Locks of Difference: The Integral Role of Hair as a Distinguishing Feature in Early Merovingian Gaul
By Peter H. Johnsson
Ex Post Facto: Journal of the History Students at San Francisco State University, Vol. 19 (2010)
Introduction: Childebert and Lothar sent Arcadius to the queen . . . with a pair of scissors in one hand and a naked sword in the other. When he came into the Queen’s presence, he held them out to her. ‘Your sons, who are our masters, seek your decision, gracious Queen, as to what should be done with the princes. Do you wish them to live with hair cut short? Or would you prefer to see them killed? . . . Beside herself with bitter grief and hardly knowing what she was saying in her anguish, she answered: ‘If they are not to ascend the throne, I would rather see them dead than with their hair cut short.’ —Gregory of Tours
Human beings rely on a variety of signs to communicate social cues to others. Though it may seem shocking to the modern reader, the above passage highlights the rather curious position of hair in Frankish society. However, rather than dismiss the extraordinary importance of hair as inherently alien, it is important to remember that hair still holds a special place in today’s society. The malleability of hair allows its wearer to actively choose which messages to send. Therefore, it is not only important to note what hair does, but what is done to it. The efforts put towards arranging one’s hair can carry specific social meanings. For ancient peoples, social meaning was communicated through maintaining the length and style of the hair. In this regard, the role of hair was not so different in early medieval society than it is today. Additionally, just as certain ethnic groups may use appearance to display membership today, so did groups in the Middle Ages. Irish monks, Lombards, Welsh Romans, and Goths, among others, all expressed their social and ethnic identities through various manifestations of hair. As an example, in 1066 King Harold’s spies returned from Normandy reporting that Duke William’s army consisted almost entirely of priests, because of their short hair and shaved chins. Furthermore, hair could proclaim other identities such as gender and age. As evidenced by Queen Clotild, the Merovingian-led Franks seem to have ascribed a remarkably high importance to their hair, which goes beyond that of other ancient peoples.
The aim of this paper is to understand the meanings that the Franks ascribed to hair and, in this quest, it will survey the different interpretations of hair that existed in sixth century Gaul. To the Merovingians, the significance of hair stemmed from an amalgamation of several traditions—Greco-Roman pagan, Christian, Germanic, and militaristic—and that link is the focus of this research. In doing so, it will contribute to the ongoing historical discussion by supporting the view that there does not seem to have been any major cultural differences dividing the various Merovingian kingdoms, but, rather, that it is possible to view all Merovingian territory as part of one cultural entity.
The mixed ethnicity of the population in Gaul necessitated a sharp difference between a Frankish noble and a “Roman” cleric. This was especially important since they could very well have descended from the same parents, yet be legally distinct and have different privileges and obligations. Hair became one means to illustrate this social distinction. In large part, this distinction was possible due to the continuation of ancient Roman perceptions regarding long hair as a sign of the other. This was simultaneously expanded upon both by the Christian church and the Franks’ secular circles. In Merovingian Gaul, hair became a multilayered sign of distinction, delineating the different roles of the warrior class and military subculture of the Franks from the ‘Roman’ religious culture of the Church.
Locks of Difference: The Integral Role of Hair as a Distinguishing Feature in Early Merovingian Gaul
By Peter H. Johnsson
Ex Post Facto: Journal of the History Students at San Francisco State University, Vol. 19 (2010)
Introduction: Childebert and Lothar sent Arcadius to the queen . . . with a pair of scissors in one hand and a naked sword in the other. When he came into the Queen’s presence, he held them out to her. ‘Your sons, who are our masters, seek your decision, gracious Queen, as to what should be done with the princes. Do you wish them to live with hair cut short? Or would you prefer to see them killed? . . . Beside herself with bitter grief and hardly knowing what she was saying in her anguish, she answered: ‘If they are not to ascend the throne, I would rather see them dead than with their hair cut short.’ —Gregory of Tours
Human beings rely on a variety of signs to communicate social cues to others. Though it may seem shocking to the modern reader, the above passage highlights the rather curious position of hair in Frankish society. However, rather than dismiss the extraordinary importance of hair as inherently alien, it is important to remember that hair still holds a special place in today’s society. The malleability of hair allows its wearer to actively choose which messages to send. Therefore, it is not only important to note what hair does, but what is done to it. The efforts put towards arranging one’s hair can carry specific social meanings. For ancient peoples, social meaning was communicated through maintaining the length and style of the hair. In this regard, the role of hair was not so different in early medieval society than it is today. Additionally, just as certain ethnic groups may use appearance to display membership today, so did groups in the Middle Ages. Irish monks, Lombards, Welsh Romans, and Goths, among others, all expressed their social and ethnic identities through various manifestations of hair. As an example, in 1066 King Harold’s spies returned from Normandy reporting that Duke William’s army consisted almost entirely of priests, because of their short hair and shaved chins. Furthermore, hair could proclaim other identities such as gender and age. As evidenced by Queen Clotild, the Merovingian-led Franks seem to have ascribed a remarkably high importance to their hair, which goes beyond that of other ancient peoples.
The aim of this paper is to understand the meanings that the Franks ascribed to hair and, in this quest, it will survey the different interpretations of hair that existed in sixth century Gaul. To the Merovingians, the significance of hair stemmed from an amalgamation of several traditions—Greco-Roman pagan, Christian, Germanic, and militaristic—and that link is the focus of this research. In doing so, it will contribute to the ongoing historical discussion by supporting the view that there does not seem to have been any major cultural differences dividing the various Merovingian kingdoms, but, rather, that it is possible to view all Merovingian territory as part of one cultural entity.
Click here to read this article from San Francisco State University
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