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Beards,WhiskersandtheHistoryofPogonotomy

Somethingbeardythiswaycomes!Lovethemorloathethemitseemsthatbeardsare

everywhereatthemoment.Walkdownyourlocalhighstreetandbeforeyouvegonetoo

faritsafairbetthatyoullbemetbyaveritableseaofhairyfaces.Inmanyways2014may

wellprovetobetheyearofthebeard.Afterafairlylongperiodinthewilderness,facialhair

hasreturned.ItmaywellhavepassedyoubybutthereisactuallyaWorldBeardDay,

dedicatedtothecelebrationofthehairychin.InBathinSeptemberwasheldtheBritish

BeardChampionships,avirtualXFactorforbeardwearers,whereownersofmighty

examplesoffacialtopiarysubmittedthemselvestothescrutinyofapanelof

pogonotomists.Forwhateverreasonandtherearepotentiallymanybeardsareback.

Howlongcanthislast?Questionswerebeginningtoberaisedinspring2013astowhether

peakbeardhadbeenreached.Thisisthepointatwhichsometheoriststhinkthatbeards

becomesoubiquitousastorenderthemunfashionableagain.Therearecertainlynosigns

ofchangeatthemoment.Onlyafewweeksagocamethestartlingrevelationthat,inthe

pastyear,manufacturersofrazorsandrelatedgoodssuchasshavingfoam,haveseena

dropinsalesofmorethan72millionpounds.MarketanalystsIRInotedthatmens

shoppinghabitswerechangingand,eventhoughthetotalmarketstillaccountedfor2.2

billionpounds,thiswasasubstantialdent.Thecauseofthischange?Beards.

Noteveryoneisafan.Infact,asJeremyPaxmanfoundouttohisbewilderment,beards

havethepowertobeextraordinarilydivisive.Pogonophobiathefearofbeardsis

apparentlyontheincrease.Whatisitaboutbeardsthatsomepeoplefindsoapparently

distasteful?Somemenandwomenjustdislikethefeelofbeards.Mostmencan

probablysympathisewiththefeeling,usuallyafterthefirstweekorso,thatyourbeardis

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attackingyourfacewithitchingpowder.Oncethatpassesandsomesemblanceof

dermatologicalnormalityresumestherearethesocialproblemstoovercome.Smallpieces

offoodlodgedinabearddonotpresentagoodlook.Soobsessedweretheheavilybearded

Victorianswiththisproblemthattheyinventedallmannerofdevicesandcontrivancesto

cope.Theseincludedmoustachespoonstostoperrantwhiskersdippingintothesoup

course.Somepeoplefeelthatbeardsarehidingsomething.Thereis,infact,alonghistory

ofdistrust.HenryVIIIsbeard,forexample,wasallegedlyextremelyunpopularwith

CatherineofAragon,whopleadedwithhimtoshaveitoff.Infact,Henrysemblematic

beardwasactuallytheresultofabetwithFrancis,kingofFrance.Beforetheirfamous

meetingonthefieldoftheclothofgold,bothmenresolvednottoshaveuntilthebigday.

Butthedecisiontowearornotwearabeard,moustache,whiskersetcisonethathaslong

beenaproblemformen.Overtime,attitudestobeardednessand,indeed,shavinghave

constantlyshifted.Somethingsoseeminglymundaneasfacialhairisactuallyboundupina

complexwebofmeanings.ToparaphraseKarlMarx(aposterboyforthebeardifeverthere

wasone!)mendontjustactastheyplease;insteadtheybehaveaccordingtotheinfluences

ofthesocietytheylivein.Growingabeardisaconsciousdecisionandcanbeforavarietyof

reasonsfromculturaltoreligious.Infact,althoughwereconcentratingmoreonother

influencestoday,religionisverycloselylinkedtobeardwearing,especiallyforexamplein

Judaism,IslamandSikhism,andcanevenbecomeaculturalstereotype.Somemenmight

protestthattheyjustgotfedupwithshavingbutthedecisionnottoshaveisanequally

consciousone.Howevermuchweliketothinkweareallindividuals,asagroupwebehave

inpredictablepatterns.And,tobefair,wecantblamethecoalitionforthisone.

