Slavic style in hairstyles is strongly pronounced. They are significantly different from the national haircuts of other peoples and are based on a mixture of Eastern and Western cultural traditions.
Slavic men's hairstyles are made for medium length hair (not lower than the shoulders) and there are certain rules for creating and wearing them, which we'll talk about today. Too short a haircut indicated that the man was in slavery.
Since ancient times, the Slavs wore elongated hair, which should cover the back of the head. If necessary, cut the hair in a semicircle. At the same time, the hairstyle was styled in the form of a hat, when the hair was distributed evenly on all sides from the crown.
Men also necessarily grew a beard and mustache, and from a young age. A thick beard with a mustache not only spoke of puberty, but also that it was already possible to do business with a man.
The rite of tonsure was performed on boys at the age of one or a little older. To do this, they sat him next to an object that was associated with male power (saber, ax, horse) and gave his hair the necessary shape, after which he was dressed in men's clothes and began to teach the necessary craft. Before this ritual, the child was read asexual. In order to achieve even lines in the “under the pot” haircut, this item was put on the child’s head, and all hair peeking out from under the edges of the pot was removed.
Advice! To make your hair look healthy and shiny, you can use the recipes for caring for them from the ancient Slavs. Men carefully kept their hair clean, using egg yolk or yogurt instead of shampoo. They also rinsed the curls after washing with decoctions of herbs or oak bark.
If women braided their long hair, then men gathered their hair in a tight ponytail. Going to war, some men took a few thin strands and braided a braid that freely fell on the shoulder from the side near the ear. Such a decision has no special meaning, the scythe symbolized a talisman and protected the warrior from enemy negativity. It is important to note the location of the thin braid, which should not hang over the forehead and eyes, so as not to interfere in battle.
History
The hairstyles of the Slavs were updated with each era. If in ancient times the style of men's hairstyles was dictated by practicality, then during the influence of French fashion, aesthetic moments were already brought to the fore.
In ancient times, every man wore shoulder-length hair and a thick beard. During the period of Norman influence, men's haircuts became shorter, and beards were completely shaved off, leaving only mustaches on the face.
At the time of the introduction of Christianity, a new fashion for spade beards and haircuts "under the pot" appeared. At the same time, this haircut was used for children and for adult men and the elderly.
Important! Only in the VIII century, after the regular bulks of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, did the fashion for short haircuts and bald heads come.
During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, a law was even issued prohibiting men from shaving their beards and heads. And the reforms of Peter I spread the fashion for long male curls with a parting in the middle.
Hair length
If you study history well, it becomes clear that all Slavic men's haircuts are based on medium length hair. At the same time, only at home men allowed themselves to wear their hair loose. When leaving the house, all hair was collected in a ponytail or its main part, leaving some strands in the occipital area free. Slavic men never wore too long hair. Long braids are for women.
The length of a warrior's hair differed little from that of an ordinary farmer. One difference was that the warriors kept their hair in a low ponytail around the neck to make it easier to wear a helmet. Therefore, in ancient times, the hairstyles of all men were with elongated curls to the shoulders and differed little from each other except in the structure of the hair. The hair of the Slavs had a special sacred meaning, so it was a sin to shorten it greatly. Long hair was a symbol of strength and beauty, and a short hairstyle spoke of the godless "low" nature of a person, and therefore such a decision was condemned.
For reference! To decorate their hairstyles, the Slavs often used amulets, which were bright fabric strips or leather ribbons. They were tied on the forehead, which helped to fix the hair in a certain position and prevent it from getting into the eyes during work. Also, elements of jewelry, rings or bombons were hung from the amulets.
Do such haircuts still exist?
Today, all modern elongated hairstyles, without the use of special hairdressing sophisticated techniques, can be attributed to Slavic haircuts. An important touch in this style is the presence of a thick beard in a man.
Also today, fashionistas often use the “pot” form, which was also often used by the Slavs. Modern interpretations of this haircut are slightly changed, but in general the shape remains recognizable. It can be complemented with elongated bangs or profiled strands. The final shape of the hairstyle also depends on the styling.
Why are all long haircuts considered Slavic?
