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Dreadlocks, sometimes called simply dreads, are matted ropes of hair which will form by themselves if the hair is allowed to grow naturally without the use of brushes, combs, razors or scissors for a long period of time. Dreadlocks are a universal phenomenon and through the ages, people of various cultures have worn dreadlocks. It can be said that what are known today as "dreadlocks" are one of the oldest and most universal hairstyles known.

History

File:Gangadhara Shiva.jpg

Gangadhara Shiva (Bearer of Ganga) describes how Shiva is taking the weight of the mighty Ganges river in his locks and imprisons her. She is released through the locks of his hair. This prevents the force of the river from destroying earth, and the waters bring purification to the planet

The first known images of dreadlocks may date back to ancient Egypt, where dreadlocked Egyptian royalty and commoners appear on bas-reliefs, statuary and other artifacts. A dreadlocked wig which belonged to the Pharaoh Tutankhamun of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt is still intact at least to some degree.

The first known written records date back to 2500 BCE, when the dreadlocked Vedic deity Shiva and his followers were reported in the Vedic scriptures of India as "jaTaa", meaning "wearing twisted locks of hair", probably derived from the Dravidian word "caTai", which means to twist or to wrap. The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism. They had a vast influence on Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism and also influenced the Celtic religion, society and folklore. According to Roman accounts of the time, the Celts wore dreadlocks as well, describing them as having "hair like snakes".

Germanic tribes, the Vikings, the Greeks, the Pacific Ocean peoples, and the Naga people also wore dreadlocks.

Dreadlocks may also have been part of Mexican culture. In a description of an Aztec ritual, Historian William Hickling Prescott referred to dreadlocked Priests of the Aztec civilization, a Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th century, 15th century and 16th century.

"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 Amadu Bàmba Mbàkke, are famous for growing dreadlocks and wearing multi-coloured gowns. Cheikh Ibra Fall, founder of the Baye Fall school of the Mouride Brotherhood, claims that he was "the first dread in West Africa".

In Jamaica the term dreadlocks was first recorded in the 1950s when the "Young Black Faith", an early sect of the Rastafari which began among the marginalized poor of Jamaica in the 1930s, ceased to copy the particular hair style of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia and began to wear dreadlocks instead. Different theories exist about the origin of Rastalocks. Some sources trace them back to Indians who arrived in Jamaica to work as indentured laborers in the late 19th century, some of whom were among the first followers of Leonard Howell. Others believe the first Rasta dreadlocks were derived from the "dreaded locks" of the Mau Mau, the violent, largely Kikuyu protonationalist insurgency against British colonialism in 1940s Kenya. Most Rastafari, however, explain Rastalocks with one of the three Nazarite vows, in the Book of Numbers, the fourth of the books of the Pentateuch.

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 dreadlocks 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 had seven locks and who, according to the scriptures, lost his great strength when they were cut.

There are ascetic groups within nearly every major religion that have at times worn their hair in dreadlocks. In addition to the Nazirites of Judaism and the Sadhus of Hinduism, there are the Dervishes of Islam and the Coptic Monks of Christianity, among others. The very earliest Christians may also 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.

Meaning and popularity

There are many reasons among various cultures for wearing dreadlocks. Dreads can be an expression of deep religious or spiritual convictions, a manifestation of ethnic pride, make a political statement, or be simply a fashion preference.

Religious or spiritual convictions

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

Among the Sadhus and Sadhvis, Indian holy men and women, dreadlocks are sacred, their formation a religious ritual and an expression of their disregard for profane vanity and a manifestation of a spiritual understanding that physical appearances are unimportant. This Sannyasin, the particular phase of life in which the person develops Vairagya, a state of determination and disillusionment with material life, does not merely follow a public pattern that includes letting his or her hair grow in matted locks, but goes through a profound inner transformation that is expressible through traditional symbols. The public symbol of matted hair is thus re-created each time an individual goes through these unique experiences. The emphasis in this tradition is on the transmutation of the lower instinctive powers into a great energy which expresses the will of the deity.

Dreadlocks also represent Shiva's power. Gangadhara Shiva captures and controls the river Ganges with his locks, whose torrential descent from the heavens otherwise would have deluged the world. As the Lord of Dance, Nataraja, Shiva performs the tandava, which is the fierce, violent dance in which the universe is destroyed. 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. In almost all myths about Shiva and his flowing locks, there is a continual interplay of extreme asceticism and virile potency, which correspond to the elements of destruction and creation; whereas, his hair symbolizes the control of power.

Dreadlocks 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. The long-haired one is said to gaze full on heaven, the long-haired one is said to be that light. The wind-girt sages have donned the yellow robe of dust: along the wind’s course they glide when the gods have penetrated them…. The wind’s steed, the Lord of life’s friend, is the god-intoxicated sage: without both oceans he dwells, the upper and the lower. 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, RV 10.136)

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. The strands are then rubbed with ashes and cowdung, considered both sacred and purifying, then scented and adorned with flowers.

In East Asian countries, such as China, dreadlocks and a variation on locks, the Polish plait, initially treated as an amulet supposed to bring good health, have been regarded with superstition throughout the ages.

The Baye Fall wear dreadlocks which are called ndiange or 'strong hair' in imitation of Ibrahima Fall, chief disciple of the spritual guide Shaykh Amadu Bàmba Mbàkke with the goal to cultivate a unique relationship with God through the Shaykh.

Similarly, the Rastafari wear dreads 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 Ras Tafari.

Although Emperor Haile Sellassie I did not wear the locks, dreadlocks on a Rasta's head are symbolic of the Lion of Judah which is sometimes centered on the Ethiopian Flag. 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 Revelations.

