Traditional Black African Hairstyles - Braids, Afros, & Dreadlocks

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases three videos of traditional Black African hairstyles, with a special focus on traditional Ethiopian hairstyles. Selected comments from discussion thread of the video that is given as Example #1 are included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the producers of these videos, and thanks to the publishers of these video on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
These videos are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest dated video given first.

Example #1: Ancient Dreadlocks



TranscendentalProdco, Uploaded on Jan 14, 2011

Dreadlocks have become a cultural statement over the past decades, but are ancestors have had dreadlocks for eons, not just for stylistic purposes but for higher spiritual devotion and practices.
-snip-
Here are some selected comments from this video's discussion thread. These comments are given in chronological order with the oldest year's comments given first, except for responses. I've assigned numbers for referencing purposes only.

2011
1. dismissed7
"The hair issue is the one thing I struggle with the most because if it weren't for the constant ridicule, harassment, and teasing by my OWN people...I would have never begged my parents to relax it. It got so bad that they wanted to beat up because I had natural hair! It is sad that we don't embrace our own heritage..."

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2012
2. lovedonend
"@TranscendentalProdco Can you please tell me what music that is..all of it
..thx..this great!"

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Reply
3. TranscendentalProdco
"@lovedonend
I can tell you two of the songs, when I can recall the others I'll hit you up. The song at 7:20 is called "Anthems to the Moon and Sun and Invocation of the Great" and the song around 10:30 is called The Fifth Element- The Diva Dance "

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4. SisterTalkGlobal
"this video was great...it is true there is a special quality and beauty to our natural hair esp dreds, the bible talks about the Nazirites and part of their oath was not to cut their hair...Samson's power was in his hair: 7 locks...I currently have an afro and oneday I trimmed it a lil bit i walked into my church and one of the deacons was angry that I cut it n told me never to cut my hair because it is a gift from God..that literally shocked me...I am African but my hair is not really accepted"

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2013
5. Jessy Reyes
"what is the name of the first song that is being played?"

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Reply
6. GENODAG73
"The 1st song is Echo Ranks-Dreadlocks"

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7. wingsonmyback1
"the Egyptians wore dreadlocks also men in the Bible, Samson, Medusa's hair of snakes were dreadlocks, also Mosses, I am sure that the caveman first started it."

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Reply
8. aboveunderstanding
"now THAT is deep....."

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9. ariesone3221
"doubt it. Most Indians migrated from East India. Locks aren't a novelty there. And the others were forced by indentured servitude by the English imperialist of the 19th century. Locks have an always been originally black. Hence why its so copied and popular.."

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10. emily wyatt
"your teaching people false trusth. some of it is true and im very thankful for that. but you only talk about the origen and meaning of rasta dreadlocks. there where many more people before that and many more tyes of human wit dreadlocks. infact the first humans or "cave men" if you will had dreadslocks. not because of a reason, just the fact that their hair grew and they had no combs. i started them because of style and a laid back life style. i then found they meant so much more..."

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Reply
11. ariesone3221
"Absolutely not, I have to disagree with that. The ancient origins of dreadlocks have been found as far back as 50,000 to 20,000 bce. Mummified corpses of ancient Egyptians who were black proves this. This is also reflected in their GodsL: Nut, Neteru, Ra and other ancient Egyptian deities.There is no swag or style when it comes to West.The "west" adopted this style this from and appreciation of the Rastafarian movement, which is purely spiritual in celebration of Jah and that way of life."

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Reply
12. bogus123able
"I don't think so. The most ancient word for dreadlocks is "Jata", I think the word dread-locks also comes from who has it first. dreaded meaning (dangerous or very destructive) it refers to shiva (the lord of destruction). He is shown having matted hair. ANd remember this is before Christ (East india was much later).

I think in Latin america also tis more common around carrebean surinam and that area, its same area where many east indians were brought... as workers."

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13. bogus123able
"popularity wise in america its a symbol of swag and style. Back in east india it has a more mystical meaning, only people who are sadhus or who are forfeited worldly possessions use that hair.

