Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-20
BETTER THAN A STORY.
history OF Boards, WITH TIE Gus.
TOMS OF MANY PEOPLES.
Long bearded Witnesses in Turkish Courts
How Monarchs Set the Fashions
IN Hirsute Adornments.

How Monarchs Set the Fashions
IN Hirsute Adornments.
The history of boards is as ancient as
that of man itself, and since the earliest
written history is found in the East, to
that part of the world must we go for the
first records on the subject of pogonology.
Among tho Orientals, whose customs and
manners are less subject to change than
those of Western nations the beard has
always been looked upon as importing dig
nifty to the countenance. To the general
rule, however, the old Egyptians form an
exception. According to Herodotus, they
only allowed the hair of the head and the
beard to grow during the period of mourn
irg; at all other times being carefully
shaved It will be remembered that when
Joseph was sent for by Pharaoh he was
obliged to shave himself; but a curious
custom of the Egyptians was that of some
times wearing false beard made of plated
hair and of peculiar form. varying ac-
cordins to the rank of the weares. Com
monels were only allowed small boards,
barely two inches long, while the beard of
king was of considerable length and
square at the bottom. The beard of god
was distinguished by its being turned up at
The end By this means the figures of gods
and kings Ia the sacred subjects of the
temples are easily differentiated. The al
Iegorical connection, also, between the
Sphynx and the Monarch is plainly shown
by the form of the beard. Yet, notwith-
standing this custom, the Egyptians alb
horrence of the bearded Greeks and Asiat-
les was so great that no woman would on
any account allow bearded man to kiss
her. Ladies are not quite so particular
nowadays Among the
ORIENTAL JEWS
And the Arabs, Turks and Alohammedan
tribes of Central Asia and of Africa the
beard is still regarded as sacred. "By the
beard Of the Prophet still remains the
highest and solemnes6 oath amongthe faith
full Pangenstacher, In an old treatise on
the subject, says that among the Turks a
long beard was held in such respect that
man with such an appendage was deemed
incapable of false swearing. Hence when
any one had weak case in Court he looked
out for long-bearded witnesses, who, how
ever, most probably knew nothing what
ever of the matter in dispute. And he
usually won the day, unless his opponent,
equally artful, confronted him with wit
nesses with superior hirsute adornments,
There is q sweet simplicity about this su-
perstition and its peculiarly Turkish appli-
cation that is eminently edifying. The
Mohammedan priests of the Indian Archi-
pelago, in imitation of the Arabs, are fond
of wearing beard, but the utmost results
of their painfully careful cultivation are a
few struggling and homogeneous looking
hairs, which, SO far from gaining the de-
sired effect, only makes them objects Of
CALLING ridicule. We may here note, in
contradiction TO this absurd habit, the Gus
tom pursued by most nations scantily fur
nished with hair on the face, of plucking
out, at an early period In life, the hirsute
excrescences which no amount of pains and
trouble could ever render respectable. As
with the
MoHAsiAIEDANS,
The beard was much esteemed by the an
Gent Greeks and Romans. We know how
Homer speaks of the boards of Nestor and
King Priam. twas, moreover, considered
to be asymbol Of wisdom and Socrates
was dubbed Maqister barbatus the bearded
master. The Lacedamonians, however,
do not appear TO have worn the beard in
It's iHS6SiAigs 4oA bIby SAzNGi tiiS upper up
According ID Athsn@as Glib. l3), the Gus
tom of shaving was introduced 10y Alexan-
der the Great, who ordered the soldiers to
clip their boards before the battle of Ar
bella because short beard would offer no
advantage TO the enemy when fighting at
close quarters. At later period the whole
beard was shaven, and the portraits on
Macedonian coins generally represent the
kings without beards. Among the Romans
the beard was originally worn long and cut
or clipped during times of mourning. Phny
lib. VII. 59) says that one LueIus Mseuas
introduced tonsors into Italy from Sicily
IN the year 454. p R. c., before which date
the Romans did no. cut the hair, and he
further mentions that Scipio Africanus
was the FIRST to adopt the custom of shaw
ing every day. From this time the wear
ing OF boards was continued chiefly by
philosophers, priests and soldiers, or in
contrast 10 the previous habit, as sign OF
mourning
The Office of tonsor appears to have been
threefold -t0adeRdo, radeadO, oe}lendo-to
cut, to shave, and to pluck out the hair.
The cutting of the hair or beard was gen.
orally effected by the knife (culteyl, and
also by the scissors (Jorferl but shaving
proper lrGdsre abrdaerel was done by the
razor (iaocaculal, which the barber carried
about with him in a proper case. The
plucking out of the hair (celte,e) was
effected by pincers GuolssHe). Those
who objected TO submit themselves to
the operation of the razor removed their
boards by the application Of caustic pastes.
But even after
THE ROMANS
Adopted shaving they still preserved a re.
Iigious respect for the beard and, as IL
Greece, the pima tarJa, or first crop, was
carefully collected in boxes OF gold or sill
yer and presented to one or other of the
gods, though chiefly to Jupiter Capitolinus.
This barbara poaere generally took place
when the youth had reached his twenty
first year.
Fashions are often set by monarchs, and
it is not surprising to find that, under the
Emperors, the beard was allowed to grow
once more, Hadrian and some of his sue
cessors having resumed the fashion. Had
rian, indeed, is said to have revived the
custom simply because he wished to con
ceal some Objectionable moles upon his
chin In Greece, alse, the beard again
predominated under Heraklius, and the
Emperors Constantine II. and ", both Of
the family Of aeraklius, received the names
of pogoaatos because of their long boards
Among the writer's On the dignity OF the
beard must be mentioned the
EMPEROR JULIAN,
SurnaHed the Apostate. 1t seems that
the inhabitants OF Antioch, being accus
toned to shave themselves, ridiculed the
Emperor With refreshing freedom for that
he allowed HE beard to grow in the ancient
fashion. Julian revenged himself in q
satire which he entitled "The Antiocheap,
or the Enemy OF the Beard, - and in which
he severely bat good. humoredly castigated
the licentious and effeminate manners Of
the Anti0cheans. This little work. which
was probably written about A. D $50, i.
highly interesting. We have only space
for a passage or two: "And first will
begin with my face. Formed by natur,
not over beautiful, graceful or becoming
my perversity and singularity have induced
me to add to It long beard, to punish it
as IL were for no reason but because uatur,