What is the history of braid hair?

 

Believe it or not, braids are one of the oldest hairstyles in history. Its origin can be traced back to 3500 BC, a long time ago. Throughout the years, the braids were marking social status, and religion and created ethnic identities. Records of braids can be found in almost every society in the world. Today we wear them every day or to go out and there are hundreds of styles to try. In addition, there are different types of African American braided wigs available in the market.

Starting in Africa:

According to historians, the concept of braiding hair began in Africa, more specifically in Namibia, almost four centuries before Christ. It was common among women and helped to identify the different tribes in the area. It was considered a social art that communicated age, relationship, and caste to which one belonged. In addition, it was used as an act to socialize, since it took a lot of time: the older women braided the girls' hair, and then they learned by watching.

Box Braids Afro Hair Ponytail:

The Egyptians wore wigs adorned with braids and jewels, and the Romans began to wear the braids in updos on the back of the head. In Greece, female slaves wore their hair short, but women of high society wore it long and almost always with braids that wrapped around the head, denoting the social status and class rank.

On the other hand, the Celts and Vikings, both men and women, wore braids. Those of the upper class decorated theirs with metal accessories and more elaborate hairstyles.

Braid wigs in the West

In the Middle Ages, modesty was the main quality of women, so their heads were covered or accused of being witches and burned. But under the veils, they wore their hair braided into crowns or milkmaid braids.

In the centuries that followed, braids were useful for tucking the hair under massive wigs like those worn by Marie Antoinette. After the French Revolution, the values of ancient Greece were resumed, and, with them, the braids. In the 1800s and 1900s, this hairstyle was very popular among Western women. They were used to decorate buns or simply a sewn braid was worn.

Cultural heritage:

Coming to modernity, we can find many types of braids, especially in African-American culture, for which they represent a large part of their identity and their connection to their African roots.