Vintage Photo of the Week

Twiggy

1966

Photo by Barry Lategan

All Those Braided Tresses

“Weaving the Destinies of Man and singing her spells of becoming.” — Circe, the Fate Spinner who sat at her loom.  Homer called her Circe of the Braided Tresses, hinting that she manipulated forces of creation and destruction by the knots and braids in her hair.  She ruled the stars that determined men’s fates.

“Circe of the Braided Tresses, an awful goddess of mortal speech.”  Her braids symbolized her power over metempsychosis;  she stood for the cosmic Cirque, or karmic wheel.

Mother Goddesses like Isis, Cybele, and Kali were said to command the weather by braiding or releasing their hair.  By as late as the 17th century, churchmen said that witches could raise storms, summon demons, and produce all kinds of destruction by binding their hair.  In the Tyrol, it was believed that every thunderstorm was caused by a woman combing and knotting her hair. 

Today, braiding has become as popular as ever, never leaving the sixties hip movement far behind.  Maybe its a fashion statement for some.  Or maybe a matter of convience, to lock away the escaping hair.  Or maybe, we seek to create or destroy the fates of men with our locked tresses.  If I could, I’d braid my hair and make the weather stay beautiful always.  Of course I’d comb it out for the occasional thunderstorm. 

Can’t let this blog go without mentioning Theresa, who made the braiding of her hair a trademark, like Circe, manipulating the forces of creation. 

Source:  Women’s Myths and Secrets