The Slavs believed that the heroic strength of a man was contained in the hair, so they never cut them above the shoulders. At the same time, as too long strands spoke of the negligence and untidiness of the stronger sex, it was therefore important to adhere to the established rules. A man was a strength and support for a woman, a generator of energy and a protector. The long-haired image of the hero was described in many fairy tales and stories.
It cannot be said that in ancient times the length of men's hair was absolutely equal to the length of women's. Male Slavs regularly cut their hair, but nevertheless their hairstyles were never too short. Men's hair was cut so that the back of the head and ears were covered. The hair was combed from the crown in a circle or simply combed back. Until the 10th century, a straight parting remained popular among the princes, while the length of the hair reached the shoulders.
Our ancestors believed that it was through the hair that they acquire special power from the gods, the surrounding nature and their ancestors. No wonder hair is often compared to a wheat field. Long ears receive more life-giving moisture from Mother Raw Earth and more light from the Sun - Yaril. Yes, and the warning of the Slavic god Svarog said: “Do not cut your fair hair, your hair is different, but with gray hair, because you will not comprehend the Wisdom of God and you will lose your health.”
Long hair in Russia was associated not only with strength, but also with wisdom. It was believed that the longer their length, the wiser their owner. He receives this wisdom from above, as they would say now - from space. No wonder the word "cosmos" is so similar to "cosmos".
Why does a person need long hair?
In the daily bustle, few people think why a person needs long hair. But they are given to us not just for beauty. A person with long hair has better intuition. A woman with long hair carries a child WITHOUT toxicosis.
Thus, according to the apocryphal “Book of the Genesis of Heaven and Earth,” Samson, an Old Testament hero who became famous for his exploits in the fight against enemies, wore long braids that gave him heroic strength. When Samson broke his vow of celibacy given to the gods and fell in love with Delilah, he revealed to her a secret under the “drunk shop”: “If you cut my hair, then my strength will recede from me.”
The insidious lover waited until the man fell asleep and cut off seven braids from his head. Samson immediately weakened, and the enemies took advantage of this - they blinded him and forced him to work at the mill. But when Samson's hair grew back, the strength returned to him, and he destroyed the building where the enemies were.
I remember the story of my friend. She studied perfectly well, an athlete from the Komsomol, a braid to the waist. And then she managed to make a fashionable haircut just before the exams. And what do you think? She failed her exams. She just could not remember anything from what she knew yesterday at five. She cut off her memory.
Therefore, often a person who has experienced a very great grief is advised to get a haircut. To say so, the memory of the negative moments of life is gone.
And for the same reason, under no circumstances should you cut small children's hair. There is a belief that a child must be cut bald at the age of one. So I'll tell you that this is complete nonsense. A child actively learns the world, learns every second of his life, and you just take and cut off all his memory. He starts learning from the beginning. On the face of a lag in development.
Why do girls tend to develop faster? Because they are usually not trimmed. It has been proven that children who have not had their hair cut grow much faster.
Why did the Slavs wear long hair?
The commandment of God Svarog says: “Do not cut your fair hair, your hair is different, but with gray hair, for you will not comprehend the Wisdom of God and lose your health.”
We all know that in the old days, even Slavic men did not cut their hair. A woman with cropped hair was considered generally disgraced, and among all nations. It was customary for some peoples to cut men's hair, but note that haircuts were far from short.
Also, never dye your hair. We all studied physics at school. The color of objects arises mainly in the process of absorption of waves.
The red vessel looks red because it absorbs all other colors of the light beam and reflects only red. When we say "this cup is red", what we really mean is that the molecular composition of the surface of the cup is such that it absorbs all light rays except red ones.
So, your hair has a certain color, as we know, there are no pure colors, the shades of hair are varied and very complex. Based on the foregoing, hair absorbs energy flows from a certain wavelength. And exactly the energy that your body needs. What happens when you color your hair? Your body begins to receive energy alien to it.
In Russia, the Slavs wore long braids for a reason, the hair of the Slavs had its own magical properties - after all, the braid was located strictly along the spine, being a powerful amulet (now we know that the main chakras are located along the spine, read about them separately). Any WEAVING protected from evil and dark forces.
THOSE WHO SHAVED ARE EASIER TO MANAGE. Thus, the connection with the ancestors and free-thinking are broken, awareness is clouded.