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

The Ngati Dreads or Maori Rastafarians, indigenous people of New Zealand, combine the Rasta teaching with the teachings of Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki, a Maori leader and the founder of the Ringatu religion who preached belief in God and the rejection of Māori tohungaism.

Ethnic pride or political statements

File:DreadlockWoman.jpg

Environmental activist with thick dreadlocks

The rise in popularity of reggae music in the 1980s and the worldwide fame of singer and songwriter Bob Marley prompted an interest dreads internationally. The anti-establishment philosophy of Rastafari, echoed in much of the reggae of the time, had a particular resonance for left-leaning youth of all ethnicities — especially and primarily among African-Americans and other blacks, but among counterculture whites as well. It is among these groups that dreadlocks have become most popular.

Like the afro, locks also can have social and political implications. For some peoples of African descent, locks are a statement of racial or ethnic pride. Some see them as a repudiation of Eurocentric values that can sometimes assumes a spiritual dimension. Still others wear dreads as a manifestation of their black nationalist or pan-Africanist political beliefs and view locks as symbolic of black unity and power, and a rejection of oppression, racism and imperialism.

In white counterculture, dreads have become popular among groups such as the "anti-globalisation" movement and environmental activists (such as Swampy, well-known in the 1990s). One issue of SchNEWS, an English environmental action newsletter, described the coming together of striking dockworkers and green protestors as "Docks and dreadlocks come together".[1] Some people also describe them as "neo-hippies."

Other Caucasians have cited reasons for adopting dreadlocks to include Celtic or Viking tribal identity, anti-establishment politics and spiritual reasons.

Within youth subcultures, dreads 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 dread wigs, "dread falls" and elaborate extensions complemented by dramatic make-up to oppose adults who represent authority and are deemed to resist.

In popular culture

File:George clinton funk.jpg

Musician George Clinton, known for his flamboyant style, in rainbrow dread extensions

When the reggae music of Bob Marley in the 1970s gained popularity and mainstream acceptance, the locks, often just called “dreads”, became a fashion statement, a trend for the secular, worn by prominent actors, athletes, rappers, even portrayed as part of a gang culture in some movies.

With the "Rasta Style" the fashion and beauty industry found a new trend ready to be promoted. A whole new industry emerged, offering all sorts of dreadlock hair care items such as wax, shampoo and jewelry. Hair stylists created a wide variety of modified dreadlocks including multi-colored hair, synthetic dreadlocks and "dread perms". Hair Salons in the black communities were booming as well, offering "natural" African-styles by braiding strands of fake hair similar to dreadlocks into existing hair. Dreadlocks that used to take 5 years to develop became available at the local stylist in about 5 hours.

Dreadlocked 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 dreadlock hairstyles.

Some people who attach strong religious, spiritual or political meaning to dreads look upon people who adopt dreadlocks as a fashion style with disfavor. Likewise, while most Rastafari sects welcome all ethnicities and the history of dreadlocks attributes the hairstyle to almost all racial and ethnic groups, some blacks who attach strong racial meaning to dreads disapprove nonblacks who adopt the style, viewing such practice as a form of cultural appropriation.

How to create dreadlocks

Some people groom their locks into relatively uniform size and shape. If not groomed to do so, the hair can grow into locks which are unique in size. If they begin to grow together they may be pulled apart.

For locks of fairly uniform size and shape, one may begin the process by sectioning and fashioning it into small braids or tightly twisted tufts. As the hair grows, wayward strands will appear around the sections, which must be twisted regularly to incorporate the new growth into the tufts, which become dreads as they lengthen. This process of acquiring dreadlocks, sometimes called letting the hair "lock", refers to the hair naturally turning in on and spiraling around itself.

To speed up this slow process, some people first backcomb, tease, or "rat" their hair. In order to help consolidate the hair into locks more quickly, wax is often used. Sometimes wisps of hair are actually sewn in, using thread or wool to wrap the locks, sealing in the shorter hairs. A crochet hook also can be a very useful tool in the creation and tidying up of dreadlocks, twisting sections of hair between the fingers, then hooking and pulling them through the dreadlock. With straight hair, this technique also can be used at the ends of dreadlocks to make them more rounded and prevent them from unraveling.

Both curly hair and straight hair can mat and twist into dreadlocks without backcombing or the use of products; however, generally, the curlier the hair, the more easily and quickly the hair will lock naturally.

External links

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 ===In popular culture ===
-When the reggae music of [[Bob Marley]] in the [[1970s]] gained popularity and mainstream acceptance, the locks, often just called “dreads”, became a fashion statement, a trend for the secular, worn by prominent actors, athletes, rappers, even portrayed as part of a gang culture in some movies.
+[[Image:George clinton funk.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Musician [[George Clinton]], known for his flamboyant style, in rainbrow dread extensions ]] When the reggae music of [[Bob Marley]] in the [[1970s]] gained popularity and mainstream acceptance, the locks, often just called “dreads”, became a fashion statement, a trend for the secular, worn by prominent actors, athletes, rappers, even portrayed as part of a gang culture in some movies.
 With the "Rasta Style" the fashion and beauty industry found a new trend ready to be promoted.  A whole new industry emerged, offering all sorts of dreadlock hair care items such as wax, shampoo and jewelry. Hair stylists created a wide variety of modified dreadlocks including multi-colored hair, synthetic dreadlocks and "dread perms". Hair Salons in the black communities were booming as well, offering "natural" African-styles by braiding strands of fake hair similar to dreadlocks into existing hair. Dreadlocks that used to take 5 years to develop became available at the local stylist in about 5 hours.