Hair and Folklore: show us your country’s/region’s traditional hair styles

[TreesOfEternity]

If there is already a thread like this one please let my know, I wasn’t able to find any :)

I was watching some old pictures of my family with our traditional clothes and thought it would be awesome to see how people in other places used to style their hair back in the day.

I’ll show some examples, most of them date from the XVIII century.
Most of these styles were done once a week, and they didn’t took them out until the next week, so they were wearing them to do the house work and on a daily basis.


Manchega

The style consists of a 5 to 14 strands plait in the back, folded and held with a black ribbon, which is called moño de picaporte (latch bun) and two braided buns on the sides, held with ornamental golden pins.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xaEkE7Oy_3k/VISVBcFUx4I/AAAAAAAAAwc/NupBW_dvrtE/s1600/peinados%2B2.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UwFJED9sN5o/VISUr0L3fBI/AAAAAAAAAwM/jY8pMbl0rcY/s1600/moño%2Bde%2Bpicaporte.jpg
https://aprenderespanolenmadrid.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/ygu.jpg

Huertana

Quite similar, instead of the side buns, they would do some waves at the front and add flowers to they hair.

https://static3.laverdad.es/www/pre2017/multimedia/noticias/201504/06/media/cortadas/M7-661272562--575x323.JPG

Little tutorial in the middle of the video:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0MMlxLe9pKQ


Fallera

Ornamental braided bun held with pins, sticks and forks.

https://i2.wp.com/peluqueriateruel.es/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/www.ammestilistas.compeinados-fallera-img1-amm-d557d075b9124a677fe6461142c33fe4dfc43a94.jpg?fit=1 024%2C614&ssl=1

Little tutorial (I doubt they used gel back in the day haha, I’ve read some people used lemon juice to add grip to the hair and make it stay):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cJKOfX1oUyY



I’ll add more when I have time :) these are traditional styles from various regions of Spain, center and west area mostly.

[MusicalSpoons]

Woooow! Those are very cool! :D

I'd have to do some research to be sure but I know of zero regional/national styles for England.

My one tidbit of regional info is this: (context: a 4-strand braid is used in bobbin lace, made with 2 bobbin pairs)

Lacemakers with long hair plaited their hair using four strands of hair, except on Sundays, when 3 strands were used because of the Biblical Commandment "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy, in it thou shalt do no work", so if a lacemaker plaited her hair with four strands, she was, in effect, working!
(Source: http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/lace/stplait.htm - last paragraph)
Which makes me wonder if that's why it's known elsewhere as an English braid? :hmm:

[Hailwidis]

Wow, those are very elaborate TreesofEternity! How interesting.

[Ligeia Noire]

Fantastic thread! I recognize those 20s waves as Spain's traditional hairtsyle instantly. I surely am going to look if I can find any info or pictures on Portugal's traditional hairstyles, they are surely more conservative. What instantly comes to mind are the "Mordomas" of Viano do Castelo. It is in the Northwest side of Portugal and they usually wear their hair bunned, in a cinnamon or a braided bun but it is always covered with a scarf. Usually red or black attire and white scarf if you are a bride. Their trademark is the myriad of gold intricate jewelery. It is an absolute art and such a delight to see the processions, when all the girls come out with the folklore traditional attire, and the candle...even though, these days they cannot bun neatly or their hair is too short.
This is a small Tv segment where you can see a bit. I will surely look more through other regions when I have the time. But certainly the "toco" or braided bun is the one, that is the most popular for traditional attires.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb0A0CltoQY


https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2Ff4%2F7c%2Fe5%2Ff47ce5 ba64fe107b98665bc2fedd3758.jpg&f=1


https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-esRS3kZ3pYE/V7eka8WwbfI/AAAAAAAAMw8/iNVrW7k29-UixYrh1Xl41tBU1S9daJ6MQCLcB/s1600/Desfile%2BMordomia%252C%2BViana%2Bdo%2BCastelo%2B% 25281%2529.jpg




The amount of gold would change according to your status and the colours of the scarf and clothes would also change according to your family origins and your occupation

here it is a traditional bride

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsm2.imgs.sapo.pt%2Fmb%2F7%2Fc%2F49 2928f340ed013f164ceaf92f46634fc949c3.jpg&f=1


https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jn.pt%2FStorage%2FJN%2F2015%2F big%2Fng4583220.jpg&f=1


Sorry for the scarce showing of hair but I will try to find more.