The strength of this current depends on the length of the hair: for the initial stage of hair growth, the longer the hair, the stronger the current, and this happens until the hair grows to 10-15 cm, and then the current stabilizes with further hair growth (approximately within 20- 40cm) gradually drops to zero.
It should be noted that such a pattern is observed in people with healthy, that is, sufficiently pronounced energy, in people with a weakened vitality, no current can be observed at all.
Long hair accumulates energy well and does not waste it in vain. They become additional energy protection and at the same time enhance the intuitive sensitivity of a person.
A person sensitive to energy is quite clearly convinced of the protective power of long hair: under adverse energy influences (of which there are many around - from unfavorable days of the new moon to certain religious holidays and who knows what else), a person’s long hair begins to irritate him, they are somehow energetically dark, dirty , you want to get rid of them - but it is they who take on the negativity coming from outside, if there were no long hair, then all this darkness and dirt would be in the very head of a person and would cause mental states in him, naturally, not the best.
Due to some minimal energy current remaining in long hair, this negative is then removed from the hair. Energy cleansing of hair is their usual combing.
Many women were convinced that hair is an accumulator of a person’s personal energy after changing long hair to a short haircut - immediately after cutting long hair, a state of enlightenment sets in, increased energy tone, it becomes easy and pleasant, so it seems that it has become so because they got rid of from an unnecessary hair, but, alas, this happens because the energy accumulated in long hair has been released and now it is spent on a short-term flash of tone.
And the fact that hair in general are energy conductors, many people became even more clearly convinced in the event of a sudden danger or just a fright. At this point, the hair stands on end. That's why they stand on end - a sharp energy surge passes through them, which plays a protective role, and it is precisely the energy passing through them that lifts them and disperses them. This effect is similar to the effect of electrification.
In men, the energy of mustaches and beards is no less significant. Many have noticed in practice that their energy helps to increase the intuitive sensitivity of a person, and mustaches are especially significant in this regard. And a lot suggests that this is not the only energy function of the mustache and beard.
Taking into account the peculiarities of the energy of hair, the Aryans formed certain types of haircuts, and these haircuts were different for each class. Brahmins, for example, who made up the priestly class, did not cut their hair in principle, for them it was unacceptable, since it reduced for some time their ability to interact with spiritual energies.
Traditions
In the old days, not only women, but also men treated their hair with care. Only his wife or other close relative had the right to cut a man's hair. The cut hairs were thrown into a burning stove or buried under a fruit tree so that the man would not lose his vitality, and also so that no one could use his hair for evil purposes.
Slavic men from childhood were taught to keep their hair clean in order not to lose touch with the gods and ancestors. Men looked after their hair as carefully as women: they used various herbal infusions, sour milk and clay for washing. Well-groomed and beautiful hair attracted the attention of women, as they spoke of the strength of their owner.
How long should women's hair be?
And what is the result? That's right, disease. So women, think a hundred times whether it is worth painting over gray hair, does it spoil you so much. By the way, French women, who are considered the ideal of style and taste, never painted over their gray hair. Do you know that the average hair length for a woman is to the buttocks? And what about a normal one, capable of providing her with the necessary supply of energy - up to her knees?
A woman with long hair has such a powerful energy that she is able to create a protective circle for her beloved man, to protect him with her energy from any troubles. By the way, a husband receives protection from his wife when he combs her hair.
The Slavs had such a tradition. A woman could let her hair down only at home or in nature. For the simple reason that loose hair (and even more cut) absorbs all the negative energy. Including the lustful thoughts of men.
Imagine a girl who has had short hair all her childhood. And why is everyone surprised when she grows up and hits fornication. And you imagine how much vulgarity she absorbed in her entire life, so why be surprised. So think about it, why didn’t girls cut their hair among the Slavs?
The braid flew into the girls, it was located along the spine and it was believed that all the light Universal forces pass through the hair into the spine and fill the body, Soul and Spirit of the girl with special vitality, preparing her for the future Sacred mission of motherhood.
She symbolized the unification of the vital forces of the Worlds of Reveal, Navi and Rule. A married woman braided 2 braids in order to receive energy for herself and for her unborn child. So that the braids do not interfere with work, they were collected in a bundle, or removed under a scarf.
