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Ran across an unusual hair-related superstition that I'd never heard of the other day.
I was sitting in the lobby of our hotel in San Diego, waiting for my oldest son to come down from the room (was in San Diego for my middle son's wedding, but that's another story).
A lady with a mid-back ponytail comes over and asks if she can tug on my braid. I figured "what can it hurt", so I said ok. She gave my braid a gentle tug, and then told me that it's supposedly good luck to tug the braid/ponytail of someone with hair longer than your own.
I laughed and told her that I was probably out of luck, as I don't know much of anyone with hair longer than mine.
This, of course, was ignoring several members of the board, but I don't see any of you in person much, so not much tugging opportunity [grin].
Anyway, has anyone else heard of this particular good luck charm?
Frodo
Hadn't given this thought in ages, But, My maternal grandmother believed this. Said it was a Celtic belief (actually Gallic, but, the Gauls were Celts) The Romans would make the prisoners they took cut off their hair as a sign of servitude to Rome. Many were sold into slavery. To encounter a person (usually a male) with long hair meant they were still free (and therefore lucky) To stroke their hair, either free are bound, would bring you luck as well.
Cool :)
WOW, that's definitely an interesting reply to Mr. Frodo's question. Historically-speaking, that would make sense, because apparently during the peak of the Roman Empire days Ceasar was said to have not liked it when a man had better-looking hair than he did (Cesar had very thin, balding, short hair -- as well as he had a very BIG ego!)!!!
- Ken in SF
The Gauls came from France/Spain up the seaboard (on Western Europe) and were Celts (there's 2 strains of Ancient Celts, so they say) dark haired ones via Basque/Punjab, golden/ginger via Germanic/Scandinavia and long hair showed their position in the tribe. When the Romans arrived and crossed Europe they punished those 'barbarians' (as they called them) by cutting their hair before death or servitude (hair was very important to them and marked their place in the next world) and making them less than human. I'm glad your Grandmother remembers these tales - and has passed them on.
Did that sound a bit nuts?? Blah!! I am me and my culture is me!! :)
Not at all, Sir. For I feel much the same. I am descended form Highland Scot (Celt) and further back, Scandinavian via Viking explorer/traders.My family name is a Sept of Clan Gunn,(Gunnar, a Viking chieftain and explorer who settled in the north of Scotland) of CaithNess. All were longhairs, by the way. My mothers family is also Celt. Hailing from Wales (The waelache, as the Normans referred to the natives after 1066, using their word for foreigner) and the Southwest of England. Both sides have been traced back nearly 1000 years. My brother has continued the search that my grandmother and her 2 sisters started decades ago. My GM was also trained in anthropology. (She entered college in 1912, not a lot of options for a young woman to choose from at the time, but she favored ancient cultures) I can not claim 100% percent Celt for there are Germanic and Saxon bloodlines as well. I am, alas, a mutt.
Hi Jason
I'm a Lady, not a Sir!! :)
Asdis. I Apologize for my faux pas. I am genuinely embarassed.
No problemo - there was a pic of me wayy back on the members list but the site got revamped many moons ago and it got lost in cyberspace.. also I dont post that much either... :)
Howdy Mr. Frodo,
If Jason W. hadn't given you such an intelligent, historically accurate response, my sarcastic reply would have been to ignore the kooks in California who walk up to total strangers with any excuse to touch your hair...
But I think Jason W is actually quite correct -- which then makes ME look like the California kook that you should avoid listening to (LOL)!!
In any case, thanks for the interesting post!
- Ken in San Francisco
After the twenty years I spent in southern California, I've been well aware that there's a certain grain of truth to the old joke about California being the granola state (as in, either nuts or flakes), lol.
People in California can be amusing, interesting, or just plain different, but they're rarely boring.
Frodo
You forgot about the 3rd important ingredient in the granola state: California is full of nuts, flakes, and FRUITS (and I'm shamelessly proud to say it myself, confessing to the fact that I'm a rather plump & juicy old raisins here - LOL)....
Thanks for the fun reply, Mr. Frodo!