I am just in love with our culture and traditions and wanted to share a bit.

[lapushka]

I don't think Belgium had something traditional, yes, some regions do, like the "Gilles", but those are men and at Carnival:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_(carnaval)

[blackgothicdoll]

So cool!

Now this brings to question, what is a traditional American hairstyle? We owe homage to the Native Americans, of course.

http://indians.org/articles/article-images/braids.jpg
http://keepersoftheword.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/a87fb73da51a69c36edfb33b31d9b5c5.jpg
https://i0.wp.com/s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ef/7a/e7/ef7ae71c530ff7a687012de9b85dc191.jpg?w=600



When you think of an Indian, you usually imagine them wearing their hair in braids. This hair style was often the traditional style among Native American Indians. What most people don't know is that certain tribes had their own traditions when it came to hair. In the Quapaw Tribe, women who were married wore their hair down loose while single women wore their hair in braids. Often they would roll these braids in coils and fasten them behind each ear. These coiled braids would then be decorated to attract a mate.

In the Blackfoot Nation Tribe men were the ones in braids. Mean wore three braids often with a topknot or pompadour. Women word their hair loose or occasionally wore two thicker braids down the front. Plains Indian men wore the traditional two long braids often seen in movies. Meanwhile the women of the Plains Indian tribe cut their hair shorter than the men's hair.

The Colonists: (I may have to come back and add this, I'm having trouble finding good pictures and articles outside of the European 18th century, which might have just travelled over to the colonists, but perhaps a history buff can help me with this)

The Slaves:

https://diana-cdn.naturallycurly.com/Articles/r8_thirstyroots-madagascar-women-650x400.png


For 300 years, the focus of slavery--aside from free labor--was eliminating the attributes that made the African culture beautiful and unique. During this time, due to the denial of traditional essentials such as shea butter, the new generation of slaves adapted. They made due with household and plantation items around them such as bacon fat, kerosene, and butter to lubricate their strands.

https://thirstyroots.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/hair-history-1.jpg
https://thirstyroots.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/hair-history-2.jpg
https://thirstyroots.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/hair-history-9.jpg


The first African hairstyles that were seen in the New World were variations of traditional West African braiding patterns. These styles, however, were often removed by masters who wanted their slaves to look more European. For the next three hundred years or so, standards of black beauty were measured by European standards. Light skin, small features, and straight hair were what were set as the highest form of beauty. That meant that African Americans would spend a lot of time working on their hair to make it mimic white hair using chemical treatments, heat styling, and lots of styling products.

https://intelexual.co/home/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ebony-1972.jpg

And of course, the flappers hairstyles which both white women and now liberated black American women took part of in the "Roaring 20s"

https://thirstyroots.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/tumblr_lgfq9p8MAj1qfu6z3.jpg
https://2lth8w1uv77536l8d72pqh10-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/1920s-hairstyles-history-pin-vintagedancer-com.jpg
https://2lth8w1uv77536l8d72pqh10-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/bob-in-barbershop.jpg
https://2lth8w1uv77536l8d72pqh10-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/billie-dove-spit-curls-hair.jpg
https://2lth8w1uv77536l8d72pqh10-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/1924-hairstyles-chart-hair-bob-1-350x496.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vVBPuYEAwI4/T9CuaD6huvI/AAAAAAAAcZk/7P57K4Ll7gs/s1600/565JosephineBaker.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTiWV4TzR6kJEqTXfYsKSd1qplE0imaX h0fayfyn2rCTeTwb3dS
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c1/97/d7/c197d74dcfdf8dd6f8d9a5db96fe3bf3.jpg



No cultural symbol of the 1920s is more recognizable than the flapper. A young woman with a short “bob” hairstyle, cigarette dangling from her painted lips, dancing to a live jazz band. Flappers romped through the Roaring Twenties, enjoying the new freedoms ushered in by the end of the First World War and the dawn of a new era of prosperity, urbanism and consumerism.