By the way, the hair on the human body performs the same functions as on the head. Therefore, by doing the so-called epilation, women deprive themselves of an additional flow of energy that nourishes specific chakras.
Why do men have long hair?
Many men freeze with delight when they see loose fluffy hair that develops in the wind. The fact is that subconsciously this is perceived by men as a signal that the girl is ready to get acquainted, she is open for communication. But hair gathered in a ponytail or a strict perfect bun scares men a little, because such a hairstyle for them symbolizes a woman’s desire to make a career.
Many successful women prefer short haircuts, but very often they find themselves lonely and suffer from a lack of affection and love.
Ladies with long beautiful curls look feminine, romantic and completely defenseless, making a man want to protect, protect and carry on his hands.
In the stronger sex, the presence of long thick hair in a woman is associated with good health, readiness for a family, children.
In Europe, the first to organize hair cutting was the Roman Emperor Nero, who ordered the consul to cut all foreign legions bald.
When the consul, commander of the foreign legions, asked the emperor Nero why this was necessary, he replied: "I do not want them to think, it is enough for me that they only follow my orders and orders." Most likely, this is why in modern society it is customary to cut the hair of men so that they think less and be more submissive cogs in the system.
And in the Russian lands, hair cutting began to be practiced only with the advent of Christianity. No one can now explain why and for what they cut the followers of their teachings and their priests-priests, even if the Bible tells of Samson, who never cut his hair and was strong and invincible until his hair was cut off (The Book of Judges Chapter 17, verses 17-19).
Although religion is a very strange thing, and there obedience to the authorities and unwillingness to think with one’s own head is also often very useful, although of course there are other factors why men need long hair and their connection with religion and various rituals, but more on that in a separate article.
He completed the transition to cutting hair for men and the reason for forcibly shaving long beards at the beginning of the 18th century was the decree of Emperor Peter I "to shave beards and wear German dress." Since Peter did not grow a beard, and on this occasion he was very complex. The solution was found - to deprive everyone else of the beard.
LONG HAIR for our ancestors - WISDOM.
Have you ever wondered why in the army they HAVE SHAVED baldly, why everyone says that children under one year old SHOULD CUT their first hair, why in churches women are OBLIGED TO PUT ON A HANDKERCHIEF on their heads? And after all, why did the Indians scalp?
Hair gives a person MENTAL POWER, which is needed, for example, for thinking and awareness, it also gives a person those abilities that are called magical. THE LONGER THE HAIR, the more power a person gets.
Therefore, men in Russia wore elongated haircuts, and witches (Witch, who does not know, the mother in charge, and not the old evil grandmother) had long hair. Almost all paints contain strong chemicals that destroy the structure of the hair and they become dead, after which they cease to perform their functions of accumulating energy.
Hair is indeed a conductor of energy, but for this their length must be at least 7 cm. LONG HAIR for our ancestors has always symbolized - WISDOM.
From the history
In primitive society, women had long hair, which they warmed children and hid from prying eyes. At that time, men liked to woo women by dragging them by the hair into the cave.
In ancient Russia, almost all girls before marriage had a mop of long blond hair, which was braided. After marriage, they covered their heads and no longer had the right to appear in public without a headscarf. When choosing a bride, very often the groom gave preference to a girl whose hair is longer and thicker.
If you recall ancient Greek mythology, then there was only one goddess with a short haircut - Athena, the goddess of war and justice. And her opposite - Aphrodite, the priestess of love, had beautiful hair. The artist Botticelli in one of his famous paintings - "The Birth of Aphrodite" - depicted her with long wavy strands fluttering in the wind. Tenderness and love are on one side of the scale, and on the other - justice and militancy. It is easy to guess what the man will choose.
We are all used to the fact that sidelocks are a type of hairstyle characteristic of people who adhere to the Orthodox Jewish faith, and meanwhile, sidelocks were the most common hairstyle for Central Europe, they were recently worn even by Slavic peasants in Slovakia, national heroes and hussars. I knew about the hussars, but I didn’t expect to see photos of Slovak peasants with sidelocks, but it was quite a common thing a hundred years ago, though the sidelocks, for convenience in work, were braided, but this doesn’t really change things.
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A frame from an old film showing the national hero of the Slovaks, the Slav Janoshik. Further it will be even more interesting.
