In a previous blog post the topic
of cultural appropriation was addressed, and several examples of cultural
appropriation were discussed, including the cultural appropriation of African
American hair styles. The debate about
the appropriation versus “appreciation” of these hairstyles has continued to rage
before and after I posted that piece, but the debate has evolved into a new
area: cultural appropriation of African American hairstyles as justified
through fairy locks. This blog post will
discuss what fairy locks are (or claim to be), as well as address the accuracy
of the “evidence” that supporters of fairy locks use to support their claims as
to how fairy locks are not cultural appropriation but instead a part of their
own culture for centuries.
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| Figure 1: Fairy Locks (Source: Pinterest) |
The concept of fairy locks comes from various European folklore. Fairy locks are tangles and matts in hair caused
by fairies or elves twisting and tangling hair of those who sleep, particularly
those with long hair. Several folktales
speak of the ways that these entities would cause mischief to unsuspecting
sleepers, and even William Shakespeare discussed this concept in his play, King Lear. Aside from the source material derived from
European folklore and Shakespeare the enemies of the Celts and Vikings,
specifically the ancient Greeks, identified them as having “snakes” for
hair. There are indeed references to
such identifications among the ancient Greeks, who also claimed that the Celts
and Vikings were horses, pigs, and any number of other creatures that they saw
as beasts of burden. There was even a
report of the ancient Greeks likening these outsiders to being satyrs, which
was not a compliment much like the other, previously discussed pieces of
information. Today, individuals who
subscribe to the concept of fairy locks claim that this was a normal and even
preferred hairstyle among various European groups, including the Celts and
Vikings, and modern subscribers “dread” their hair (Figure 1), claiming that they have a
right to do so as their European ancestors had done it for centuries before.
When I first heard of fairy locks I was shocked by the claim
that past Europeans “dreaded” their hair.
I was shocked because as someone who grew up in Europe and visited various
museums as I was a lover of all things historical (as I aspired to be an
archaeologist since before I started school) I do not recall ever seeing such hairstyles
depicted in the archaeological record.
This is because there is actually no evidence in that
record to support the claims by white fairy locks subscribers that the Celts or
Vikings did dread their hair.
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| Figure 2: Lindow Man (Photo from the Trustees of the British Museum) |
The Celts wore their hair in a variety of ways, as evidenced
by bog bodies/mummies. These mummies of
both men and women throughout Europe and Scandinavia are so well preserved that
their clothing and hair styles remain intact, allowing scholars and viewers to review
what their appearance was like as it is in essence frozen in time. Based on this evidence we can see that the Celtic
men preferred their hair cut short, most often in a bowl cut (Figure 2),
whereas Celtic women wore their long hair in a variety of braids, sometimes adorning them with various trinkets and ornaments. This could account for how and why the Greeks
believed the Celts had snakes in their hair.
This is further supported by the evidence of the hair found of the Clonycavan Man, who is associated with having the “first
mohawk” (Figure 3). His hair was twisted
(braided) and afixed to the top of his head through pine resin and plant oil
gels. His hair style is by far the most
unique of the bog bodies. Further archaeological
and historical evidence further demonstrates that the preferred hair styles of
the Celts were short hair for men and long, braided hair for women.
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| Figure 3: Clonycavan Man (Source: Archaeology Magazine) |
Hair was of great importance to Vikings, as noted through in
their religion. According to the Viking
beliefs Loki, the trickster god, cut the hair of Siv, wife of Thor (god of Thunder),
and Thor retaliated by almost killing Loki because the act of cutting Siv’s
hair was such a grave offense. Loki paid
retribution to both Thor and Siv by creating hair of gold for Siv, which she
wore proudly because it did not break or tangle. The Vikings, who often preferred their hair
long, would often leave it straight, up in ponytails or top knots, or worn in a series of braids, either
laying straight or wrapped up in intricate hairstyles (such as wrapped around
their heads or in tight buns). This is
evidenced in Viking iconography, such as statues (Figure 4) and tapestries. Hair care was also of the utmost importance
to the ancient Vikings, who were known to carry around hair combs in order to
maintain untangled and well-kept hair. Hair
combs are found in various Viking sites-both in Scandinavia and outside of
it-as well as buried with the deceased (as it was taboo to take another’s hair
comb). Taken together there is no
evidence that the Celts or Vikings dreaded their hair.
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| Figure 4: Valkyrie from Harby (Source: Artifact, 2014) |
As someone who is both European and has had (and currently
does have) long hair I can attest to how easy it is to wake up in the morning
and find several matts in one’s hair. As
a child this was a constant issue, primarily caused by improper care of my
hair. I am not the only one who has had
this problem, though. My sister had similar
issues growing up, and I used to spend hours brushing a friend’s daughter’s
hair, which went down to her back, to get rid of the knots and mats. The reason her hair tangled and matted so
easily was because, like me as a child, she did not properly brush her hair. This explanation is far more plausible of an
explanation for the concept of fairy locks than the notion that European
populations “dreaded” their hair, which according to the archaeological and
historical record the Celts and Vikings themselves would have seen as offensive
and deviant. Therefore, the claims that
these groups did “dread” their hair is actually dishonoring their memory.
This is not meant to demean the act of “dreading” hair among Blacks/African Americans. This is part of their culture
and an effective means of maintaining their hair. It is part of their identity, which
unfortunately due to a series of laws and the language associated with the act
is often used against them. This is why
the act of “dreading” hair among non-Blacks/African Americans is often appropriation. As noted in the previous post non-Blacks/African Americans who
do this hairstyle are seen as trendy and cool, whereas Blacks/African Americans are seen as dirty
and bad. The evolution of the “dreading”
debate into the fairy locks is just one more means of appropriation as well as
misrepresenting and dishonoring the past.
Works Cited
Artifact. (2014, September/October). Archaeology
Magazine.
Artifact. (2015, July/August). Archaeology
Magazine.
Arwill-Nordbladh, E. (2016). Viking Age Hair. Internet
Archaeology.
Lobell, J. A., & Patel, S. S. (2010, May/June).
Bog Bodies Rediscovered . Archaeology Magazine.
Lobell, J. A., & Patel, S. S. (2010, May/June).
Clonycavan and Old Croghan Men. Archaeology Magazine.
Mehta, A. (2017, February 17). Celtic Hair History.
Retrieved from The Celtic Fringe:
https://blogs.haverford.edu/celticfringe/2017/02/17/celtic-hair-history/
Riley, M. (1997). Hair, Jewelry, etc.
Retrieved from Clothing of the Ancient Celts :
http://www.marariley.net/celtic/SentToKass/Cosmetic.htm
Sherrow, V. (2006). Encyclopedia of Hair: A
Cultural History. Greenwood Publishing Group.