So to say, I don't know what we would call traditional here in America, as I haven't even touched the many other cultures here from Mexico, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, the Islands, etc., there isn't anything that really strikes home as 'traditional American'. :o

[blackgothicdoll]

The Afro:

https://www.history.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTU3ODc4NTk4MTQ2NTMyNjgx/image-placeholder-title.webp
https://www.ebony.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/afro2_caro.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQE49rvgeO9_lqX3YbOnSkhhWlaAk69Q 3gBzcdL_rb6doGjL8yk


With the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and ‘70s, came the rise of the natural hair movement that encouraged black communities to accept their hair and turn away from damaging products. The notion of conforming to European standards did not fit with their message of black power. Sporting these natural styles was its own form of activism, and seen as a statement in reclaiming their roots. Popular icons of the time like Angela Davis, Jimi Hendrix and Diana Ross were known for their afros. The era’s non-conforming hairstyles were met with a backlash, like many other aspects of the Civil Rights Movement, and criticized and deemed “unprofessional.”

[Ylva]

How traditional? Whenever I think 'traditional', I think pre-Christian. I tried to google for more information, but "traditional Nordic hairstyles" just results in a bunch of photos from or influenced by the series Vikings, which I have never seen a single episode of. :lol: I sort of shun that series.

http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/graphics/pagecontent/valkyrie1.gif
http://40.media.tumblr.com/92e3c7a5c355ac301e23dddd023e5b52/tumblr_mnex49YB4V1rt567qo1_400.jpg

Basically lots of knots and braids and stuff.

[milosmomma]

Wow what an amazing thread! I love all the historical and traditional hairstyles and information. I agree with blackgothicdoll about traditional america hairstyles, nothing really stands out in my mind as USA is basically a hodgepodge or culture :lol:

[Aerya]

How traditional? Whenever I think 'traditional', I think pre-Christian. I tried to google for more information, but "traditional Nordic hairstyles" just results in a bunch of photos from or influenced by the series Vikings, which I have never seen a single episode of. :lol: I sort of shun that series.

http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/graphics/pagecontent/valkyrie1.gif
http://40.media.tumblr.com/92e3c7a5c355ac301e23dddd023e5b52/tumblr_mnex49YB4V1rt567qo1_400.jpg

Basically lots of knots and braids and stuff.

Yep, this.

Braids are common to wear with Norwegian national dress but no specified style as far as I know.

[Joules]

OMG Russians are so boring :lol: girls wore braids (simple English ones, of should I say in this case Russian), this is Miss Russia 2005 and she pretty much sums it up:

https://www.kleo.ru/resize/612x-/items/planetarium/img/miss-russia-1.jpg?noise

unmarried girls wore one, married women wore two, they could be made into buns or wrapped around the head Milkmaid- or Coronet-style. There was a tradition during Russian weddings bride's mother would undo her daughter's single braid and make it into two. The longer the hair was the better, so braids could be wrapped around multiple times and swallow the entire head.

Also marrried women were required to cover their hair with scarves, so creating any sort of a fancy style was pointless :D younger girls could embelish their braids with ribbons and flowers. There were also some head coverings for "special occasions", like Kokoshnik (https://pics.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/rkrkr11.jpg). But yeah, the base for everything was a simple three strand braid. Nowadays when people try to recreate traditional Russian outfit they just put on a fake long braid and a Kokoshnik or a flower crown.

[Begemot]

OMG Russians are so boring :lol: girls wore braids (simple English ones, of should I say in this case Russian), this is Miss Russia 2005 and she pretty much sums it up:

https://www.kleo.ru/resize/612x-/items/planetarium/img/miss-russia-1.jpg?noise


Omg, that poor boob :lol:

Finns had the same thing with head coverings. Unfortunately I can't find information about actual traditional hair styles but lots about head coverings, hats and scarves. Married women were supposed to cover their hair because of modesty reasons and so did everyone else because of our cold climate. Just had to fit hair under scarves and such neatly and comfortably, so braided or bunned hair works best.

