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Atevi Braids
Topic Started: Feb 13 2015, 01:13 AM (471 Views)
Neco the Nightwraith
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Living the Right Life
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We know it is proper for atevi to have long hair kept in a formal braid. From Peacemaker, I got the impression that there might be different braiding styles (otherwise, why need a hair dresser specifically?) We know that braids show the ribbons of rank/clan, and that it is considered improper to have your hair loose, as that is reserved for intimate settings only. We even know that they have hair gel (the goo that Cajeiri mentions using for his flyaway wisps.)

So do you think the long hair and hair braiding is a sort of social bonding thing, like group preening among primates?
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BlueCatShip
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I remember there's a little discussion of hair braids, ribbons, and other (?) hair decorations in the first Foreigner book, when she's describing Jago and Banichi, Tabini-aiji and the people at court. But the specifics elude me. I think the braid is thick and tapers, about like the long queue shown in the first trilogy's paintings. There may be something besides ribbon ties at the tail end of the queue, a clasp or ring or tube? I can't recall if there were, for example, cords or jewels or beads used.

I believe the Assassin's Guild goes for very minimal, functional, non-flashy braids, black ribbon, including for Bren's aishid. White ribbon for Bren's aishid, non-Assassin's Guild, originally.

I'd think braid styles would differ by region (Ragi/Western, Eastern, etc.) and by social status (rank, class, guild/craft/profession), and likely by gender somewhat. There could well be an everyday or working braid style, and then a more formal braid worn for full-dress, for show, ceremony, celebration, and so on. That would be practical.

There would likely be some crossover, now that, within Ilisidi's lifetime, there has been increased contact between regional Associations. So people might adopt a more "exotic" (and fashionable) braid style from elsewhere. There would be personal variations, so people could wear different styles to suit themselves. There would be fashions in braids. (We know there are clothing fashions and other moods / fads in decorating and artistry.)

The atevi are more from a carnivorous, night hunter background, initially. But both cats and dogs groom their fellow pride / pack members, to keep clean and odor-free for the hunt, and as a social bonding thing, and for comfort and emotional benefit...and of course you said primates preen each other. Humans do too, though it's more sublimated in settings and how people interact when doing that. Combing hair, braiding, girls and women trading beauty secrets and putting on makeup. Guys do a little talking to each other about looking good (either for personal appearance or to attract girls) and guys have their own barber shop behavior too. So I'd expect atevi would use hair braiding and getting dressed (those formal clothes, for instance) as ways to bond socially and have touch and emotional contact.

Cajeiri's errant hair: Heheheh. Kinda endearing. At least he doesn't have Alfalfa's cowlick or that rooster tail (whatever it is) in back. :rofl: But interesting that he'll use a kind of hair oil or hair gel to try to get it to behave and look good.

BTW, hair tonic (oil, gel, etc.) was a really big thing back in the 30's, 40's, 50's. My granddad on my mom's side (step-grandfather, technically) always wore hair oil, even years later. To him, that was looking good, being well-groomed, personal pride in appearance and being attractive, both for his wife and for customers (salesman and butcher). He was a good model of a very masculine care for personal grooming, for looking good.

So Cajeiri might either be starting or following a trend in his generation, if it's become popular for kids his age or young men / teens a bit older than he is. -- I haven't noticed that bit mentioned in the books at all, but it might be. At least for himself, with his own feelings about wanting his hair in place, looking nice, it's a personal preference.

Hmm... My own hair was very straight as a kid, but when I hit my teens, it went very wavy and has been ever since. (Yeah, yeah, even my hair's not so straight. I heard that snickering back there. :rofl: ) This also means that if I don't fully wet my hair (I do anyway when I shower in the morning) that it will otherwise look really messy. Fortunately, it doesn't tangle or knot. But if I don't wet it fully, oh, it does not look good. (It looks so tousled it looks like bed-head.) It still has a mind of it's own, and curls and waves like crazy if it's long at all.

I've never let my hair grow even shoulder-length. (It bothers me when it gets over my ears, down in my forehead, on my neck.) But if I were to let it grow out, to the extent Tully or Bren do, to have a ponytail or queue or braid, then my hair would definitely have a strong natural wave and curl to it. It also has this weird tendency to stand out, to have body to the wave, so...yeah, I have my own fussiness about how my hair looks. -- I stick to two or three hair styles that seem to work. I'd probably try others, if they'd look good on me.

(I could probably dress as Bren or Tully, but I get the impression Tully is more fit and a bigger build than I am. Bren's also more fit with his skiing, but hah, I could try costuming as either one. Dark blond hair, blue eyes, very pale complexion.)

Hmm... For atevi, what about hair length? I don't think I've ever seen any indication they were twin braids, as opposed to the single queue, and nothing like the multiple small braids in some African styles. ... Would atevi ascetics, or certain guilds / professions wear their hair very short, ~no~ braids, or a crewcut / buzzcut, or shaved entirely? I suppose there could be cultural or taboo or religious reasons to do that. But I don't think we've seen anything in the books to suggest it. Hmm.

Or -- Is the single, long, braided queue a preference that has become world-wide for atevi, adopting the Western and Eastern habits? That seems to be what we see from the books.

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Xheralt
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Didn't Jago at one point, while adopting a "country girl" persona (to borrow a village truck iirc) have her hair merely in pigtails? So maybe braid implies "noble"? Fancier of course for Events, rather than everyday wear, of course.
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Hakkikt
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Nhi Vanye i Chya had braids, back at the begining of it all. I was almost tempted, when I had long hair [ie up at to Apr. 2001].

Kktkttt Hkkt 0811 [2111GMT, 1411PST] Su. 15 Feb. 2015
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magicdomino

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There have been several references to clasps for the end of the braid. Back in Foreigner, after Bren spent the night in Malguri's basement, he lost his hair clasp struggling with a guard. By the time he was dragged to Ilisidi, his hair was completely loose, much to her admiration.

Ribbon styles seem to vary though. In the early books, they were clearly described as entwined in the braid. However, in the later books, ribbons are tied in bows at the end of the braid, or possibly at the base of the neck. In Peacemaker, Damiri's hair is "bound up with a ribbon" after giving birth.

A fancier hairstyle would probably include something along the lines of French braiding, where the braid starts well up on both sides of the scalp. There could also be corn rows, where the scalp hair is braided tightly into tiny rows. That would definitely require a hairdresser.

Short hair seems to be somehow disgraceful or embarrassing. It could be used in some areas as a probation for petty crimes. Short hair would be a sign that the person has sticky fingers or dubious morals. If the person behaves, the hair is allowed to grow out, and he or she is accepted as a respectable person again.
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