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This is also a frame from a film about the Slavs.
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And this is no longer a movie, but life, in the photo of the beginning of the last century, Slovak peasants, their sidelocks are like those of Janoshik.
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And these are Russian hussars, the Life Hussar Regiment. It should be noted that at that time almost all the hussars of Europe had such a hairstyle, with sidelocks.
The first hussars appeared around 1500 in Hungary, the hussar uniform is nothing more than a Hungarian folk outfit.The word hussar in Hungarian means a flying horseman.The hussars of those times were very different from the usual image of the hussars. He wore animal skins. Usually leopard. In addition, early hussars wore wings. Literally.
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Hussars appeared in Russia for the first time in the reign of Emperor Peter the Great, in 1723. INIn 1762, the year of the accession to the throne of Empress Catherine II (who died in 1796), the number of Russian hussar regiments was already 12.
A distinctive feature of the hussars of that time was that they wore long mustaches and temples, while all other troops were not allowed to let their hair grow like that, but were ordered to wear powdered wigs.
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Curls were a special hairstyle for the hussars.
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Russian Novgorodians also look interesting in the German depiction of the 14th century. All with sidelocks braided into braids.
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Russian hunters sell furs. Stralsund 1360 - 1370. The hairstyle of these Russian hunters with sidelocks is like that of the Slovak Janushek from the beginning.
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That's it.
But I have always been interested in history. And she is very interested to know what hairstyles warriors wore in antiquity.
It is rather difficult to answer this question, since neither skin nor hair is stored in the ground for a long time. Sometimes it is possible to detect their remains, but for this they had to - for example - come into contact with metal. However, such cases are very rare, so we will catch information about hairstyles not in graves, but on images or in texts of annals or chronicles.
Let's start from the depths - that is, from Ancient Rome.
Long hair and beards were the style favored by the patricians when Rome was a Republic. Then, under the curtain of the Republic, beards began to be shaved off, and the hair on the head was cut as short as possible.
Then the era of soldier emperors began. These were the warriors who became the head of Rome with the help of legions loyal to them. And although they thought in a soldierly way, beards were returned to fashion again. Then beards began to be shaved again - and already in the ruins of Western Rome, when its greatness was concentrated in Byzantium, shaving became fashionable again.
Well, during the Crusades, shaving became the lot of palace eunuchs. As they say, they shaved clean ...
Dark Ages
By the way, about the smoking ruins of the Great Rome. The barbarians who defeated the Empire of the Eternal City were representatives of various tribes.
The Goths cut all the hair on their heads short except for bangs. It is interesting that the fashion for such a hairstyle passed to Byzantium, where it became incredibly popular at the court of the emperor.
In 1998, the author of these lines met such "Gothic" hairstyles in the valiant Russian army. For example, junior sergeant M. grew a forelock of incredible length and hid it under an “Afghan” cap, while the back of the head and “tanks” were cut to three millimeters.
The Franks came up with the formula "the longer the hair, the higher the status." Kings from not in vain are called "long-haired". Even after adopting Christianity, the Franks continued to believe that the hair contains the power that gives their owners all the most useful - health, luck, strength.
In a word, complete agreement with the Old Testament story about the strong man Samson, who lost all his power after his wife cut off his long hair in a dream. Apparently, therefore, the Franks remained in their opinion about hair. Whenever the Franks deposed their next king, they first of all shaved his head.
Scandinavia
Since Scandinavia was on the very edge of Europe, the fashion for long hair and beards lingered there for a long time. Sagas often talk about long, well-groomed hair as a sign of a rich and noble Scandinavian.
For example, we talked about King Harald the Shaggy Man, who vowed not to cut his hair until he reached his goal. We wrote about him and his goals in an article. The ruler turned out to be very purposeful.
A similar case, only from much later times, was sung by "Chizh and Company" in the song "Partisan Beard". And by the way, it has real roots.
Meet Grigory Ivanovich Penezhko. Hero of the Soviet Union - his tank destroyed five German "Tigers" in one battle, and three - after the Germans decided that the "thirty-four" and its crew were dead. As a result, the 31st Tank Brigade was able to get out of the encirclement.
