Dreadlock history and spirituality

I'd like to get a dialogue going about the spirituality and history behind dreadlocks. Many of us have deep spiritual connections with our locks, yet most of the conversation on the forums is more "how-to" etc.

There are a number of different aspects of lock spirituality, ideas stemming from the patience required, lifestyle practiced, and more.

Some of these ideas include locks as energy conduits, as an offering to the gods, or as a symbol to protest some modern mainstream ideas including (but not limited to) dreadlock culture.

Along with the spiritual ideas, the actual history of dreadlocks is immense and interesting, dating back to ancient Egypt and further. However, educational information regarding dreadlocks is surprisingly sparse. This is a place where you can share your own ideas, articles, and historical information surrounding dreadlocks.





To me, my locks are first and foremost a testament to patience. I always had trouble with being patient, and believe that forcing myself to be so patient with my hair (my body as the ultimate canvas) taught me a lot about what 'patience' really is and what it means to be patient.

Second, they are an offering to God. they are a symbol of how little I know, and how ultimately I leave it up to nature to guide me and show me the way, as the natural order of things is the essence of the gods. They mean a lot to me, and I have put a lot of work into them, and so I would humble myself to God and offer them to him with no second thoughts. A testament that I would give anything to prove myself spiritually.

I also entertain ideas like locks as energy conduits. I believe anything you do to your body, anything you put in it, the clothes you wear, the music you listen to alters the flow of energy both in and out. Tattoos and piercings are the same thing, which is why I chose a symmetrical pattern in my tattoos and piercings.




Please post your ideas and information regarding the history and spirituality surrounding dreadlocks.
This is a place where you can share your opinion, and please don't flame those who choose to do so.
Remember we all have a different perspective, and understanding other perspectives is the most effective way to get a look at the big picture.

 

My locks helped me shed vanity that I wasn't aware I had. They are also a reminder to me to never sell out my values. I would never cut them for a job, a person or any other reason. I cut my dreads off a few years a go for a girl that i didn't even care for that much and it made me sick. Spiritually sick, but still. It's also instant identification among my peer group. Other kind folks can see me coming a mile away.

 

I find this aspect really ironic. Many people have expressed the same feelings about countering vanity with their locks, but at the same time, its such a beautifully chaotic choice. You learn to lose your vanity, but at the same time those crazy locks mature into a beautiful hair style, but by that time you have learned to be grateful for them instead of vain about them.

As far as becoming spiritually sick from cutting your locks off, have you ever heard the story of Samson? It has a lot to do with energy - some say that because most of your energy comes out of your head, having locked hair holds that energy in, when Samson's seven locks were cut, he lost his great power.

 

While surfing the web I found a comment in a blog that reads as follows (paraphrased) "Jamaicans were introduced to dreadlocks or jata by Indian slaves that came to Jamaica from England and introduced them to Ganja (a Sanskrit word)"

I can't find any real evidence backing this up, but I can't find any against it either. It is a fun idea to entertain, however, I thought I'd share it with you all.

Though what I did find was, according to this Sanskrit dictionary 'jata' is a word that can referr to "coils of matted hair" or "twisted locks of hair"

For those of you unfamiliar with Sanskrit, it is a language from India and is still one of their 22 languages. according to Wikipedia [Sanskrit is] the primary liturgical language of Hinduism and a literary and scholarly language in Buddhism and Jainism.
The Atma Institute says the language itself is over 6,000 years old. "NASA and others have been looking at Sanskrit as a possible computer language since its syntax is perfect and leaves little room for error. Joseph Campbell, the late, great mythologist refered to Sanskrit as, "The great spiritual language of the world.""
However, the Rigveda "is one of the oldest extant texts in any Indo-European language. Philological and linguistic evidence indicate that the Rigveda was composed in the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent, roughly between 1700–1100 BC" This is basically saying the oldest text in 'Sanskrit' was written about 3713 years ago

 

I think what happened was that when the aliens came to earth the humidity was horrible and they all didn't like it so they decided to weave their hair with dreads and then they could stand it. =]

 

Do you have nothing better to do with your time?
judging by the quality of your average post.. it would appear as though you do not

 

I spose when it comes to my positive relationship with my hair is patience, yes but also freedom. Not wearing make-up and not having to do my hair has released a lot of anxiety, as sad as that might sound. I taught myself that it's ok to not want to do those things, as I never really have, but now I feel ok about it I guess.

