How did early Franks wear their hair

Clovis, second king of France (481-511).

The hair is one part of the human body that has received the most attention throughout history.
Even today, grooming our hair is a daily routine, taking anywhere from one minute to over an hour, depending on how much emphasis one puts on it.

From ancient Egyptians, who used wigs and fake beards, to 18th-century nobilities, who created skyscraping powdered wigs, the decoration of the head was beyond anyone’s imagination.

In this post, I will tell you about the hairstyle of early Franks.

Let’s start with a short description of the Frank men by  Sidoine Apollinaire (a gallo-roman writer who lived between 430 and 486 A.D.):

“They tied up their flexen or light-brown hair above their foreheads, into a kind of tuft, and then made it fall behind the head like a horse’s tail. The face was clean shaved, with the exception of two long mustaches” (Medieval Life, Paul Lacroix, Arcturus Publishing Ltd, 2011, p. 514). 

So, they used to make what we now call a ponytail on top of their heads and pair it with mustaches. However, they did not cut their hair; the longer the hair, the wealthier the person. Accordingly, the length of the hair was an indicator of one’s social status.

The kings and other nobles of the Franks wore their hair parted in the middle and falling over the shoulders, sometimes sprinkled with gold dust. The hair was plaited with bands sewn with precious metals and stones.

Franks loved and treasured their hair so much that they swear on it or offer it as a symbol of trust, politeness, and appreciation.

On the other side, touching someone’s hair with a razor was an insult and cutting it was a punishment.

For a glimpse into fashion in history READ THIS:

The Complete History of Costume and Fashion from Ancient Egypt to Present Days

By Bronwyn Cosgrave

Table of Content:

Introduction

The Ancient Egypt: The first fashion style

Crete: Minoan splendor

Ancient Greece: Classical Elegance

Ancient Rome: Roman Extravagance

The Byzantine Period: Lavish Imperialism

The Middle Ages: Medieval Europe

The Renaissance: Early Renaissance Style

Baroque Period: The Age of French Dominance

Eighteenth Century: The Rococo

Nineteenth Century: The Birth of the Dandy

Twentieth Century: The Age of Diversity

Index

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

256 p

First published in Great Britain in 2000, by Hamlyn, a division of Octopus Publishing Group Limited

My Notes:

• There are beautiful pictures of historical sources, sometimes 2 per page, and sometimes one picture covers the whole page.
• There are not too many details about costumes or ornaments, just basic information and description, enough for a nonprofessional reader.
• As a plus, the book offers a short overview of the historical period covered in every chapter, as well as an overview of the status of women. 
• It is very fun to stroll through fashion from ancient Egyptians, with their simple wrap-up loin clothes, through the Middle Ages with its awkward poulains (the long pointy shoes), through the baroque with the sophisticated wigs, and finally, arriving at our days with the emancipation of the woman body, almost a 360-degree turn, to the simplicity of the first fashion styles.