After reading Kellen's blog, especially her comments on Lancelot's obsession with his beloved's hair, I couldn't resist posting some pictures of Victorian hair and mourning jewelry. Hair of a loved one has captured romantic fancies for centuries. The first time I saw a piece of hair jewelry it looked very much like the plain necklace pictured here. It was owned by a family member. Imagine wearing a hair necklace, someone else's hair, next to the skin. How close would you have to be to a person to wear his or her hair--intimate?
Narratives and myths featuring hair have captured the imagination of audiences for thousands of years. Samson lost his strength when his hair was cut. Rapunzel had trailing tresses. Finding Guinevere's comb, Lancelot delights in touching pieces of her hair. For Lancelot, there is power in her hair.
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| Hair from St. Therese of Lisieux |
Saving a lock of a loved one's hair might be considered a sentimental gesture. A mother might save a lock of her child's hair along with baby teeth the "Tooth Fairy" overlooked. Celebrity hair clippings sell for high prices at auction. According to the NY Times, a lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair sold for over $38,000. In ancient Christianity, the hair from a saint would be considered a relic--imbued with powers to heal or protect. In recent history a large clump of St Therese of Lisieux hair was saved for posterity (died 1897). What better way to keep a treasure than in a picture frame or crafted into jewelry?
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| Abraham Lincoln's Lock |
Some of pieces of hair jewelry are very elaborate others are simple. Keep a piece of your dearly departed close; have jewelry made from a loved one's hair. Wouldn't Lancelot have taken the hair from his queen's comb and tucked it in a safe place? Romantic love wouldn't allow Lancelot to leave Guinevere's comb or golden hairs behind.
This is very interesting! Maybe keeping locks of hair is such a popular tradition because it is an actual part of a person's body that can come off (whereas an arm and a leg cannot). When you put the matter in this light, it sounds creepy and possessive! However, I think the tradition is sweet, particularly if a maiden's hair is especially soft and fair, showing her fertility. Hair jewelry sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteHair continues to be used in weaving, jewelry making, and art. If you do an Internet search on "Victorian hair jewelry making" you can see modern examples and DIY. There was one interesting piece of modern mourning art being fashioned on YouTube as grief work. Hair jewelry could be an unusual gift for that special person.
DeleteI admit, that the first time that I saw hair jewelry I thought it was sort of creepy. Dog and cat hair on my clothes are okay but people hair not so much. I had a roommate that use to brush her waist long hair in front of the full length mirror in my bedroom (when I wasn't around). I'd walk across my carpet in bare feet and step on a human hair-ball. It annoyed me--I had more time to be fussy about house cleaning then.
So admittedly the entire idea of saving hair kind of creeps me out. That being said there is a box of hair in my house that dates back way farther than it should. Everyone's hair is in that box (my mom's, my brother;s, my uncle's, my gram's, my great-gram's, mine) and while it totally freaks me out it is just a box. It's hidden in an old chest and we don't really think about it. The idea of wearing someone else's hair in a piece of jewelry, heebie-jeebies man.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have a DNA trail! Just imagine, one day someone will inherit the box of hair. Good family story Katie...it I qualifies for my "heebie-heebie" category.
ReplyDeleteIn Malory, did anyone notice Galahad's belt made from the golden hair of a virgin?