So in a sense, the meaning of dreadlocks is reduced in the west."

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2014
14. charles598
"a good song for this video would have been Buju banton - Mighty Dread"

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15. Angela Elaine
"Some of those pics were braids and cornrows not dreadlocks"

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2015
16. MontUHURU Mimia
"I knew how Black hair connected us to higher spiritual frequencies, but I didn't know exactly how; your explanation of Silicon in our hair explained it beautifully.

Also, I never knew how europeans co-opted the myth of Medusa, and her 'snake-like' hair; the fact of Medusa's hair being locks really clears up why she was so despised.

ThANKHS for the video and keep hittin' 'em with tha knowledge NAGA!"

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17. RickyboyH
"That first picture, when you're talking about the OvaHimba is actually of a Hamar woman from Ethiopia, her hair-texture is looser than that of the OvaHimba (4c/kinky/coily) . :)"

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Reply
18. Merikara2, 2016
"+RickyboyH Agreed, that's a woman from Southern Ethiopia. Not everyone in Ethiopia has silky hair. There are plenty of people in Ethiopia with 4b/c texture especially in the South. Africans are genetically diverse people. There's no African country where everyone has the same hair texture."

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2015
19. Rob Rideout
"I started my grey dreads at 63 years old! I'm in my third year now and can't begin to explain how they change one's consciousness for the better. My 44 snakes are my spiritual receptors; I plan to look this way until I die. I can't imagine any other way for me. I'm now a part of Family Dread, whenever I see another!"

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Reply
20. No Name Needed Here
"But you white tho😒"

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Reply
21. Rob Rideout
"+No Name Needed Here Yes, I'm white! Dreads see no color!"

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Reply
22. No Name Needed Here
"But this video wasnt for you😕"

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Reply
23. Rob Rideout
"+No Name Needed Here I don't see "blacks listen only" listed on video! Do you watch white videos? Get off the race trip! Anyone, including aliens, can watch this video! How old are you anyway?"
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/03/white-people-with-dreadlocks-with.html for a related pancocojams post on this subject.

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24. phard2345
"Where is Pharaoh Amenenhet II or the many, many other Pharaonic male and female Dreadlock pictures and statues, to prove Black Egypt?"

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Example #2: Traditional African Hair Style/Ethiopia Hair Style DireTube.com



queenofsheba1000, Published on Jan 18, 2013

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Example #3: Hair styles in Ethiopia. Basically, braids (sheruba in Amharic), Afros (Goferay in Amharic)



Hairstyle 2016 Published on May 11, 2015

Many types of hair styles exists in Ethiopia. Basically, braids (sheruba in Amharic), Afros (Goferay in Amharic) and dreadlocks of monks and pilgrims are common. In major towns however, the wonderful styles are not seen as common as in the rural areas. Most Ethiopians may proudly hang up photos of traditional hair styles in their homes but usually avoid wearing it themselves probably because they may be depicted as backwards. Many years ago The Ethiopian Post Office printed a set of stamps that depicted various tribes wearing unique and stylistic hair styles from the provinces of Arussi, Bale, Begemedir (Gonder), Eritrea, Shoa and Kaffa (double click for larger image). Some of these hair styles were actually used by the ancient Egyptians and Pharoahs and people of the Nile Basins. In fact there are many traditions and cultures used in Ethiopia that are presently absent in other parts of the Nile valley such as Head Rests, Cistrums, Ear wax cleaners and reed Rain Coats are still used in Ethiopia. Interestingly, the Ice Man found in the Alps of Italy used a similar Reed Rain Coat though he used it as a sleeping mat as do the Ethiopians! The hair styles shown here are from the stamps printed many years ago by the Ethiopian Post Office

Men usually have a hair style in the Afro fashion. However, they are known to also braid their hair. A well known examples of braids in men is that of Emperor Tewodros and Yohannes. This style is common among the Amhara of Ethiopia depicted on the left.

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