Man with long locks

Dreadlocks, sometimes simply called locks or dreads, are interlocked coils of hair which tend to form by themselves, in all hair types, if the hair is allowed to grow naturally without the use of brushes, combs, razors, or scissors for a long period of time. Hair is a keratinised protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the Dermis. Many religions and cultures specifically forbid wearers to cut their hair. It is common for wearers to perform thorough maintenance on their hair, including regular washing and various techniques of re-knotting, in order to maintain the desired appearance. Although the term dreadlock is associated closely with the Rastafari movement community, people of various cultures have worn, and continue to wear, locks. The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament

History

Shiva takes the weight of the mighty Ganges in his locks and imprisons it. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent The river is released through the locks of his hair, which prevents the river's force from destroying earth, and the waters bring purification to the planet.

The first known examples of dreadlocks date back to ancient dynastic Egypt. Examples of Egyptians wearing locked hairstyles and wigs have appeared on bas-reliefs, statuary and other artifacts. A wig is a head of Hair made from horse-hair human hair wool feathers buffalo hair or synthetic worn on the head for fashion or various other aesthetic and stylistic ^[1] Mummified remains of ancient Egyptians with locks, as well as locked wigs, also have been recovered from archaeological sites. ^[2]

The locked Hindu deity Shiva and his followers were described in the scriptures as "jaTaa", meaning "wearing twisted locks of hair", probably derived from the Dravidian word "caTai", which means to twist or to wrap. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva The Greeks, the Pacific Ocean peoples, the Naga people and several ascetic groups within various major religions have at times worn their hair in locks, these include the Nazirites of Judaism, the Sadhus of Hinduism, the Dervishes of Islam and the Coptic Monks of Christianity, among others. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Naga people of more than four million are found in Nagaland, parts of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh in North-East India A nazirite or nazarite, (in Hebrew: נזיר nazir) refers to a Jew who took the Ascetic vow described in. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an Ascetic or practitioner of Yoga ( Yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Darvesh or Dervish ( Arabic and Persian: درویش) as it is known in European languages refers to members of Sufi History of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria Apostolic foundation Egypt is identified in the Bible as the place of refuge that the Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The very earliest Christians also may have worn this hairstyle. Particularly noteworthy are descriptions of James the Just, brother of Jesus and first Bishop of Jerusalem, who wore them to his ankles. Saint James the Just ( Hebrew: יעקב or Jacob ( Greek Iάκωβος (died 62AD also known as James of Jerusalem, James Adelphotheos

Locks may have also been part of Mexican culture before the 16th century Spanish conquest. The Culture of Mexico is a Latin American culture that reflects the complexity of Mexico's history through the culture of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican In a description of an Aztec ritual, Historian William Hickling Prescott referred to locked Priests of the Aztec civilization, a Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th century, 15th century and 16th century. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political William Hickling Prescott (May 4 1796 &ndash January 29 1859 was an American Historian, known for his books The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Mesoamerica or Meso-America (Mesoamérica is a Region extending approximately from central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua, defined The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.

"On the summit he was received by six priests, whose long and matted locks flowed disorderly over their sable robes, covered with hieroglyphic scrolls of mystic import. They led him to the sacrificial stone, a huge block of jasper, with its upper surface somewhat convex. " (William H. Prescott, History of the Conquest of Mexico)

In Senegal, the Baye Fall, followers of the Mouride movement, a sect of Islam indigenous to the country which was founded in 1887 by Shaykh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke, are famous for growing locks and wearing multi-colored gowns. Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. The Mouride brotherhood ( Muride brotherhood in Wolof الطريقة المريدية Aṭ-Ṭarīqat al-Murīdiyya or simply مريدية Murīdiyya For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Ahmadou Bamba, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacké (1853-1927 ( Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke in Wolof, Shaykh Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥabīb Allāh ^[3] Cheikh Ibra Fall, founder of the Baye Fall school of the Mouride Brotherhood, claims that he was "the first dread in West Africa". Sheikh Ibrahima Fall (1855–1930 was a disciple of Sheikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke, founder of the Mouride Brotherhood movement in West Africa

In Jamaica the term dreadlocks was first recorded in the 1950s as a term for the "Young Black Faith", an early sect of the Rastafari which began among the marginalized poor of Jamaica in the 1930s, when they ceased to copy the particular hair style of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia and began to wear dreadlocks instead. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament Haile Selassie I ( Ge'ez: am ኃይለ፡ ሥላሴ "Power of the Trinity " 23 July 1892 &ndash 27 August 1975 born Tafari Makonnen, was It was said that the wearer lived a "dread" life or a life in which he feared God, which gave birth to the modern name 'dreadlocks' for this ancient style.

