Hallowed Hair

And so I went to get my fringe trimmed. I'm just one of those people who hates getting hair into my eyes and considering that I wage constant war trying to tame my mane, I decided to nip out of the office to get a quick trim.

I sat in the nice little salon chair and along came the stylist. Told him I wanted to trim my fringe. He nodded his understanding and proceeded to run his fingers and his comb through my head, scrutinizing follicles, length, shape, colour etc., to the point where I began feeling insecure. His verdict - "You need a haircut."

As it turns out, my last haircut was 6 months ago, meaning that the mane is probably more than slightly out of control at present but hearing those four words made my stomach lurch. It felt like a blow to my pride.

Hair has always had a bizarre amount of symbolism centered around it. The Greeks kicked it off with the mythical Medusa. Medusa's hair turned into serpents indicating that one's hair was and could be connected to one's life force. Medusa's 'hair' was in many ways, her weapon. A more modern illustration of this symbolism can be found in many anime characters. Many female anime characters are developed with long hair. On one hand, long hair reflects femininity. On the flipside, these characters are often depicted with hair that has a life of its own despite being under the character's control.



Hair has always been perceived to be a matter of utmost importance to women. In medieval times, women sheared their hair during periods of war to make ropes and in later wars, hair was used for bomb fuses. The act of cutting or shearing a woman's hair off is considered to be more than just physical. Cutting a woman's hair has been considered to be equivalent to cutting her down as a person. It meant removing her femininity. To some, it even symbolizes taking her virginity.

Ironically, long hair in men has always represented a different school of thought altogether. We can all blame Saint Paul for this because of a letter he wrote to the people of Corinth a couple of thousand years ago.

"Doth not nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her."

Where the hell did he come up with that?! I can only surmise that this was Paul hitting out at the Corinthian men, who were known to be vain and liked to wear their hair long.

Alas, it does not stop there. The symbolism of hair is ancient, complex and fascinating. Jesus Christ has often been depicted in paintings with long hair and a 'I need a razor' appearance only to underscore the glaring disparity between Paul's statement and his assumed appearance. There may exist the argument that Jesus was thought to have been a Nazarene, and in turn a Nazarite, belonging to sect that vows never to cut their hair. However, Paul won this battle given the prevalence of Christianity and how today, short hair on men is considered the societal norm, whereas longer locks are perceived to indicate defiance, belligerence and rebellion.

From the hippies, to the Rastafarians, to the heavy metal rockers who insist on swinging their hair around while cradling a guitar, long hair in men has been frowned upon and considered to be a sign of malcontent. However, there is an interesting point to note when it comes to Rastafarians. Originating from Kenya, the Mau Mau freedom fighters in the African state swore not to cut their hair until they had freed their country from white rulers. Ironically, Rastas use the same bible that dictates 'short hair is right' but pull their reference and defence from this line in the book of Leviticus:

"They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard."

In modern society however, long hair on men has started to become more accepted. Case in point, the blondie in the next pic.



Becks to the world by storm with this hairstyle and boys/men everywhere started frantically growing their hair out. Beckham was considered a fashion icon and a trendsetter for bucking the age-old tradition of having a short crop. Unlike the Rastas or the hippies, I think the only statement Becks was trying to make was a fashionable one. As is the case with this next well-known personality.



The only difference between this blonde and the previous one is that she's everybody's favourite Friend and over the years, has managed to epitomize femininity with her luscious locks. I just don't believe that she uses horse shampoo to wash her hair.

And yes, I'll go get my hair cut even if it hurts.