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Ifwelookbackthroughhistoryitisamazinghowmanyperiodshavetheirown,immediately

identifiable,facialhairstyles.IntheRenaissance,forexample,beardwearingwasasignof

masculinityandalmostariteofpassage.Tobeabletogrowabeardrepresentedthechange

fromboytoman.AsthehistorianWillFisherputitinhisarticleonbeardsinRenaissance

England,thebeardmadetheman.Itisnoteworthy,forexample,thatmostportraitsof

menpaintedbetween,say,1550and1650containsomerepresentationoffacialhairfrom

theFrancisDrakestylepointybeardtotheCharlesIVanDyke.Thebeardwasviewedasa

basicmarkofaman,butthiswasnotjustsomethingfanciful.Infact,beardswerestrongly

linkedinwiththeoriesofmedicineandthebody.Earlymodernmedicinesawthebodyas

consistingoffourfluidhumoursblood,blackbile,yellowbileandphlegm.Facialhairwas

regardedasaformofbodilywaste,whichresultedfromheatinthereinstheareasaround

thegenitals,andtheliver.Assuch,beardswerestronglylinkedtosexualprowessand

fecundity.Amanssexualcapabilitieswerewritlargeacrosshisface.Nevertheless,beards

werestillnotforeveryone.SomeprominentfiguressuchasThomasMoreandOliver

Cromwellpreferredthecleanshavenlookinlinewithausterereligiousbeliefs.Indeed,17th

centuryPuritans,neveragroupinlovewithdisplay,viewedthebeardasanunnecessary

baubleontheface.Formeninthisperiod,therefore,thebeardwasnotjustsomefrippery;

itwascloselylinkedtheveryessenceofmanhood,andconceptsofhealth,sexualityandthe

body.

Theeighteenthcenturyhadbeenonewheremenwerealmostentirelycleanshaven.Hereit

wasinfactthelackoffacialhairthatdefinedtheidealman.Thefaceoftheenlightened

gentlemanwassmooth,hisfaceyouthfulandhiscountenanceclear,suggestingamindthat

wasalsoopen.Thiswastheageofthefopandthedandy,wheretheveryideaofgrowinga

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beardwouldhavebeengreetedwithafurrowingofthebewiggedbrowandafewchoice

wordsaboutimproprietyandvulgarity.Interestingly,thiswasalsothefirstperiodinhistory

whenmenbegantoshavethemselves,ratherthanseeabarber.New,sharperrazorswere

accompaniedbythefirstsignsofanythinglikeanadvertisingcampaignbyrazormakers.

Growingabeardatthispointwouldonlyhavebeenadeliberateactdonepurposefullyto

conveyamessage.JohnWroe,forexample,leaderoftheChristianIsraelitegroup,lethis

beardgrowwildtosignifyhiswithdrawalfromsociety.Inthissensebeards,andtheir

removal,werecloselylinkedtotechnologyandculture,andtotheexpandingworldof

enlightenedscienceandinnovation.

BythemidVictorianperiod,however,thebeardmadeaspectacularreturntofavour.

Sometimearoundthe1850s,conceptsofmasculinityitselfbegantochange.Something

strangewashappeningtomeninthisperiodandtheywereundernewpressurestoreassert

theirauthorityandstatus.Thiswastheageofindustrializationwhichbroughtwithitnew

challenges,notleastintheneedtocreatehierarchiesandstructuresofauthoritytocope

withthesheernumbersofmenwhocouldnowworkwithinasinglecompany.Butmen

werealsoincreasinglynervousaboutwomen.If,aswasbeginningtohappen,womenwere

findingavoiceandbeginningtoagitateforgreaterlevelsofindependence,thiswouldbea

significantthreattothestatusquo.Menneededtoreact.Andtheydid.

Oneofthewaystheydidthiswastoplaceanewemphasisuponthephysicalcharacteristics

andstrengthofmen.Accordingtothenewview,menshouldreflectwhathasbeentermed

muscularChristianity.Incameanewvogueforathleticism,sportsandgameplaying.The

underlyingtheorywas,asEMForsterputitthatsportencouragedwelldevelopedbodies,

fairlydevelopedmindsandundevelopedhearts.Vigorous,vitalandathleticmenwere

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exactlythesortsofstoutfellowsneededtoswelltheranksofthearmy,anddefendand

expandtheEmpire.Whilsttheconnectionsmightnotimmediatelybeclear,thebeard

playedastrongpartinthisprocess;infact,itvirtuallybecametheemblemoftheVictorian

man.Centraltothiswasthebeliefthatthebeardwassimplytheoutwardmarkofinward

qualitiesofmasculinity,suchasindependence,hardinessanddecisiveness.Amans

characterandstrengthwasvisibleuponhisfaceintheformofalargebushybeard.Arange

ofnewsourcesstressedthescientificbasisbehindmensnaturalauthority,alleging

irrefutableproofthatwomenweretheweakersexandshouldthereforeknow,andkeep,

theirplace.ThiswastheageofDarwin,whoarguedthatmanwasessentiallytheresultof

millionsofyearsofevolutionandnaturalselection.ThebeardwasaGodGivenmarkerof

mansnaturalstrengthandfitnesstobethedominantsex.Notonlythis,Victorianthinkers

calledonsciencetoprovebeyondallreasonabledoubtthatmanhadcometobethe

mastersoftheworldsimplybecausehewasthebestequippedtodoit.Howcouldwomen

argueagainstthepurelogicofscienceandnatureandthemoralityofreligionwhenthevery

emblemofmasculinitywasliterallystaringthemintheface?

