A growing trend, across the ages
History professor sheds light on four beard-dominated eras of Western civilization
In previous centuries, beard ambassadors have been Roman emperors, European kings and French politicians. Today it’s David Beckham, argues Christopher Oldstone-Moore in his new book Of Beards and Men.
“The guy is 40 and he’s been an icon of male sexuality and attractiveness for 20 years,” he says. “The fact that he has a beard and always has had some kind of facial hair is very telling.”
In Of Beards and Men, Oldstone-Moore tracks facial hair through four eras of Western civilization. Yet he’s not quite ready to call a fifth golden age of facial hair.
“My standard has been, if we see beards in the mess halls of the military, in the capital chambers and in business board rooms, (places) of real power, if we see beards there then I won’t hesitate to say go,” he says. Here’s how the past four beard-dominated ages came to pass. Ancient Rome For centuries, Greek heroes such as Alexander the Great were stealing the clean-shaven style of demi- gods including Heracles. The Roman emperor Hadrian bucked this trend during his reign in the second century by growing whiskers to signal his wisdom, a nod to the look of the Stoics. “He’s saying, ‘I’m not ruling because I’m godlike,’ ” Oldstone-Moore says. “I’m ruling because I am a wise man of philosophy.” The High Middle Ages Jesus Christ, fashion star? The Son of God’s beard was established in late 6thcentury art. “They wanted him to come to our level and not be too distant and aweinspiring,” Oldstone-Moore says.
It reflected the beard enthusiasm that was sweeping Europe as Roman states that had fallen to German tribes began to adopt their conquerors’ more hirsute look. “Once the beards came back in the late 500s, the beards came back and stayed,” Oldstone-Moore says. The Renaissance Italy was already big into beards in the 16th century, when twin trendsetters King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France took this diplomatic oath: I will grow a beard if you do. The monarchs grew their beards in advance of a tournament celebrating the alliance of France and England. “Once they jump in and do it, that’s the green light for their subjects in northern and western Europe,” Oldstone-Moore says.
He also recognizes this kind of brotherhood-of-the-beard today in modern traditions such as the playoff beard.
“You need some support, mutual reinforcement,” he says. “I’ll grow one if you’ll grow one kind of thing. Nobody wants to be out there on their own.” Mid 19th-century Long associated with rogues and scamps, the beard was granted purview in the halls of power when Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon III, nephew of the more famous Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte), was elected president of France in 1848.
It would be more than a decade before Abraham Lincoln jumped on the beard bandwagon, and a full 25 years before Canada elected Alexander Mackenzie as our first bearded Prime Minister.