| The dreadlock | | | | dreadlocks following the cue of poor people there |
| An Indian monk was slowly moving through the | | | | who had been using dreadlocks since the 1930s. It is |
| roads and people were looking at him with surprised | | | | also said that when Hindu and Naga saints started |
| interest. The dress, the attire, the posture were all | | | | visiting Jamaica in pursuit of jobs in the 19th century, |
| alien to people of the western world but what | | | | the dreadlock culture came up with them to Jamaica. |
| attracted their attention most was the matted ropes | | | | A few others trace the origin to the Mau Mau rebels |
| of hair on the head of the monk. That is exactly | | | | who were fighting against the British colonialism of |
| what we call the dreadlock, hair on the head allowed | | | | the time. |
| to grow without cutting, combing or brushing to take | | | | Why dreadlocks? |
| the shape of matted ropes. | | | | Dreadlocks have been used by people coming from |
| Origin | | | | different cultural backgrounds with different reasons. |
| One of the universal phenomenons that have | | | | Sometimes it is due to their religious and spiritual |
| survived the onslaught of time, dreadlock has its | | | | convictions like it is sacred among Hindu saints and |
| origin rooted in the ancient Vedic Hindu culture. In the | | | | monks and at other time social and political |
| Hindu mythologies it is described that Lord Shiva took | | | | environments like used by the Mau Mau rebels. To |
| the force off the holy river Ganges coming to the | | | | avert the derogatory use of the term a new term |
| earth on his dreadlock and thus saved the earth from | | | | has come up to replace the term "dreadlock" and it is |
| destruction. Historically too the earliest evidence of | | | | often referred to as "African Locks", the aim being |
| dreadlock is found around 2500 years BC and have | | | | to remove the feature of dreading from the |
| been mostly the favorite hair style of sages and | | | | terminology. |
| monks. | | | | The importance of dreadlocks in Eastern countries |
| The immediate impact | | | | Dreadlocks are considered sacred by the Indian |
| Hinduism had its influence on Buddhism, Jainism and | | | | religious preachers since it has its origin with the holy |
| even the Greek and Roman cultures of the past. In | | | | Lord Shiva. In China too noblemen and ascetics used |
| the Roman Celtic culture dreadlock was referred to | | | | dreadlocks combined with long fingernails denouncing |
| as hair knotted like snakes. The royal families in | | | | all earthly attachments. In some other Asian and |
| ancient Egypt not only adopted the dreadlock but | | | | African countries the dreadlock refers to the fear of |
| also used dreadlocked wigs as archeological | | | | the almighty. |
| discoveries have revealed. | | | | Dreadlocks and the western world today |
| Other cultures | | | | When the reggae music made a big stride during the |
| Dreadlock was used not only in Egypt, Rome, and | | | | 1980s, the dreadlocks used by the world famous |
| Greece but Germany, Mexico, Far East, Africa and | | | | singer and lyrist Bob Marley caught the imagination of |
| several other countries. In Germany the Vikings, in | | | | the audience world over and there was a rush to |
| Far East the Naga tribe, the Bishops of Jerusalem, | | | | wear dreadlocks. This became most popular among |
| Aztecs of Mexico were all well attached with | | | | the African-Americanized people but white people did |
| Dreadlocks. Dreadlock was one of the most popular | | | | not remain far behind. Especially the people who raise |
| hair styles in these countries during the 14-16th | | | | their voice for anti-globalization, and the activists who |
| century AD and they were also found with the Sufi | | | | support the cause of environment-protection find |
| Order in Senegal. | | | | dreadlocks to their choice, a symbol of registering |
| The modern era | | | | their protest against the possible evils of globalization |
| During 1950s in Jamaica the people followers of | | | | and environmental pollution. |
| "Young Black Faith" took heavily the style of | | | | |