IfVictorianmenalsoneedednewbeardedheroesthentheyfoundareadysourceamongst

theranksofexplorersandhunters.Thiswastheageofexploration,ofhunters,climbers

andexplorers.Asruggedadventurersbegantotackletheterraincognitaoffarflung

continents,theywouldimmersethemselvesinwildnature,lettingtheirbeardsrunriot.The

beardbecameasymbolofruggedmanlinessandmenbegantoemulatetheirbewhiskered

heroes.AlbertSmithwastheEnglishmanwhowentupamountainandcamedownwitha

beard.Smithwasanauthorandentertainerbutalsoamountaineerwho,in1851,had

climbedMontBlanc.HewasalsotheinspirationfortheVictoriancrazeformountain

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climbing.Asanewexemplarofthemasteryofmenovernature,Smithpersonifiedthe

Victorianmasculineideal.

By1850,however,beardswerebecomingvaluednotjustfortheircosmeticattributes,but

theirhealthbenefitstooanddoctorswerebeginningtoencouragementogrowtheir

facialhairasameanstowardoffillness.AsChristopherOldstoneMoorepointsout,the

Victorianobsessionwithairqualitysawthebeardpromotedasasortoffilter.Athickbeard,

itwasreasoned,wouldcapturetheimpuritiesbeforetheycouldgetinsidethebody.Others

sawitasameansofrelaxingthethroat,especiallyforthosewhoseworkinvolvedpublic

speaking.Somedoctorswereevenrecommendingthatmengrewbeardstoavoidsore

throats.Clergymenwhoshaved,accordingtoonecorrespondentintheHampshire

Advertiserin1861,invitedallsortsofthoracicandpectoralwoes!

FortheVictorians,beardswerecloselylinkednotonlytonewscientificideasofmale

dominanceandnaturalauthority;theyalsodrewonageoldthemesofthebeardasthe

ultimatesymbolofmanhood.AVictorianmanunabletogrowsomesortofbeardwas

scarcelyamanatall!

Thetwentiethcenturybroughtavarietyofstyles.Inthefirstdecadesafter1900,

moustachesweredefinitelyinvogue.Partofthiswastoemulatetheruggedmasculinityof

Britishmilitary.ItwasinfactamilitaryregulationthatBritishsoldiersmustweara

moustache,untilGeneralSirNevilleMacready,whohatedthemoustache,repealedthe

orderin1916.The1920ssawChaplinstoothbrushmoustacheachievenotoriety.Some

speculatethatacertainAustriancorporalHitleractuallytookhisinspirationfromChaplin,

whoseworkheadmired.Inthe40s,bushyfighterpilotmoustacheswerealltherage,but

theimprovedavailabilityandqualityofrazorswasmakingshavingeasier,more

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comfortable,andincreasinglypopular.Bythe1960sthebeardwastheultimatesymbolof

thetunedin,turnedonanddroppedouthippy.EveryonefromJohnLennontotheJoyof

Sexmanwasheavilyhirsuteandproudofit.

The80sintroduceddesignerstubble.Thiswasthedecadewhenrazoradvertisingcrossed

intopopularculture.Electricrazoradvertisementswerefullofspeedboats,motorbikesand

parachutingheroes.WealsolearnedfromVictorKyamthatthehumblerazorcouldbethe

inspirationtobuyawholecompany!The90sgaveusthegoateeaboutwhich,thelesssaid

thebetter!

Butwhereoncebeardstylescouldlastdecades,thepatterninthepast10yearsorsohas

beenmoretowardsmonths.Thatiswhytheenduranceofthecurrentcropofbeardsis

actuallyquiteinteresting.Whateverthecurrent,vogueforfacialhairtellsusaboutmen

todayitisclearthatbeards,moustachesandwhiskersarenotjustaquirkysidenote;in

manywaystheyareinfactcentraltoarangeofimportantthemesinhistory.Oneofthe

mostconstantofthesehasbeenemulation.Intheearlymodernperiodmonarchsprovided

abearded(orindeedcleanshaven)ideal.BytheVictorianperiodpowerfulandfashionable

figures,andnewtypesofindustrialandmilitaryheroes,offeredmensomethingtoaspireto.

Now,withalmostunlimitedaccesstothelivesofcelebritiesthroughthevoraciousmedia

andinternet,theopportunitiestofindheroestoemulatearealmostlimitless.Ifhistory

tellsusanythingitisthatnothingstaysthesameforlong.Howlongthiscurrenttrendwill

lastisdifficulttosay.Whatismorecertainisthatmensrelationshipwiththeirfacialhair

willcontinuetochangeandevolve,andprovideuswithauniquewaytoaccessthethoughts

andfeelingsofmenthroughtime.