Dreadlocks don’t belong to one ‘culture’. Next came the ancient Greeks. In the Archaic period of 800-480BC, sculptures show men wearing dreads. The pharaohs wore dreads, and in the Bible, Samson, perhaps the most famous long-haired geezer of them all, had ‘seven locks’. Next came the Vikings.
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What is the origin of the term 'dreadlocks' in African American liberation and Rastafari?
I'm not necessarily a 'historian' by any means. I acknowledge that several cultures may have had dreadlocks in some form or another before Rastafari. What is the origin of the term 'dreadlocks' in African American liberation and Rastafari?
I am white and locked my hair with the freeform method before unknotting them to backcomb them. In a discussion my friends made several claims about the origins.
My friend said without a link: dreadlocks were originally called that because they were meant to inspire fear in the heart of the white oppressor
My friend quoted urban dictionary: The name 'Dreadlocks' originated on European slave-ships during the middle passage. / The white crews would bring the enslaved Africans up on deck to wash them off. They saw that the thick Hair of the Africans, full of vomit, blood, and shit, had matted into 'dreadful locks'. / It is therefore offensive and incorrect to refer to the dolltails worn by ignorant white children as Dreadlocks.
I quoted knottyboy.com: The followers of this [Marcus Garvey's] movement called themselves 'Dreads,' signifying that they had a dread, fear, or respect for God. Emulating Hindu and Nazarite holymen, these 'Dreads' grew matted locks of hair, which would become known to the world as 'Dreadlocks' - the hair-style of the Dreads.
Are any of these different stories accurate? Are none of them accurate? What's the true story of the 'dread' in dreadlocks?