When the Great Patriotic War began, he vowed to shave until the complete defeat of Germany, and very soon became the owner of a huge beard. Only on June 24, after the Victory parade, he shaved it off and gave it to friends for souvenirs.
Hairstyle of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich
That's where the sore subject, great for debate. There is a description of the Greek historian Leo Deacon, who described the appearance of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich as follows: “(...) His head was completely naked, but on one side a tuft of hair hung down - a sign of the nobility of the family.”
The Byzantine did not attach a picture, and what was meant by a tuft of hair is unclear. Now it's spawning a ton of versions. Some say it's the hair on the shaved top of the head, the so-called "seedling", others - it's a tuft of hair on the side of the head, above the ear.
Still others put forward an equally interesting version. Say, the whole squad, including Svyatoslav Igorevich, shaved their heads before the campaign. And since long hair was a sign of his noble family, the prince left a tuft of old hair.
Something similar is found on a dish made by Bulgarian craftsmen. Here it is:
However, the hairstyle of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich is the hairstyle of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich. His namesake, Svyatoslav Yaroslavich, preferred a different image.
Here is a miniature of the 11th century, decorating one of the most ancient Russian books - Svyatoslav's Izbornik.
As we can see, Prince Svyatoslav Yaroslavich and his sons, as well as his nephew Yaropolk, are depicted with rather short haircut.
Hairstyle of Prince Yaropolk Izyaslavich
And here is a miniature of the same times from the Trier Psalter, which is also called the Gertrude Code. On it we see the Grand Duke of Kiev Izyaslav Yaroslavich, the grandson of Yaroslav the Wise. It is very likely that the prince is cut "under the pot."
Hairstyle of Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest
The northern facade of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral in the city of Vladimir is decorated with a bas-relief. It depicts Prince Vsevolod Yurievich, nicknamed the Big Nest.
The nickname stuck to him thanks to a large number of children. He (the tenth son of Yuri Dolgoruky) was the father of eight sons and father of four daughters. Sons (though not all) are depicted in bas-relief around the father. Let's call them by name.
- Konstantin "Good", the first prince of the newly formed Rostov principality,
- Yuri - the founder of Nizhny Novgorod,
- Yaroslav is the father of Alexander Nevsky,
- Svyatoslav - who destroyed the Bulgarian city of Oshel in 1220
- Gleb.
As you can see, none of them wear anything like the hairstyle of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich. Moreover, hair styled in this way will not seem like an extreme style today, that is, after eight hundred years.
Now let's move to the West.
Hairstyles of European warriors of the XI-XII centuries
For example, take the famous Carpet from Baio. It depicts the confrontation between the Anglo-Saxons and the Norman warriors.
The Normans mostly shave their faces, although a couple of the warriors wear mustaches. But the hairstyles are very colorful - they shaved their heads to the back of the head and on the sides. However, this fashion did not last long.
The Anglo-Saxons, on the contrary, wore long mustaches. And since we are talking about a mustache, it's time to return to Mother Russia, but at a later time.
Hairstyles of Novgorodians of the XIV-XV centuries
On carved panels from the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in the city of Stralsund, Novgorod hunters with long braids are depicted. The carving dates from 1400 or so.
This is one of the most unusual images of Russian people of that time. Whether this is really how they walked around Novgorod or is it the author’s fantasy is not completely clear.
But the description of the traveler Gilbert de Lannoy, who visited Novgorod around 1415, is very aptly recalled, at about the same time as the above panels were made. So. De Lannoy writes that in Novgorod women wear two braids, and men wear one.
And here is a fragment of the famous icon "Praying Novgorodians", on which we see the Novgorod boyars:
Here is a more familiar image of Novgorod city dwellers: everything is as it should be and beards without fanaticism.
The most versatile hairstyle
Well, the most versatile, timeless hairstyle is found on one of the miniatures of the Radziwill chronicle. Look at the warrior on the left. He is completely bald!
On this positive note, we end today's article and go to the hairdresser ...
Sources:
- Materials of "Too Forum"
- Constable D. Beards in history. Symbols, fashion, perception // Odysseus. Man in history. 1994. M., 1994. S. 165-181.
- Photo from the archive of the historical club "Bear Yard" (Ufa)
- Fragment of the painting by Nikolai Ovechkin "The Last Fight of Svyatoslav"
