A cultural history of hair in the middle ages

How did people do their hair in medieval times?
Women's hair was, you guessed it, sometimes linked to sin and temptation.
So usually only young, unmarried women wore their hair uncovered and loose.
It was more common for modest ladies to wear their hair braided, plaited away from the face, and covered with a veil, hat, hairnet, or wimple..
What hairstyles did people have in the Middle Ages?
During this time, hair was not always completely covered.
Women of royalty or aristocracy would wear two long lengths of hair that were braided with ribbon, or loose lengths that were bound throughout the hair with ribbon.
Sometimes they extended the braids to the ground by weaving in false hair..
Why did medieval men have long hair?
Such warriors considered it a sign of aristocracy and are said to have combed it openly to show off.
Also, in order to keep enemies from getting hold of it in battle, they were known to cut the front short, but leave it long in the back, where it was more out of reach (mullet)..
Middle Ages in Europe
Due to religious and sanitary monastic regulations, monks had to maintain their tonsure (the traditional baldness on the top of the head of Catholic monks).
This created a market for barbers, because each monastery had to train or hire a barber.
Such warriors considered it a sign of aristocracy and are said to have combed it openly to show off.
Also, in order to keep enemies from getting hold of it in battle, they were known to cut the front short, but leave it long in the back, where it was more out of reach (mullet).

Illustrated with approximately 80 images, A Cultural History of Hair in the Middle Ages brings together leading scholars to present an overview of the period with essays on politics, science, religion, fashion, beauty, the visual arts, and popular culture.

In the medieval period hair was just as much of a marker of ethnicity, class, gender, marital status, and religious calling. It was also a symbol of power and a focus of erotic interest, thus the styling or removal of hair was freighted with ideological significance. Facial hair connoted sanctity and power.

Hairwork, or jewelry or artwork made of human hair, has appeared throughout the history of craft work, particularly to be used for private worship or mourning.
From the Middle Ages through the early twentieth century, memorial hair jewelry remained common.
Hair, considered to be a remnant off the person it was cut from, also has often played a part in myths and legends; in a Swedish book of proverbs, one can read that “rings and bracelets of hair increase love”.
One example can be found in Denmark, at Rosensborg’s palace, which is a bracelet of precious metal with a simple braided lock of hair - a gift from King Christian IV (1577-1648) to his queen.
Another example would be the rings commemorating the execution of King Charles I of England (1600-1649), which circulated among his faithful supporters.
Other famous people who owned hair jewelry include Napoleon, Admiral Nelson, Queen Victoria and her large family, Christina Nilsson and Jenny Lind.

A cultural history of hair in the middle ages

How did people do their hair in medieval times?

What hairstyles did people have in the Middle Ages?

Why did medieval men have long hair?