Most Rastafari still attribute their dreadlocks to Selassie as well as the three Nazarite vows, in the Book of Numbers, the fourth of the books of the Pentateuch. A nazirite or nazarite, (in Hebrew: נזיר nazir) refers to a Jew who took the Ascetic vow described in. The Book of Numbers, ( Bamidbar, meaning in the wilderness) is the fourth book of the Torah, the Tanakh, and the Old Testament. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to

All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. (Numbers 6:5, KJV)

Nazarites for life who wore locks and were mentioned in the Bible include the Nazarites Samuel, John the Baptist, and probably the most famous biblical figure with locked hair, Samson, who, according to scripture, had seven locks and lost his great strength when they were cut. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Samuel ( Hebrew: שְׁמוּאֵל, Standard Šəmuʼel Tiberian Šəmûʼēl) is an important Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. Samson, Shimshon ( Hebrew: שמשון, Standard Šimšon Tiberian Šimšôn; meaning

Motivations

A person with thick locks

The rise in popularity of reggae music during the 1970s and the worldwide fame of singer and songwriter Bob Marley, who exhibited dreadlocks for many years, prompted an interest in locks internationally. Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley OM (February 6 1945 – May 11 1981 was a Jamaican Musician, Singer-songwriter and Rastafarian The anti-establishment philosophy of Rastafari, echoed in much of the reggae of the time, had a particular resonance for left-leaning youth.

Like the afro, locks also can have social and political ramifications. An afro, sometimes called a "natural" or shortened to "fro", is a Hairstyle in which the Hair extends out from the Head For some peoples of African descent, locks are a statement of ethnic pride. Some see them as a repudiation of Eurocentric values represented by straightened hair. Eurocentrism is the practice of viewing the world from a European perspective with an implied belief either consciously or subconsciously in the preeminence of European (and Hair straightening is a hair styling technique which involves the flattening and straightening of hair in order to give it a smooth streamlined and 'sleek' appearance For some, the rejection of ideas and values deemed alien to African peoples (which locks embody) sometimes can assume a spiritual dimension. Similarly, others wear locks as a manifestation of their black nationalist or pan-Africanist political beliefs and view locks as symbols of black unity and power, and a rejection of oppression and imperialism. Black nationalism (BN advocates a racial definition (or redefinition of black national identity as opposed to Multiculturalism. Pan-Africanism is a Sociopolitical World view, and Philosophy, as well as a movement which seeks to unify both Native Africans and those of Imperialism has two meanings one describing an action and the other describing an attitude While most Rastafari sects welcome all ethnicities and the history of locks attributes the hairstyle to almost all ethnic groups, some blacks who attach strong ethnic meaning to locks disapprove of the wearing of locks by white people viewing such practice as a form of cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the adoption of some specific elements of one culture by a different cultural group

In white counterculture, locks have become popular among groups such as the "anti-globalization" movement and environmental activists (such as Swampy, well-known in the 1990s). " Anti-globalization " is a term that encompasses a number of related ideas Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. Daniel Hooper, known as Swampy, is a United Kingdom environmental protester, or Eco-warrior. One issue of SchNEWS, an English anarchist newsletter, described the coming together of striking dockworkers and green protesters as "Docks and dreadlocks come together". SchNEWS is a free weekly publication from Brighton, England, which has been running since November 1994 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Green politics is a Political ideology which places a high importance on ecological and environmental goals and on achieving these goals through broad-based ^[4] Some people also describe them as "neo-hippies. "

Rastafari and British film director and musician Don Letts, explained the punk-rasta unity, which emerged in Great Britain during the early 1970s, in terms of a shared sense of a rebellion against the establishment and established norms. Don Letts (born) is a British film director and musician He is credited as the man who through his DJing at clubs like The Roxy brought together punk and The punk subculture is based around Punk rock. It emerged from the larger Rock music scene in the mid-to-late-1970s in the United Kingdom, the United See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

The reggae thing and the punk thing. . . it's the same fuckin' thing. Just the black version and the white version. The kids are singing about the change, they wanna do away with the establishment. . . . Our Babylon is your establishment, same fuckin' thing. If we beat it, then you beat it, and vice versa. . . Like with me hair, and the red, gold, and green. Once you put that hat on your head you're takin' on a whole lot of shit, you know what I mean? Same as a punk, right, a punk wears his clothes. He's makin' an outward sign he's rebelling. (Don Letts, 1977 interview with Sniffin' Glue ^[5])

Raver with multi-colored, woolen and synthetic dreadlocks

Dreadlocks are also popular in reggae and ska subcultures. A rave (or rave party) is a term in use since the 1980s to describe Dance Parties (often all-night events

