From shamans to warriors, dreads were a staple hairstyle due to the curly nature of African hair. But what about people from the Nordic countries? Having lived and traveled in different parts of Scandinavia, Seline has a fondness for all things Nordic. Dreadlocks were seen as both fashionable and functional by the Vikings. Men and women wore different hairstyles to express their masculinity or femininity in their communities. Did Vikings have dreads? Swedish girl names: Your list of top Swedish female names, Swedish boy names: Popular Swedish male names, Viking video games: Video games with Viking and Norse mythology, The Best Bike Tours in Copenhagen, Denmark. Storytelling, art, and songs were common ways to transfer stories from one generation to the next. You can get them started by backcombing or hand-rolling your hair. Please read our. Did Viking Face Paint Exist? Christian started Scandinavia Facts to explore his family heritage, raise awareness of one of his academic interests as a professor, and civilly promote the region. Norse viking rune beads with antique silver metal finish on each edge, plus Northern European symbol and character on the middle, are with retro exotic style. Further complicating matters is the fact that bas relief sculpture from ancient Egypt also depicts pharaohs wearing a dreadlock-type hairstyle, well before the Viking dreadlocks would have made an appearance. Seline Shenoy is a journalist and podcaster. There is an array of opinions about people wore dreadlocks. Its possible that some Vikings shaved most of their hair off or went entirely bald. These braids were likely then pinned in place using a stick or comb while the woman secured the braids with more cord. And if you want to channel your inner Ivar from Vikings, check out this video, which shows exactly how to do a long-haired Viking dreadlock style. , from thin blonde strands to thick black heads of hair. As their hair grew, it became tangled and formed knots. Ancient India: The Vedas, the scriptures of Hinduism that date back to 1500 BC, describe the Hindu God Shiva as wearing jata, which means dreadlocks in Sanskrit. So, depending on your hair length, you can choose any of the below given Viking hairstyles. Heres How the Vikings Proposed and Got Married, Viking Answer Lady: Viking Age Hairstyles, Haircare, and Personal Grooming. The men who spent much of their time in battle and traveling needed to keep their long hair from getting in the way during their raids. The Vikings wore their dreadlocks in a variety of styles. She may have wrapped this hair two or three times with the tail end of the braid hanging loosely. Get the Facts, link to Were the Vikings Black? Women's Men's Kids' & Baby Bags & Purses Women's Clothing . Also see Did the Vikings Share Their Wives? Some styles for men have a completely shaved head with a long plait of dreads running from the top of the head down the back. Generally, Vikings wore their hair in one of the following styles: Long hair was the norm for most Viking communities, but it could also be a nuisance. Five of the traditional female Viking hairstyles include: According to archaeological evidence, Viking women often wore their hair in protective styles, although younger females wore their hair more loosely than married women as a symbol of their virginity. However, there are cultural influences too. Keep reading to discover what hairstyles the Vikings had and how hairstyle affected a Vikings standing in their local community. Women's Clothing and Accessories. They likely used combs to do this, which were later found by archeologists in Viking burial sites. Many Viking men sported a hairstyle known today as a "reverse mullet," whereby hair was allowed to grow long in the front but was cut short or even shaved in the back of the head. However, silk was a luxury and imported item, so most Viking women likely had hoods of linen or wool. Forest Vikings blond set of DE dreadlocks. In ancient Egypt, bas-reliefs and other artefacts have been found to show Egyptians donning braided hairstyles (and even wigs). Historians believe the word dreadlocks was first used when the British army fought Kenyan warriors during the 19th-century colonial battles. to learn what scientists believe about their faces, hairstyles, clothing, skin color, and more. Since they were close to the Vikings, they influenced them differently. But Viking warriors likely developed dreads while spending long bouts of time away from home. However, the evidence to support this idea is scant. Some women are shown wearing braided hair on top of their head and the rest left loose. The frescos are thought to date from around 1700 BC some 2500 years before the Vikings! However, Hindu Vedic texts from around 1700 BCE also mention matted hair. SerenityWireWrap. Viking warriors usually wore long braids or dreadlocks to make them more intimidating to their enemies in battle or perhaps, more simply, for the practical purpose or keeping their hair out of their eyes while fighting! No one wore dreadlocks before anyone, it's what all unbrushed hair does. This section will cover some cultures known to have dreads. Ombre brown to blonde ponytail dreadlock wig, Viking hair extension, Bohemian braids on hairband, Medival customizable braids extension Ad vertisement by 27HairTreasures. If you have short hair then there is no need to worry because you can make dreadlocks with your short and medium-length hair too. See How Vikings Got Tattoos and Why to learn more. Her well-preserved remains indicate that she was hanged in her mid-20s. Sometimes their hair was further accessorized with a decorative circlet that matched their clothing. And if so, what would Viking dreadlocks have looked like? Keep reading to learn more. Vikings were heavily into the human slave trade, so slaves were common. They noticed the locs on the warriors and called them dreadful, thus creating the term dreadlocks. We are going to tell you that some of the Vikings have dreadlocks while others have braids. Since there were many red haired Vikings along with the more typical blonde ones we see today in pop culture, bleaching would have created a distinct and memorable dreadlocks appearance. Hej, I'm Astrid and I'm here to show you everything that Scandinavia has to offer - based on my own experience living up here in the Nordics! The married Viking women wore their braids knotted at the top of their heads to signify their status as a wife. The name dreadlocks is relatively new and used for black locks. 3. Talented shipbuilders and sailors, Vikings colonized large swaths of Europe in the period between the 9th and 11th centuries. Both Viking men and women are thought to have worn dreads. There are hieroglyphs showing Egyptian pharaohs wearing locs to symbolize wealth and power. According to experts, they may have called them elflocks, which they borrowed from their neighbors, the Celts. The long glossy flowing locks intermingled with a few neat braids that you often see Viking women wearing on TV series and in films are unlikely to have been realistic. This changed in the Twentieth Century with the start of a socio-religious movement in New York in the . 