The Opelousas courier., 1891-05-16
THE HISTORY OF Boards.
CHANGES AND FASHIONS IN THE
HIRSUTE APPENDAGE.
Sometimes Regarded as Il Mark OF
Servitude, and at Other Times as
a Badge of Liberty.

BearQS nave nau a EloSG eFeHtIut HIS
tory. At one time they were considered
a distinctive badge Of old age and wis
dom, none but those of advanced age
and philosophers being permitted to
wear them. Afterward they came to be
looked upon as one of the requisites OF
manly beauty. Then both old and
Young We'd with each other in cultiyat-
ing luxurious specimens. The inhabit-
ants OF what is now called Germany wore
long boards, as did also the ~Lombards, or
Largobards, OF Italy, from which circum-
stance they took their name. Otha's
beard was famed for its length, and his
most solemn oaths were taken upon it.
Scipio Africans, one of the most
famous OF the warriors of ancient Rome,
who seemed to care little for the fats OF
fashion, ventured the bold experiment of
shaving off his beard. His example was
Immediately followed by all of his coun-
trymen. Slaves and servants alone were
commanded, under pain Of severe pun
ishment, to wear boards, and thus the
adornment decended from the high rank
of being a badge of honor and became
the distinctive feature of the lowest
menials. It was not until the accession
of Hadr1an that it was restored to its
original post Of honor, and the slave
again became known by its absence from
their faces. This Emperor's reason for
restricting the old fashion was that in
order to cover up some very disiguring
scars on his chin it was absolutely nee es-
sary for him to cultivate the growth of a
beard.
Prior to the time of Alexander the
Great, the Greeks wore full boards, but
that monarch required his soldiers to
shave so that their enemies could not
grasp them by that ~appendage during
battle, a very ordinary proceeding in
those days in a hand-to-hand conflict.
In the carly days of France a beard
was considered a badge of liberty, and
great care was bestowed upon it, the
possessor of u long curly beard being
looked upon with envy by his ~less-favored
brethren. The pious monks and friara
regarded this as a mark of frivolity and
shaved off their boards. The Bishop Of
Rouen, ~espousing their cause, hurled in.
vectives from the pulpit at the custom
of wearing them. He SO impressed hun
dreds of the religious-minded that they
Immediately followed the priestly ex-
ample. Many, however failed to do So.
and, as a consequence, there, existed il
numerous localities two f ctions-the
smooth-faced and the bearde@b-and many
bloody meetings. occurred between them
In fact, these conflicts became so genera
and sanguinary that Louis VII, in order
to bring about peace, removed his beard!
and thus for a time settled the vexee
question, "To shave or not to shave"
This marked another period in the
downfall of the beard, and it quickly
came into disrepute. Persons elected to
the office of magistrate, or who desired
to become members of Parliament, were
not allowed to their positions IN
less their chins were clean shaven. Thus
it was that many a beard, but a short
time before the pride of its wearer, fell
before the ruthless edict of fashion. II
the case of petty magistrates, however,
an exception was made and they were al.
lowod to retain this facial ornament.
It was not until 100 years later that it
again become fashionable, and for the
self-same reason as that which caused its
restoration in the days of Hadrian.
Francis I. received a disfiguring~c1t on
his chin which precluded shaving, and
to conceal the scar he was compelled to
allow his beard to grow.
Louis XIII. became King at the age
of nine, and, az a matter of course, vas
beardless3 His willy courtiers, desiring
to show their allegiance and respect, i'm
mediately scraped their ehins and again
the beard was relegated to obscurity.
They did not, however, sacrifice ali OF
this hirsute adornment, but grew mu
taches and a small tuft of hair under the
lower lip. This was also done when
Philip V. assembled the Spanish throne
The early history of the rJe and fall
Of the beard in England is somewhat
similar to that aleady detailed, and dur
ing the reign of Queen Elizabeth long
boards were interdicted bystatute. Those
who had the temerity TO wear one oil
''above a fortnight's growth" were fined
and lost many Of their privileges. This
state of affairs lasted one year; then
fashion proved triumphant, and the
odious law was repealed.
Peter the Great rendered himself very
unpopular by levy a tax on boards, re,
quiring any nobleman, gentleman, trades.
mar or artisan wearing Il to pay 100
roubles for the luxury. If any member
of the lower classes affected one he was
taxed n copeck and compelled to pay
it to a regularly appointed collector.
Upon refusal or de elictlon the beard
was summarily removed by q public bar
Der, who often PERFORMED the operation
with a dull razor in the public street,
surrounded by a throng of indignant
friends of the victim. Many of those
who could not afford to pay for the
maintenance of such an expensive ap.
pendage, reluctantly parted with it, and
in numerous instances preserved the
severed beard with the greatest care, di.
recting that it should be placed in theil
collins at the tire of their decease. This
custom was also observed by the Jews
of the olden time.
Among the Turks, Persians, Arabs and
Mohammedans the removal of the beard
always was and is still looked upon as 8
mark of degradation. In ancient Egypt
the men were smooth-faced except in
time of mourning, when they allowed
their boards to grow, as a distinctive sign