THE LONG-AWAITED FABLE HAS BEEN RESOLVED

[2themax]

They have dreadlocks. I have seen mid-thigh and calf length dreadlocked folks before. Not in Africa though. Their hair look beautiful. It look like that amount of hair would give you neck pain though.

Then wear a Neckbrace Just kidding - now don't go tellin' me off. Too me, it's worth the pain and agony (at least for a little while. Just thinking about all the pain and agony I endured while trying to grow mine. At least I would finally see some progress for all my efforts.

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

Wow they look like they're in pain. That's alotta hair!

They sure do!

That looks matted and heavy. Long! But really heavy.

I agree.

Due to their possible lifestyles, I doubt if they would have any problems. In fact the article says that a woman's long hair was (among other things) a sign of strength.

I guess so, shoot you have to be mad strong to tote all that around!

ETA: I wonder how old they are in that pic, cause they look young, I wonder if something is added (and not hair) on the inside to make it so bulky looking or if they have been growing it since birth.

 

[2themax]

Just to play the devil's advocate, I'm going to say that technically, the picture isn't that ground-breaking.

Those ladies appear to have dreadlocks (or a form of them), and for as long as I can remember, dreadlocks have been the only exception to the "black women can't grow hair" rule. Everyone I knew was aware that dreadlocks would grow as long as you allowed them to, even if they weren't well-groomed or hand formed, because many of the loced people around had long hair. The man who drove my bus had locs down to his butt. My teacher had locs to her elbows. The man who stood outside of the bodega had a big old ball of locs under his tam. The Rastafarians who worked at the West Indian Grocery Store had long, beautiful locs. The only people with short locs were the people who cut them that way. So everyone knew that loced hair grew, no problem.

The "no hair for you" rule only applied to fully black women with kinky hair or with relaxers. If your hair was kinky and natural, then it was "too nappy to grow". And if you had a relaxer, then you weren't much better off...your hair still couldn't grow, because you were black.

So since these women have locs, then to me, they are just another example of how dreadlocks will grow and grow if you allow them to. I'm more inspired by the women here who have tightly textured hair or relaxers and have still attained great lengths.

Also, their faces have that painful wind tunnel look....like how somebody with too tight braids might look like. And I wonder how their edges are faring with all that hair tugging on them.
But thanks for the picture and the post.

Thanks for your input. Hey I like the video that was playing under your comments

 

[2themax]

Cool picture, i've always had a great interest in history myself.

Well, since we're on the topic of hair in pre-colonial and early colonial rural Africa, i thought i'd add some pics.

MORE TO COME!!!

WOW!! These pics are GREAT!!! Thanks for sharing maghreblover!!
Keep sending them! Thanks again!!!

 

[Platinum]

Thanks for sharing OP!

 

[2themax]

Thanks for sharing OP!

You're very welcome Platinum!! I just love giving my positive input. I'm sure they have a lot of other great qualities besides their hair. Hey look at us

 

[westNDNbeauty]

well their hair is dreaded. when you don't comb, you don't loose any which results in what you see.

 

[workingonme]

I love to see photos like this.

 

[LongiLox]

By the way, I wanted to point out that I don't think the picture is of two girls. It looks like a girl and a boy. Englarge the picture, and you'll be able to tell.

 

[2themax]

well their hair is dreaded. when you don't comb, you don't loose any which results in what you see.

I believe you are 100% right!!!!!

 

[2themax]

I love to see photos like this.

Me too workingonme - me too!!! Very positive!

 

[2themax]

By the way, I wanted to point out that I don't think the picture is of two girls. It looks like a girl and a boy. Englarge the picture, and you'll be able to tell.

I believe you're right. One does look like a female and the other one a male. ..... That's even more encouraging

 

[ThePerfectScore]

aren't locs so long because they include the shed hair too... if I kept my shed hair on my head I'd be Rapunzel.

 

[Geminigirl]

Yea plus the other one doesn't have any breasts. First I was wondering if she was prego or malnourished, now I see it's a boy. Cool pics either way!

 

[SelahOco]

Their hair seems to be pulling their faces back. Am I seeing that correctly, or is that genetic facial structure?

 

[Bene]

They kind of look like wax figures in a museum exhibit. Something about the faces.

 

[otegwu]

Its really cool to see pics like this,

there is definitely additions to the hair, such as mud reeds and grass, there are many tribes in central Africa that still do this now, its kind of like all 'glued together' with a thick pasty mixture, which is built upon over time around their actual hair. its a shame the picture is in black and white.

the extensions arent as we know it but just a different type, its probably a great protective style...not sure if I could be going down the London high streets with all that hair, mud and grass on my hair now. but its still cool to see they did/do