- Ken
Left that part out intentionally. I figured I was tip-toeing on the border of potentially offending someone with a "stereotyping" joke already, and that part might shove me over the line.
Hi again,
Well, I totally understand. However, sometimes in our fear of offending someone in our modern-day society's concern over being 100% "politically correct" all the time has cost us in another way -- that of us no longer feeling free to occasionally tell a perfectly good and innocent joke! I realize that it can be a hard call sometimes.
I feel pretty free nowadays to tell a few main types of jokes, especially falling into any of the following categories:
1) jokes about aging hippies or longhairs (because I obviously AM one!);
2) gay or lesbian jokes (although I am NOT a lesbian - LOL)....
3) blonde jokes (because at one time I WAS one!!);
4) Scotch- Irish jokes (because that's the primary percentage of my ethnicity)
5) religious jokes (because I used to be quite religious; but I've been "cured" of that now - LOL)....
The above types of jokes are easiest for me to fearlessly tell in public, because I can always point the finger back at me, since I am a part of all of the above 5 groups of people.
The big trick about not offending someone who is NOT in one's own group all boils down to whether or not it sounds truly demeaning or insulting. I try to avoid those types of jokes, anyway (even if the joke is about one of the 5 categories I mentioned above).
To me, the funniest jokes I've ever heard always have some small grain of truth to them (even if the "grain of truth" comes a little too close to home - LOL).... That's why political jokes are always quite universally funny -- because politicians are so well known NOT to tell much truth!!
Anyway, back to the old joke about California being like a cereal bowl filled with granola... Since I've lived here a long time now (over 30 years), I can verify first-hand that there is indeed a "grain of truth" to the statement that our state does tend to have a rather large population of fruits, nuts, or flakes running around here -- which is why I still find that joke pretty damn funny!!
- Ken (living in San Francisco -- which of course is the granola capital of California!)
Not only is the concept of being "politically correct" fairly silly, it's also poorly named, as it is neither political nor correct. It falls more into the realm of diplomacy than politics, and has more to do with being inoffensive than accurate. After all, "trash collector" is a much more accurate term than "sanitation engineer", but doesn't sound near as dignified.
Frodo
Hi Jim,
Well a trash collector is not very impressive sounding and being a sanitary engineer does bring more prestige.But I always look forward every trash day why my local "Garbologists" arrive to lift those heavy cans and let that nice truck smash it all to a pulp:)Have a nice weekend my friend!
Mark
"That's why political jokes are always quite universally funny"
Yes, political jokes are funny ... except sometimes they get elected!
Now THAT's funny!!!
Dude, she was problably hitting on you and the "good luck" story was just a way to brake the ice...
I don't know. She didn't stick around long afterwards. And if she was, she was out of luck, as I'm a married guy, and she wasn't my "cup of tea" anyway.
Frodo
YES!!! :)
Dunno if it is lucky, but when I was driving transit I would give free rides to anyone with hair longer than mine...and stop outside of bus zones.
Didn't know you weren't still driving. So what do you do now, if you don't mind me asking?
Frodo
Supervising rail operations now. Same company, just one step up out of the driver's seat.
Three cheers for upward mobility!!! [grin]
Hey Trolleypup,
I don't blame you one bit for doing that -- and my guess is that this opportunity didn't happen all too often, especially considering how long your hair is (LOL).... Did this happen maybe only once or twice per year? That's about how often I see anyone walking around SF with hair longer than butt-length (whether male or female -- although females probably a little more often than once or twice per year).
Take care, and I hope your MUNI supervisory job is still going well for you!
- Ken
A bit more than that...but not much more. Most people have FastPasses so it is moot. If it was "people I would give free rides to" the number would have been upwards of monthly. Especially since there was a couple who rode my line more or less regularly, both with hair past classic.
There must be more past classic people in my neighborhood...I figure I see that length once a weekly basis or so. And rather more than that including work...where I am more or less in high foot traffic areas.
It has ups and downs, but I am out of probation and being out of The Seat is a very good thing.