The hairstyle dreadlocks, also spelled dredlocs or dredlocks and sometimes referred to as dreds or dreads, is a style that is commonly associated with the Rastafarian religion. But, is that assumption false?
Well, it’s not exactly false, but it’s not exactly entirely true, either.
While many Rastafarians do wear dreadlocks, they are not the only group of people who wear dreadlocks, nor are they even the originators of the hairstyle. There are many theories as to where exactly dreadlocks got started, but it is clear that they existed long before the Rastafarian religion, thus one cannot label all people with dreadlocks as being Rastafarian.
Many believe that Egypt was the origin of dreadlocks, since ancient Egyptian artifacts clearly depict people with dreadlocks. Mummified remains have also been recovered that wore dreadlocks.
While the term “dreadlocks” was actually coined by the Rastafarians, this hairstyle even has roots in the Bible. There are many references in the Old Testament that imply that many Biblical people wore dreadlocks, including the story about Samson and Delilah. It makes a statement about “the seven locks in his head” and how a man’s potency is related to that.
Dreadlocks are considered to be a spiritual hairstyle because of the old belief that the spiritual energies are released through the top of one’s head. It is believed that if the hair is knotted, the spiritual energy cannot escape, which leaves the person with knotted hair stronger and healthier in spirit.
India is another place where dreads are said to have originated. During the Industrial Era, most people wearing dreds were from India.
It wasn’t until Marcus Garvey formed a religious movement based on the Bible, African Culture, and the Hindu culture that the later-named Rastafarians became associated with the style. The religious movement was first named “Dreads”, which they called themselves, referring to the “dread, fear or respect for God”. Following after the tradition of the Hindu holymen, these men grew the knotted hairstyle, which most of the world associated with them, the “Dreads”. So, the name of the style became “dreadlocks”. Although the group later changed their name to Rastafarians, due to their attention on an Ethiopian Emperor named Ras Tafari, Haile Selassie, the name for the hairstyle stuck and that is what dreadlocks are called today.
Since this group was in Jamaica, reggae music and marijuana is commonly associated with dreadlocks as well, feeding into a whole other stereotypical issue.
Today, you will see the hairstyle associated with Christianity, Rastafarianism, Veganism, and even just people who like the hairstyle.
It is often considered a natural hairstyle.
While many different cultures and people wear this style, the main idea of dreds is that a person who wears these is usually seeking a closer connection to God by creating the knots. This way the spiritual energy cannot escape and will remain inside the person’s body.
Commercialism and mainstream ideals have caused dreadlocks to be seen as a symbol of someone who uses marijuana, but although these types of people do exist, they are certainly not the only ones sporting dreadlocks.
Sources:
http://www.knottyboy.com/learn/dreadhistory.php Knotty Boy
http://www.dreadheadhq.com/make_dreadlocks_preparing_mind.php Dread Head HQ
http://www.theearthcenter.com/ff47benben.html The Earth Center/The Rising Firefly Magazine
