Dreadlocks - some interesting facts you may not know!

The string of associations associated with dreadlocks usually follows a clearly defined course - reggae music, Bob Marley and Rastafarianism undeniably open this thought procession. Just within the music market over the past decades alone, dreadlocks have made quite a splash. Not only the stars of the reggae scene were fond of braiding them - among representatives of other genres, fans of dreadlocks became, among others: Leny Kravitz, Lauryn Hill or Steve Wonder. Contrary to assumptions, dreadlocks are not an invention of the 20th century. In many parts of the world, people have worn them almost since the dawn of time!

Why did Rastafarians take a liking to dreadlocks?

It is not entirely clear where Rastafarians got the idea to wear dreadlocks. They may have been inspired by Kenyan rebels of the Mau Mau movement, who used their lion's mane to scare the colonizers, Hindu sadhus and even Old Testament verses. The latter mention the nazireat - vows of total devotion to God. Among other things, the person taking them was forbidden to cut his hair or beard.

For Rastafarianism - a millenarian and messianic religious movement that was born in Jamaica in the 1930s, the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie became an extremely important person. He was recognized as the living God, while Ethiopia, at the time the only independent African state, became synonymous with paradise. Jamaican blacks recognized themselves as Ethiopians and Jews descended from the biblical 10 tribes of Israel. After years of repentance and suffering in exile, they hoped for an imminent return to their Black Continent-based homeland. Some stories claim that members of the Ethiopian guerrillas stopped cutting their hair at the time Emperor Selassie was forced into exile during the Italian invasion in World War II. Regardless of the inspiration and origins, however, one thing is certain - Rastafarians' dreadlocks symbolize opposition to Babylon, and are also an expression of strength and a reference to the fearless lion of Judah.

Dreadlocks as a universal phenomenon

For centuries, long felted hair was worn by Hindu wandering ascetics, known as sadhus - a trail by which dreadlocks lead us all the way back to antiquity. However, when looking for the places where this still today popular hairstyle was born, it is impossible to follow only one path. Dreadlocks were already known before our era in the territory of today's India, but also in Egypt, Greece, among the Germanic and Celtic peoples, they were worn by the Vikings, and they were also worn by the biblical Samson. In Africa today, they are popular among the Kenyan and Tanzanian Masai, the Ethiopian Hamar or among the Himba people living in Namibia. Under different latitudes, the fashion for felted bundles of hair appeared rather independently, but was often accompanied by quite similar symbolism.

Strength and power hidden in hair

In our cultural circle, the biblical story of Samson and Dalila is well-known. She, having fallen in love with Samson, eventually managed to discover his greatest secret - the secret of the incredible strength of the Israelite "leader" lay in his long hair, or more precisely in the "seven weaves of his head." The biblical strongman's hair had never been shaved. Lured by Dalila, the Philistines cracking down on Samson's dreadlocks also effectively stripped him of any superhuman powers.

Strength, self-control and composure are also symbolized by the dreadlocks adorning the head of the Hindu Shiva. With their help, this one managed to stop the Ganges from overflowing, and of course, this is just one of many such stories.

Both in the East and in the West it was quite common to believe that bodily, mental and spiritual energy escaped from the body through the top of the head. In this context, long, felted and braided bundles of hair were supposed to be an effective natural barrier to stop the force and power inside a person. These beliefs went one step further! According to them, people with dreadlocks were supposed to exhibit supernatural mental and physical abilities. Hence this extravagant hairstyle was worn in many parts of the world by shamans and priests serving local deities.