Dreadlocks came into prominence in the 90's with the introduction of Nu metal with many bands such as Korn, P.O.D and Incubus donning dreadlocks. Nu metal (sometimes named new metal or nü metal) is a musical genre that emerged in the mid 1990s which fuses influences from grunge and Alternative Korn, occasionally typeset as KoЯn or KoRn, is an American Nu metal band from Bakersfield California, and is often credited with popularizing POD, initials standing for Payable On Death, is a rock band from San Diego California. Incubus is a Grammy -nominated Alternative rock band based out of Calabasas, California. Rob Zombie is another prominent artist known for wearing his hair in dreads. Robert Bartleh Cummings (born January 12, 1965) better known by his Stage name, Rob Zombie, is an American Musician

Within other youth subcultures, locks also can be a means of creative self-expression, a symbol of individualism and a form of rebellion against traditional ties and restrictions. For example the members of the Cybergoth movement in Europe setting out to shock with creative hair displays like wildly coloured lock wigs, "dread falls" and elaborate extensions complemented by dramatic make-up to oppose representations of authority and conformity. Cyber, is the name given to a contemporary Subculture having roots in multiple music and fashion scenes including the European and American Rave / clubbing

Certain children, especially Africans, cultivate dreadlocks from the time of birth which is sometimes thought to be a sign of spiritual power of the new born.

By culture

Hinduism

A dreadlocked Samson fights the lion in this drawing from a 15th century Icelandic manuscript. Samson, Shimshon ( Hebrew: שמשון, Standard Šimšon Tiberian Šimšôn; meaning Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (

There are many reasons among various cultures for wearing locks. Locks can be an expression of deep religious or spiritual convictions, a manifestation of ethnic pride, a political statement, or be simply a fashion preference. In response to the derogatory history of the term dreadlocks, alternative names for the style include locks and African Locks. It is also argued that the accurate term for the process of creating the style is locking rather than dreading.

Among some Sadhus and Sadhvis, Indian holy men and women, locks are sacred, considered to be a religious practice and an expression of their disregard for profane vanity, as well as a symbol of their spiritual understanding that physical appearances are unimportant. In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an Ascetic or practitioner of Yoga ( Yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The public symbol of matted hair is re-created each time an individual goes through these unique experiences. In almost all myths about Shiva and his flowing locks, there is a continual interplay of extreme asceticism and virile potency, which link the elements of destruction and creation, whereas the full head of matted hair symbolizes the control of power.

Gangadhara Shiva captures and controls the river Ganges with his locks, whose descent from the heavens would have deluged the world. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent The river is released through the locks of his hair, which prevents the river from destroying earth. As the Lord of Dance, Nataraja, Shiva performs the tandava, which is the dance in which the universe is created, maintained, and resolved. Nataraja /nɐtɐrɑdʒɐ/ ( The Lord (or King of Dance) Tamil கூத்தன் is the dancing posture of the Hindu god Shiva, who performs his Tāndava or Tāndava nṛtya, the divine art form is a dance performed by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Shiva's long, matted tresses, usually piled up in a kind of pyramid, loosen during the dance and crash into the heavenly bodies, knocking them off course or destroying them utterly.

Locks in India are reserved nearly exclusively for holy people. According to the 'Hymn of the longhaired sage' in the ancient Vedas, long jatas express a spiritual significance which implies the wearer has special relations with spirits, is an immortal traveller between two worlds and the master over fire:

The long-haired one endures fire, the long-haired one endures poison, the long-haired one endures both worlds. Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or spiritual form for an Infinite length of Time. Fire is the heat and light energy released during a Chemical reaction, in particular a combustion reaction. The long-haired one is said to gaze full on heaven, the long-haired one is said to be that light . . . Of us, you mortals, only our bodies do you behold. . . . For him has the Lord of life churned and pounded the unbendable, when the long-haired one, in Rudra’s company, drank from the poison cup (The Keshin Hymn, Rig-veda 10. 136)

Sadhu with jata (long locks) twisted in a knot on top of the head

The Shaiva Nagas, ascetics of India, wear their jata (long hair) in a twisted knot or bundle on top of the head and let them down only for special occasions and rituals. In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an Ascetic or practitioner of Yoga ( Yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. The strands are then rubbed with ashes and cowdung, considered both sacred and purifying, then scented and adorned with flowers.

Rastafari

Similarly, the Rastafari wear locks as an expression of inner spirituality. For them, the term "dread" refers to a "fear of the Lord", expressed in part as alienation from the perceived decadence and other evils of contemporary society and a return to the Covenant with the Almighty, Jah Rastafari.

Another interpretation among the Rastafari is that "dread" refers to the fear locked Mau Mau warriors inspired among the colonial British.