Also, dreadlocks must have existed before documentation, as we didn't used to brush our hair, obviously. Like animals that naturally grow dreadlocks, surely we would have too?

 

Also 3x3 you should sign up at dreadsUK.com, lots of philosophical conversations over that way

 

I will check that out

 

it's so easy a... wait what



Donkeys get dreadlocks trimmed after 17 years

 

Bloody rasta donkeys and their marijuana smoking ways...

 

When I started my dreads, all I wanted was a change in hair style but I quickly found more. Over the 14 months, I have encountered so much negativity from friends and family, it was at times discouraging. I have remained strong and patient. I love what I have learned about myself...1-I am a strong person and negative people have no place in my life, 2-I have the patience to endure lifes challenges. The journey continues...

 

I can do little more than laugh at people who chemically curl and color their hair weekly, who try to convince me dreads are 'bad for me' in some way.

I have even been told by people in attempt to discourage me from keeping my dreads "everyone is getting that hair style these days" right after they tried to convince me that it was abnormal. How can it be abnormal if everyone is doing it? people just want anything to complain about...

I feel like people see that you are happy, making your own choices,carving your own path, and since they can't come up to your level they try to do the second best thing, bring you down to theirs.

 

+rep......



Cheers Glen.

 

I'm sure you guys have seen the ads "Casting for a major feature film about dreadlocks" I first saw them over on homeofpoi.com at first I was kind of agitated by the idea, bringing locks into the mainstream eye, but I figure its a great way to reach a lot of people and educate them about locks. It will influence the popular ideas behind locks in a positive way I think.

How do you feel about the first major film production focused on dreadlocks?

 

TL;DR

I already feel like dreadlocks are in the "mainstream eye" I mean loads of people have been getting dreadlocks for a long period of time whether it be for religious reasons or personal reasons. I mean yeah it would be great to educate people who think dreadlocks are gross and filthy, but you can't educate people who don't have an open eye and the willingness to learn. So what would be the point?

There are so many different videos and websites that tell people that dreadlocks CAN be clean and aren't dirty. That show them how to achieve dreads or even how to style them.

Then there are videos that state their knowledge of dreads that are negative but that is how the world works. Just cause we wish for something to happen doesn't mean it will. I know it sounds like I am being negative but it is true. We all wish that we can educate people with the knowledge of how to care for dreads or properly get dreadlocks but we can't force people. It is their own will to want to use wax or not even wash their locks. It is their own will to crochet or go the neglect route. It is their own will to go to a salon or do it themselves. It is their own will to think that dreads are nasty or clean. Everyone is DIFFERENT, everyone has their own way of thinking, their own way of living. If they want to think dreads are disgusting so be it, how does that affect you? Does it make you feel bad for having dreads just cause someone said they were dirty? Then that is just stupid. Yeah you can tell them otherwise but that may or may not work. So what though, just get on with your life and they will get on with theirs. It isn't the end of the world. Isn't the whole point in getting dreads is to let go of vanity, to let go of caring what other people think? I don't know what people's reasons are to get dreads all I know is that you shouldn't care what other people think.

Anyways to answer your question, I don't really care for a movie focused on dreads. Yeah it would be rad I guess but I am not a big movie person.

 

I'd just rather know what the movie was about before signing up...

 

wow, u couldnt have said that ne better =)

 

For fucksake don't take your dready ass so seriously, it was a joke.

 

Thank you XD, I kind of thought I wrote too much, hence the TL;DR.

Wasn't sure if anyone would actually read the entire thing....