Traditional dresses would be worn with a hair ribbon around head or with other hair pieces (you can find plenty of those, search Finnish folk costumes or ancient national costumes)
https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/346d140e6284ddadea1ff6f1b16d0bce/5D3053FF/t51.2885-15/e35/21878908_279841959177539_5391783518265147392_n.jpg ?_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com
https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/5f2b526d4c9bb835ce76aabcae60258a/5D7F8DEB/t51.2885-15/e35/36993489_205017973535932_6472086626364293120_n.jpg ?_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com
https://i.pinimg.com/236x/a6/b6/f0/a6b6f0dec167bae6c7c9db48899010e5--folk-costume-traditional-dresses.jpg

When I think about typical Finnish hair style from the turn of the 20th century, I think about middle parts with one or two long and neat English braid(s) or a tight bun. Back then young girls wore their braids down, after first communion they could wear their braids up and after getting married they would cover their hair.
In this pic you can see only the scarves but the text explains how they would wear their hair up. It says that hair was parted in two sections to create two twisted "whips", then they would be secured with metal wired headbands and covered with a scarf https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DlbhN5JX0AEudq_.jpg

[Hairkay]

I recall my mother telling me about headwraps that came with Africans to the Caribbean, and the Americas. There were different ways to tie it to show if you were a single woman or married. The ones I saw had two or three peaks tied at the front.

Then there's Carnival. There are some traditional favourite costumes with headresses. There's Jab Jab (from the french diablo meaning devil) with a pair of horns, the sailor with the WWII sailor hats, La diabless (she devil with a broad band decorated hat), Moko jumbies (stilt walker spirits) and the "Indian" indigenous American (feathered headress). I recall Carnival was one of the rare times I got to wear my hair loose so my costume headress could fit on properly. 'Fros of all lengths or flowing silky locks were let free.

Here's some of the traditional characaters.
http://caribbeanpast.blogspot.com/2018/09/six-traditional-mas-characters-of.html

Oh and before I forget there's the rastas with their entwined hair made popular by Jamaica.

[blackgothicdoll]

I recall my mother telling me about headwraps that came with Africans to the Caribbean, and the Americas. There were different ways to tie it to show if you were a single woman or married. The ones I saw had two or three peaks tied at the front.

Then there's Carnival. There are some traditional favourite costumes with headresses. There's Jab Jab (from the french diablo meaning devil) with a pair of horns, the sailor with the WWII sailor hats, La diabless (she devil with a broad band decorated hat), Moko jumbies (stilt walker spirits) and the "Indian" indigenous American (feathered headress). I recall Carnival was one of the rare times I got to wear my hair loose so my costume headress could fit on properly. 'Fros of all lengths or flowing silky locks were let free.

Here's some of the traditional characaters.
http://caribbeanpast.blogspot.com/2018/09/six-traditional-mas-characters-of.html

Oh and before I forget there's the rastas with their entwined hair made popular by Jamaica.

Woowww that carnival sounds like so much fun! I'd kill to see it!

[Xlena]

The only things I can think about from the south of Spain is the moño flamenco, but there're different styles and it's more about decoration xd

https://www.diariodesevilla.es/2017/03/27/vivirensevilla/regreso-clasico-elB-mono-Bbajo_1121298243_66500162_1536x1024.jpg
https://sevilla.abc.es/estilo/bulevarsur/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/ideas-peinados-feria-2016.jpg

Although I've seen many times in drawings more than real life this cute curls around the face.

https://i2.wp.com/www.entreciriosyvolantes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Peinados-de-flamenca-1.jpg

[zmirina]

Ooooooh. Like Joules already said, Russian women had very long hair and kept it in a single braid until marriage. Endless russian rapunzels on instagram give you an idea of how powerful the tradition of hold hair is in Russia. My grandma's braid was knee long until my dad was born - it was too much trouble to take care of a baby, move with military husband, and take care of long hair. And her hair doesn't stand out too much in her graduation class picture, everyone had it long.

I'd add, that there was a less formal version of kokoshnik - kichka. It wasn't as ornate and expensive, but it was worn pretty much all the time.
https://expertpovolosam.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/1480-19108.jpg?itok=csEzeA2h


Unmarried women would wear kichka and have their braids out

https://valentinaliveinternet.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/kosa.jpghttp://www.theartnewspaper.ru/public/uploads/posts/postbreakout/2018-01/6fdabfdc-68be-451b-814e-5dc76e265cc4.jpg

While married women would tuck their hair away and cover it with a scarf or a veil - it was not to be seen ever again outside their home, pretty much
http://art-nesterov.ru/img/painting/devushki.jpg
https://cs3.livemaster.ru/zhurnalfoto/e/7/c/130118235543.jpg
The rebraiding ritual Joules mentioned:

https://moiarussia.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/foto-298-e1440244591470.jpg
Also, look at all these fancy kokoshniki

