hair, as is evident
from the amount of time we spend taking care of it,
stressing about it, worrying about losing it, coloring it,
primping it, and fondling it absentmindedly. But the
significance of a full head of hair is more than emotional.
Men battling hair loss today are following the footsteps of
many other men and women in history, and not surprisingly,
almost every culture on Earth, past and present, attach at
least some social significance to hair. Hair can symbolize
strength, virility, affluence, and class. In many cases, a
King could lose his kingdom by losing his hair, or even
just going gray! The following 10 historical stories and
anecdotes show the importance of a full head of hair - or
at least make us think that it is necessary!
Samson:
Everyone knows the story of Samson and his long tresses
that gave him strength. Because of his long hair, he was
able to fend the attacks of the Philistines, protect the
newly settled area, and be an all around hero to the
Hebrews, who were having a hard time dealing with those
pesky Philistines that did not take the Hebrew invasion
very kindly! Samson, however, had one weakness, namely, the
lovely Delilah. One night, after an ardent session of
lovemaking, Samson fell into a deep sleep, and the
Philistines entered his chamber and cut off his hair, and
with it, his strength. Although Samson recovered his powers
by intense prayer and piousness, but this story definitely
warns us against cutting men's hair, and links superhuman
strength to long hair!
The Egyptian Pharaoh:
It is really hot in Egypt, and was very hot 4000 years ago,
and even 5000 years ago. Egyptians mostly wore their head
shaved, a practical way to deal with the extreme desert
heat. The Pharaohs, however, when in ceremonial dress and
demonstrating their power and wealth, wore elaborate wigs
made of real human hair, dressed with oil, in locks, and
braids. The Pharaoh's son traditionally had one lock of
hair uncut in the center of his head, which he would wear
in a bun. No one else was allowed to wear their hair in
this particular way, on pain of death!
Caesar:
Julius Caesar, perhaps the most famous Roman ever, was
terrified of his hair loss. It is said that he was so
embarrassed by his receding hairline that he introduced the
fashion of a laurel crown to hide his high forehead...
Caesar also had a strange habit of forcing his enemies,
once defeated, to either shave their head or cut their hair
very close to the scalp. Perhaps he thought that if his
enemies had even shorter hair than his, he would appear
more powerful, as if conquering half of Europe was not
enough!
Married/Unmarried Women in Imperial China:
Unmarried Chinese girls' hair was usually worn long and
braided while married women combed the hair back from the
face and wound into a knot at the nape. The married or
unmarried status of the girl could be signified by her
hair, thus avoiding any unwanted advances on married women.
Chinese girls' hair heavily influenced their value in the
marriage market. A girl without long, luxurious, very black
hair was not considered as good marriage material as girls
with.
Japanese:
Samurai would cut their hair when defeated in Medieval
Japan. To this day, Sumo wrestlers have a "hair cutting"
ceremony when they retire! Cutting hair in Japan's history
is linked to defeat and shame, in a very similar manner to
honorable suicide. Women of samurai families used to cut
their hair and even became nuns when she had to part her
loved one, and to this day some Japanese girls cut their
hair when they have had their heart broken!.
Louis the Fourteenth, King of France:
King Louis XIV, the Sun King, inventor of Ballet and
Tennis, was also a particularly vain peacock of a King.
When faced with the beginning of hair loss, the King began
yet another fashion (in addition to silk vests and high
heels for men) - the Male wig. Louis' wings were so
elaborate, that they were built on a wire frame, and more
often than not, consisted of three heads of hair in one wig!
The Plains Indians:
Male warriors wore their hair long among the Plains Indians
in Northern America. They decorated their hair with
feathers and beads, and Chiefs wore large featherhead
dresses with additional locks of hair and strings of beads
hanging from them, which were considered to be highly
impressive. Perhaps the most telling sign of the
significance of the hair and scalp in their culture was
scalping. It was a strong belief that if one took his
enemy's hair, one took his virility. An Indian warrior with
the greatest number of scalps hanging from his wigwam was a
very powerful man indeed!
The Rastafarian Dreadlocks:
Perhaps the most significant indicator of the Rastafarian
social and religious movement is the dreadlocks, which
became so popular to this day. The Rastafarian wear locks
as an expression of inner spirituality.
Shaving off the Hair:
Most Monks of all religions, as well as Nuns of the
Buddhist faith, shave their head as a symbol of releasing
the vanities of the material life. The fact that the vanity
involved in hair is so embedded in the human mind is
definitely a factor in these vows. Simplicity means having
no hair to be vain about, the Buddhist Monks and Nuns say.
The unsaid current is, of course, how powerful and strong
and beautiful our hair can make us feel, and how deeply we
are attached to it.
The Cowboy:
There is probably a second, less verbalized reason for the
Cowboy Hat then just sun protection. Cowboys, embodying the
most masculine and virile male archetype, battled their
hair loss magnificently. The most tough and hardened
cowboys lined up to spend their hard earned money on
worthless "Snake Oil", hair growing tonics peddled by
charlatan "Doctors" from the side shows and stages of the
great wild west medicine shows. Cowboys also used the trick
of rubbing grease into their hair, causing it to look
thicker. While this was slightly effective, it was a very
messy process.
So you see, being obsessed with your hair is a completely
normal human emotion!
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