Dreadlocks on a Rasta's head are symbolic of the Lion of Judah which is sometimes centered on the Ethiopian Flag. The Lion of Judah has its origins in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible ( Old Testament) where the Israelite Tribe of Judah had Rastas hold that Selassie is a direct descendant of the Israelite Tribe of Judah through the lineage of Kings of Israel David and Solomon, and that he is also the Lion of Judah mentioned in the Book of Revelation. See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. The Tribe of Judah ( was one of the Tribes of Israel. At its height it was the leading tribe of the Kingdom of Judah, and occupied most of the territory of the kingdom The Kingdom of Israel ( ( KJV Israel in Samaria) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel' David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible King Solomon ( Ge'ez: ስለሞን Arabic: ar سليمان, Sulayman, all from the Triliteral root S-L-M, "peace" The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John ( pronounced, from the Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου

The Ngati Dreads or Māori Rastafaris, indigenous people of New Zealand, combine the Rasta teaching with the teachings of Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki, a Māori leader and the founder of the Ringatu religion who preached belief in God and the rejection of Māori tohungaism. This article discusses the Māori people of New Zealand For their language see Māori language, and for other meanings see Māori (disambiguation. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki (c 1814–1891 was a Māori leader founder of the Ringatu Religion and guerrilla. The Ringatu church was founded in 1868 by Te Kooti Rikirangi The symbol for the movement is an upraised hand or "Ringa Tu" in Māori.

Western

Man with dreadlocks.

When reggae music gained popularity and mainstream acceptance in the '70s, the locks (often called “dreads”) were co-opted by the secular and became a notable fashion statement; they were worn by prominent authors, actors, athletes and rappers, and were even portrayed as part and parcel of gang culture in such movies as Marked for Death. Marked for Death is a 1990 Action film directed by Dwight H Little.

With the "Rasta style", the fashion and beauty industries capitalized on the trend. The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament A completely new line of hair care products and services emerged in salons that catered to a Caucasian clientele, offering all sorts of "dreadhead" hair care items such as wax, shampoo, and jewelry. Hairstylists created a wide variety of modified locks, including multi-colored, synthetic lock extensions and "dread perms", where chemicals are used to treat the hair. Dread perming is a chemical treatment that is used by Beauty salons to create or maintain Dreadlocks.

Hair salons in Black communities boomed as well, with well-known Black artists such as Rosalind Cash, Whoopi Goldberg, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Lauryn Hill, Lenny Kravitz, Bobby McFerrin, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Living Colour and Keith Hamilton Cobb inspiring a "new" look for Afrocentric hair free from chemical processing. Rosalind Cash ( December 31 1938 – October 31 1995) was an American singer and Actress, best known film role was as Charlton Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson; November 13, 1955) is an American actress, comedienne, and television Alice Malsenior Walker (born February 9 1944 is an American Author, self-declared Feminist and Womanist - the latter a term she herself Toni Morrison (born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18 1931 is a Nobel Prize -winning American author editor and professor Lauryn Noel Hill is a Grammy Award -winning American Singer, Rapper, Musician, Songwriter, producer, and Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American Singer-songwriter, Multi-instrumentalist, Record Robert "Bobby" McFerrin Jr (born in Manhattan, New York, on March 11, 1950) is a ten-time Grammy Award -winning Jazz Malcolm-Jamal Warner (born August 18, 1970) is an American television Actor, director and musician known primarily for his roles in Sitcoms Living Colour is an American Funk metal band from New York City, formed in 1983 Keith Hamilton Cobb (born 28 January 1962) is an American actor best known for his roles as the ruthless Nietzschean mercenary Tyr Anasazi While some mistakenly view Milli Vanilli as examples of this type of dread, their hair was actually styled in multiple braids viewable on several of their album covers. Milli Vanilli were a pop and Dance music project formed by Frank Farian in Germany in 1988 fronted by Fab Morvan and Rob Microbraids as well as two-strand twists are sometimes mistaken for dreadlocks.

Locked models appeared at fashion shows, and Rasta clothing with a Jamaican-style reggae look were sold. Even exclusive fashion brands like Christian Dior created whole Rasta-inspired collections worn by models with a variety of lock hairstyles. Christian Dior ( January 21, 1905 &ndash October 23, 1957) was an influential French Fashion designer, best known as the

See also

• James Shaffer
• Hinduism
• Rastafari movement
• Sadhu
• Backcombing
• Polish plait
• Jason Castro
• Jason Momoa
• Knuckles the Echidna

Notes

References

• "The African Presence in India: A Photo Essay," by Runoko Rashidi

External links

• Dreadlocks.com "We help you grow dreads. "
• Dreadhead Times
• Guardian article
• Dreadlocks Guide and examination in depth of Rasta culture (in italian)