The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-06-23

THE ASGLo-SAxoS WoNES.-lt Is curious
that Aldhelm. and the other writers of that
class, say nothing of the practice Of dyeing
the hair. though they accuse the ladies OF
curling it, and Of painting their cheeks
Perhaps, however, these Anglo-Ssxon Latin
writers were applying to their eountrymen
aud countrywomen the denunciAtious Of the
southern eeclesiastics of Ganl and Italy
They seem 70 have overlooked little what
was going on at home, aud they may have
thought only worthy Of condemnation that
which they found condemned BY authorities
nearer Rome; or, perhaps, they had taste
for blue hair. At all events, the existence
Of blue hair Is not alluded to by the Anglo
Saxon writers, whether in theiS own veruacn-
lar tongue, or in Latin. But, among the
Anglo-SSxons, as among the Franks, the hair
was an object Of great importance. In
earlier times, the cutting of the hair in either
sex indicated slavery, or crime which merited
the severest punishment Even down TO the
present day, the condemned criminal hsS his
head shaved Among the Auglo-Saxons,
long and loose hair in the female sex was
typical Of freedom and of pure virginity.
Hence, in earlier Saxon times, an unmarried
girl was obliged TO wear her hair in this con-
dition. The only indulgence was, that, after
certain age, she was allowed to plait 1t.
On her wedding day, she unplaited Ii, and
threw ii loose and scattered over her shoul-
ders, because this Indicated her n0bleness of
birth as well rs her virginity. Amer the mar
riase, however, the woman's hair was cut
short, TO show that she had accepted posi-
uon of servitude towards her husband; but,
as civilization developed itself, this degrading
part of the marriage ceremony WAS dispensed
with, and brides were only required, after
the ceremony, 10 bind their hair in folds
round the head. Loose hair continued to be
the distinction Of an unmarried girl, while
married woman was known by her hair being
bound up Even this distinction seems TO
have been kept up in practice till very re-
cent period There is a part of the costume
10 which l have not yet alluded-the shoe.
There appears to have been among the Anglo
SaNous no difference between the shoe (seeo)
of the TWO sexes; both are usually repre-
sented black, though st times various colors
are introduced; aud both are represented as
rising TO the ankle, as having an opening
down the instep, and as fastened at the top
by thong (sceo-pwang.) This form Of shoe
was, in all probability, derived from the Ro-
mSns, as it is exactly that of the Roman shoes
procured BY Mr.. Roach Smith from excava-
tions in London. Among princes and no
bles, and especially among the higher eccle-
siastieS, the upper leather appears, among
the Franks, and among the Anglo-Saxous, TO
have been often stamped or punched with
elegant patterns, similar TO those of the
shoes described by Mr.. Smith. Perhaps,
also, the soles of the shoes were studded
with nails, like those of the Romans, for we
find in the Anglo-Saxon glossaries the word
"sceo-n9gel," shoe-nail The men, among
the Anglo-Saxons, certainly wore stockings,
and there can be little doubt that they We're
worn by the women also. We know nothing
of the material OF which they were made;
but those of the men appear, from the illumi-
nations of the time TO have been Of different
colors. The Anglo-Saxons also wore gloves,
for the word ("glof," in the Saxon language,
and "slofi,n in Old Morse belongs to the
AnglO-Saxon and Northern languages. We
trace them on the hands Of ladies, in one or
two instances, in the drawings of Anglo
Saxon manuscripts, but the word itself can
not have been Of very common use, for We
find, especially in the older writers, that
instead of using the correct names, they
speak of the glove by the rather singular
name Of s hand-shoe, O. hand-seeo.m