3. Both forms of locks may have been simply the result of practical necessity or the lack of regular combing or brushing. While there is no clear evidence that Norse dreadlocks were influenced by Celtic elflocks, they appear to look similar and seem to have been used for similar purposes. Wise Geek: What is the Difference Between Dreads and Braids? Length about 55-60 centimeters. One of the most well-known examples of this is with the Polish plait. In some cultures, male hair was connected to manliness, while female hair was connected to femininity. All you need to choose your favorite side to shave your head and then make dreadlocks with your long or medium-length hair. No written records prove that Vikings called dreads elflocks, but because of the close proximity between the two cultures, theres a good chance that they did. Maidens wore the Kransen with these styles, while married women wore buns or caps. Their imposing looks reminded opponents of the mythical snake-haired creatures like Medusa, who was feared by many. (The Historical Truth). Curl Centric does not provide professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Africa has a long history of dreadlocks, spanning back centuries. While dreadlocks and braids look similar because locks of hair are bunched together, the patterns are different. If you have further questions, you might find the answer youre looking for below! After all, familiarizing yourself with a cultures most popular hairstyles is an excellent way to understand which hairdos were popular and which were rare. And to add to the overall Viking lookcheck out Did Vikings Wear Makeup? Viking women were just as integral to Viking raids are their male counterparts. The word dreadlocks is through to have its origins in the Rastafarian movement, so Vikings wouldnt have called the braids in their hair dreads at all. Dreads can differ based on numerous factors, including the texture and thickness of the persons hair, the humidity of the area, and many other personal and environmental factors. When the Vikings pillaged resources from villages, they typically gathered people from those areas to take home as slave workers (also. Check out our vikings dreads selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our hair extensions shops. The Scandinavian day for saturday (Lrdag, laugardag) means washing day. But are they the same thing? There are depictions of Norse women wearing their hair in small braids around their heads, laced with long flowing flocks, a typical female Viking dreadlocks style. One of the strongest indicators of occasional shaving or baldness comes, (a Greek historian), who wrote that the prince of Kievan Rus shaved his head completely, except for a lock of hair that hung down on one side.. Ancient Roman accounts described dreads as a hairstyle that looked like snakes. On the below side, we have shared different dreadlocks for small hair, medium hair, and long hair women. But if you fancy having a go at doing it yourself there are plenty of online tutorials to help you get your favourite look. But locks themselves have been worn as a choice by many cultures since history began and prior to that by every human on the planet.. We didn't always have combs. Orange yellow blue purple rainbow synthetic dreads & braids, Vikings dreads, Dreadlock extensions, Synthetic dreadlocks, Full set dreads Ad vertisement by ALIENSDreads. . They didnt leave a lot of written records that tell us details about their life, but there are documented accounts from foreign people who have interacted with them that describe Vikings as having long hair that looked like ropes. Does Norway use the Euro? These braids are then secured using a long length of suede or wool cord. Below you will find some of the most frequently asked questions regarding Viking hairstyles and dreadlocks. Interestingly, it appears that the hairstyle chosen by individual Viking men and women may have had more to do with their class and profession than their aesthetic preferences. The Viking men who traveled to distant lands in order to fight and loot often wore their hair in long braids and sometimes dreadlocks. Having dreadlocks means that there is a need to take additional care to preserve the look and maintain hair health. did participate in Viking activities, many also stayed at home to tend to farming, construction, and child-rearing duties. Please see Were the Vikings Black? Suitable for braid, ponytails and wedding, cosplay and daily use. However, historical evidence supports the idea that Celts likely wore their hair long or in braids rather than having dreadlocks. Some tribes, like the Kenyan Maasai, colored their dreads with red pigments to differentiate themselves from others. The Celts were their relatively close neighbors to the south. Then, the remaining length of the working cord was either tied off at the back of the head or tucked into a braid to secure it. The vikings were known for keeping their beard and hair tidy, not exactly what you acccociate with dreadlocks. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Routes North was started to help people discover all of the amazing stuff that Scandinavia has to offer, regardless of their travel budget. We are sharing some of the Female Viking Dreadlocks but we are not sure whether either ancient Vikings wore dreadlocks or not. Well show you all you need to know below. Theres also the common-sense presumption that the cavemen likely were not paying close attention to their hair, and that matted hair was a style long before hair was intentionally styled at all. Written records from cultures that encountered the Vikings do mention snake-like, roped hair and coiled hair, but there is no specific name mentioned. The relationship between Norway and the Euro. Her body and clothing are now on display at the National Museum of Denmark. Some historians believe that unmarried Viking girls may have worn dreadlocks for special formal occasions or festivals. After all, short hair had some pretty negative associations in Viking culture. Curl Centric is a website operated by a husband and wife team that encourages healthy hair care. In Viking fiction movies, you may have seen Vikings in dreadlocks or dreads but it is still a myth whether they really wore dreadlocks? Also see Why Are Scandinavian Women So Beautiful? Allowing their hair to naturally mat into ropy dreadlocks may have made it easier to manage, and to keep away from the face during combat. Unfortunately, its impossible to pin down the exact origin of dreads. The stereotypical image of a Viking, thanks in part to depictions of them in popular culture, is that they had white or light-colored skin and blonde, or sometimes brown, hair.