Tharps explain that braids and other intricate hairstyles were historically worn to signify marital status, age, religion, wealth and rank in society. From kings' ornate beaded braids to special headdresses worn by new mothers, these styles had deep cultural and historical roots.
During American slavery, Africans and their descendants born into slavery wore braids to maintain a neat and tidy look while working and to keep their hair from their faces when outside. Slaves would use household products like butter and cooking grease when braiding, absent of the natural resources in Africa prior.
This tradition of carefully intertwining tresses has been passed down through generations and become an integral part of Black and African cultures. Today, braids are used to celebrate and honor one's ancestral roots as well as express personality and style.
In ancient times, braid patterns and hairstyles were indications of ones wealth, marital status, ethnicity, age, & religion. These unique styles were a way to set tribes apart from each other and was an integral part of their language system.
The braids were often used to relay messages between slaves, signal that they were going to escape, or even used to keep gold and seeds to help them survive after they would run away.
Hair is a centerpiece of Black culture; it's a symbol of identity, of resistance, creative expression and freedom. It is woven deep into Black culture and therefore rooted in the history of America.
For some indigenous men and boys, their braids are a symbol of strength, wisdom, and are something that reflects their identity.
“The origin of braids can be traced back 5000 years in African culture to 3500 BC—they were very popular among women.” Braids are not just a style; this craft is a form of art. “Braiding started in Africa with the Himba people of Namibia,” says Pace. “These people have been braiding their hair for centuries.
Similarly, the practice is recorded in Europe, Africa, India, China, Japan, Australasia and Central Asia. Braiding is traditionally a social art. Because of the time it takes to braid hair, people have often taken time to socialize while braiding and having their hair braided.
Dreadlocks have a long history in Africa. Victoria Sherrow, the author of the Encyclopedia of Hair, A Cultural History 1, named the priests of the Ethiopian Coptic Orthodox Church as some of the first people to have sported dreadlocks in Africa, as early as 500 BCE.
Cornrows helped enslaved Africans put up small acts of rebellion and resistance by not only allowing them to keep their heritage close, but also providing a discreet way to transfer information.
In Africa, braid styles and patterns have been used to distinguish tribal membership, marital status, age, wealth, religion and social ranking. In some countries of Africa, the braids were used for communication. In some Caribbean islands, braid patterns were used to map routes to escape slavery.
There are two reasons why we believe African hair texture is genetic. Firstly, the texture is universal in Africans, while nearly absent from other ethnic groups. Secondly, it is consistently passed down to the children in each new generation.
'Cornrows', 'canerows' (in the Caribbean), and 'boxer' braids are all the same thing. Three-strand plaits that are tight to the scalp, with the strands woven underneath so they pop off your head.
Some of them aware of that some are not. Braids are not exclusive for one people only. We don't know who invent it, but what we know that some asians culture did wear braids. Unlike some people, asians are more open minded and sharing their culture to the world.
Did Vikings braid their hair? It is uncertain whether Vikings wore braided hair, but it seems likely. In particular, there is evidence of early cultures that practiced a form of hair braiding in the Scandinavian region, but whether those traditions survived to the Viking Age is unknown.
The first people to wear dreads were probably cavemen. We researched the first evidence of the use of dreadlocks: The first piece of written evidence dates back to 1500BC; it is brought to us by the ancient holy Hindu texts called the “Vedas”.
In ancient China, young women wore their hair down or in simple styles to show they were unmarried. Maidens traditionally kept their hair in braids until their fifteenth birthday, when they went through a coming-of-age ceremony call the ji-li (笄禮) or Hair Pinning Ceremony.
How Long Do African Hair Braiding Styles Last? African hair braiding styles are meant to last a while. You can usually get at least four to six weeks of wear out of them, depending on how you prep your hair beforehand and how you maintain your braids after install.
It is most commonly held that this idea originated from Benkos Biohó during his time as a slave in Colombia.
These types of braids are not cultural appropriation:
French Braid. Crown Braid. Chinese Ladder Braid. Three strand braid.
Despite its name, the origins of the French braid are widely disputed. Greeks and Africans are often credited as the first to use this styling technique. The earliest evidence is from the Tassili n'Ajjer mountain range in Algeria, where rock art from almost 6,000 years ago depicts women wearing this style of braid.
Braids have been used to symbolize wealth, marital status, age, and rank. They're also functional, keeping their wearers cool and unencumbered so they can work without getting hair in their eyes.
Originally a physical expression of submission, the braided queue was also a sign of repression. Attitudes towards the queue in China and more broadly were complex.
Native Americans in the Southeast took scalps to achieve the status of warrior and to placate the spirits of the dead, while most members of Northeastern tribes valued the taking of captives over scalps. Among Plains Indians scalps were taken for war honours, often from live victims.