BACK TO BEARDS

Evening Star, Issue 22233, 10 January 1936, Page 10

BACK TO BEARDS

SYMBOL OF MANHOOO There has been some discussion in American newspapers regarding the possibility of the return of the beard in that country, says a writer in the Melbourne ■ Age.’ The experience of England over the centuries is that beards come,and go as fashion dictates, but the Americans are the most cleanshaven nation in the world, and their country will probably be the last stronghold of the safety razor should fashion attempt to revive the beard. Moreover, the vested interests represented by the manufacturers of razors and shaving soaps, as well as the barbers, would probably combine in a campaign to ridicule the beard through the medium of the newspapers, the stage, and the radio. Beards and wdiiskers went out of fashion in the United States shortly after the Civil War, which dates back 70 years. In Anglo-S.axon _ times in England beards were in fashion, but William the Conqueror was clean-shaven. Henry 111. is the first Norman King depicted with a nice curled heard, but it was not until the reign of Elizabeth that beards became an object of tender attention by their owners. George Killingworthe, who went to Russia as Elizabeth’s agent, had a thick, broad, yellow beard which was sft Sin long. The courtiers, soldiers, lawyers, and merchants of Elizabeth’s reign wore beards.* They dyed them, curled them with irons and quills, dusted them with oris powder, and sprayed them with scent. In ‘ Midsummer Night’s Dream ’ Bottom the Weaver satirises the custom of dyeing beards when he undertakes to play Pyramus, and asks: “ What beard were I best to play it in P I will discharge it in either your straw-coloured beard, your orange-tawny beard, your purple-in-grain beard, or your French coloured beard.” Trimmed beards, were the fashion in the reign of Elizabeth’s successor, James I.; but in the time of Charles I. the cheeks were shaved and the hair on the face was limited to the upper lip, where it was turned upwards, and on the chin, where it grew downward to a point. In the Restoration period under Charles 11. young men were clean-shaven, but the Merry Monarch wore a slight moustache and closeclipped wdiiskers on his cheeks. His brother, James 11., was clean-shaven. Samuel Pepys, who was Secretary to the Navy in the time of Charles 11., wore a beard in his early years, but in 1662, when he was in his 31st year, ho began to shave —with a piece of pumice stone. He records in his diary on Sunday, May 25, IGG2: “ To trimming myself, which I have this week clone every morning with a pummice stone, wdiich I learnt from Mr Marsh when I was last at Portsmouth, and I find it very easy, speedy, and shall continue the practice of it.” Eight months later he began shaving himself wdth a razor, “ which pleases mo mightily.” But his experience was no different from that of anybody else, for a few days later he complains of having cut bimself twice, and declares that the razor was blunt. CHANGING FASHIONS. By the time of Queen Anne cleanshaven faces w'ere the rule in England, and anyone seen with a moustache was picked out as a foreigner. Only Jews and Turks wore beards, wdiich had become an object of scorn. But jvhen wigs went out of fashion beards came back again. Early in the nineteenth century the bucks began to show a patch of wdiiskers on the cheeks below the ears, ' and soldiers wore moustaches. The cavalry officers of Wellington’s army wore moustaches, but they regarded civilians wdio copied them as guilty of offensive swagger. After the Crimean War English army officers who had served there returned with beards and a taste for cigarettes. When the volunteer movement spread over England and every man became a soldier, moustaches became general, and were supplemented by long droop-

ing whiskers, but chins were cleanshaven. The. Prinqe Consort wore a moustache as a young man, and added whiskers in his later years. _ When the young Queen Victoria fell in love with him she wrote with approval about hia “delicate moustachios, and slight, but very slight, whiskers.” King Edward , VII. wore a moustache and trimmed. beard, and this custom has been followed by his son, George V. The trimmed beard and moustache are favoured by other British Admirals as well as His Majesty. It is of interest ... to note that-whereas custom demands that British sailors must ’be either clean shaven or bearded, army officers ■: are encouraged to wear the -moustache. Leopold 11. of Belgium,-who died in 1909, was' the last European king, to wear an undipped beard. The Emperor Francis Joseph of AustriaHungary, who died during tlic Great War, after a reign of 68 years, wore a moustache and side whiskers, in conformity with a fashion that had gone out in'the ’sixties of last.century. The Presidents of France have always been bearded’. In fact, France is still' a ' country of beards, for clean-shaving is rare, except among members of the theatrical profession. But the “ Imperial ” beard of the Second Empire,and the pointed -waxed moustache which are, 'so characteristic of the Frenchman on the English stage, have long been out of fashion in France. Among Oriental nations .the beard has long been regarded as symbol of manhood, strength, venerability, or wisdom. Adam, Abraham, _ and the Biblical prophets are all depicted with beards. The ancient Jews , wore flowing beards and were stricty forbidden to cut or trim them, _ When David sent envoys to Hannn, King of the Ammonites, they were thought to be spies, and were treated with ignomy. Half of their beards were shaven off, and being forbidden to touch the other half they were a laughing stock.. David sent them to Jericho with instructions to stay there until their beards grew,before returning to their homes. The rulers of Assyria wore their beards elaborately curled, and the ancient. Kings of Persia interwove, theirs with gold thread. The ancient Egyptians were usually clean-shaven, but allowed beards to'grow as a sign of mourning, and on occasion they wore false beards. MARK OF PHILOSOPHER. The ancient Greeks were bearded.A flowing beard was- the mark qf a philosopher in ancient Greece, and Zeus and the Homeric heroes were'depicted with beards. Alexander the Great abolished beards from his array,; as affording handles ‘ for the enemy, but they came in again under the Em- , peror Justinian, and lasted till, tha taking of Constantinople in 1453. The Romans did not shave until about 300 me., when Sicilian barbers were brought to Rome. Scipio Africanus is said by Pliny to have been tha first Roman who was shaved every day. From Augustus to Traian, the Roman Emperors were clean-shayein but Augustus let bis beai-d grow while mourning the death of Julius Caesar. .Tha Emperor Hadrian grew a beard to hide q, scar.- The Mohammedans set great store by their beards, which in accordance with command of the Koran are never /cut. They swear by -the bea.rd of the Prophet, and also by their own beard, which they often dye, preferablv red. No greater insult can be offered .to a Mohammedan than to pluck his beard, or to attempt to do so. The, phrase to beard him, meaning to contradict and defy him, is derived from the reverence paid in the East to the beard. The Arab phrase, to laugh in one’s beard, has the same meaning 'as the English phrase, to laugh up one’s sleeve.

A country farmer was entertaining an old friend who had come over from his farm ,in Canada, visiting the Old Country, and, getting tired of the visitor’s boasting, he took his chance to score off him. “I cut my corn twice every year,” said the Canadian, “ Oh, I cut mine twice every week,” replied his friencl; ' , ;