It's easy to tell if a girl is married or not. Just look at the braid
Unmarried:
https://cdn.fishki.net/upload/post/2018/12/07/2794686/dff8ed7f7bab2a1760fe6c4311c6c04d.jpg

Married:
https://cdn.fishki.net/upload/post/2018/12/07/2794686/c0784960b374ebd0a0929c615871f4cb.jpg

[Begemot]

Great pictures and very interesting info, zmirina :thumbsup:

[YvetteVarie]

From what I heard when I visited one of our National Heritage Sites (Zimbabwe), pre-colonisation, the poor men had dreadlocks. The wealthy could get their hair shaved because they had access to iron tools that could work to shave. For women, not much was said, but I imagine the same applied. After colonisation, men had their heads shaved, and women would straighten to assimilate with the colonisers. For those who could not straighten, they would shave or have short hair.

During the liberation struggle and soon after independence, Afros became popular.

Dreadlocks (both sexes) started getting popular in the early 2000s, and are now very mainstream

[Knightly]

In my country, Mexico, hairstyles are really variated depending on the indigenous community, state and north/south but in general, the hair itself is kept really simple with braids and buns but is adorned with lots of colurful ribbons and flowers.
(Sorry! They´re too many pics lol)

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/60/03/d7/6003d7036e52ef526197cc400594001f.jpg
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2738ac_8a40547e20ea489081399b91c1291dd6~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_605,h_666,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/2738ac_8a40547e20ea489081399b91c1291dd6~mv2.jpg
https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/vp/f43b38b91e2765053b5e17b96b338324/5D9DD01C/t51.2885-15/e35/c0.135.1080.1080a/s480x480/60906228_348918385981457_423310355516084232_n.jpg? _nc_ht=scontent-frt3-1.cdninstagram.com
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5b/d5/6c/5bd56c4eef3697e1bc4260c25f22397b.jpg
https://www.merida.gob.mx/municipio/sitiosphp/merida/cod/img/img_traje.jpg
https://moda2016.mx/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Trajes-para-el-15-de-septiembre-5.jpg
https://www.9l9.com/img/up/1347135111.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a1/cf/35/a1cf35be2ccb489ee78d7ff68f43b142.jpg
https://www.viveusa.mx/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/15747892_1253190748057371_8206629503064698317_n.jp g?itok=44trqvFJ
https://www.mexicana.cultura.gob.mx/multimedia/mediatecamedia/fotografia_396749/460918.jpg

As you can see, hairstyles are really colurful and accessorized

[TreesOfEternity]

Wow ok guys I was going to reply to all of you one by one but my post would be terribly long lol! Sorry I couldn’t check in here earlier.

I’m enjoying so so SO much all these beautiful pictures seriously it amazes me how rich popular cultures can be, how different and beautiful all of them are :heartbeat :heartbeat :heartbeat

I’m reading more in depth about each post of yours on the internet as it’s a topic I find so interesting.

As for the styles I did show, turns out they are variations of original Iberian hair styles, almost unaltered, so they could be considered pre-Christian heritage.
It’s quite difficult to find information about celtiberians because of all the cultures and religions that were here over the years (two powerful Abrahamic religions that made disappear all the culture prior to them).

Seeing that those styles still connect us to our ancestors seems so powerful to me.

And I’m enjoying so much learning about your traditions :o

[blackgothicdoll]

I'm loving the contributions. This is an awesome thread!

[littlestarface]

OMG Russians are so boring :lol: girls wore braids (simple English ones, of should I say in this case Russian), this is Miss Russia 2005 and she pretty much sums it up:

https://www.kleo.ru/resize/612x-/items/planetarium/img/miss-russia-1.jpg?noise

unmarried girls wore one, married women wore two, they could be made into buns or wrapped around the head Milkmaid- or Coronet-style. There was a tradition during Russian weddings bride's mother would undo her daughter's single braid and make it into two. The longer the hair was the better, so braids could be wrapped around multiple times and swallow the entire head.

Also marrried women were required to cover their hair with scarves, so creating any sort of a fancy style was pointless :D younger girls could embelish their braids with ribbons and flowers. There were also some head coverings for "special occasions", like Kokoshnik (https://pics.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/rkrkr11.jpg). But yeah, the base for everything was a simple three strand braid. Nowadays when people try to recreate traditional Russian outfit they just put on a fake long braid and a Kokoshnik or a flower crown.

Man she has some thick hair.