I figured this might be a decent place to ask, since a lot of historical information comes through here.
I’ve noticed that in some RPGs, some characters cut their hair before they commit themselves to whatever they decide to do, whatever quest they decide to go on, that sort of thing. I know that Katrina in RS3 and Dagger in FF9 both did this. I don’t know anything about the historical origins of this ritual or why it’s done, and I’d like to know if you guys know anything about it.
Cecilia from Wild ARMs does it to.
I’m not sure, but I think it has some sort of symbolism like “cutting away your former self”, or something like that.
sorta like i used to be a girly girl but now im sorta like a boy but not really
I would agree with GG’s reason.
But also it could be to show their team mates that they will no longer be ‘someone who gets in their way’, like the ‘long hair’ would have done in battle.
Yeah, GG’s probably right.
Now, if boys wanted to do that…hmm… not quite sure what THEY could cut off…
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They would prolly cut something off that would grow back naturally. :kissy:
Like toenails?:get it?:
I like GG’s and HH’s reasons. Both of them apply very well.
Dagger did it to change who she was and to not be recognized, I believe…?
Nope, that was way earlier in the game, and she didn’t cut her hair off then, she just changed her way of speaking. Apparently this is just as good as Clark Kent’s glasses. She wasn’t in disguise later in the game, so the hair had nothing to do with that.
I looked around a little more today to see if I could find anything that I hadn’t seen here. Apparently, in several Asian cultures the hair is sometimes a symbol of one’s life, and the symbolic cutting of one’s hair signifies a transition, or moving on in life.
I believe it was in the Manchurian period in China where the men wore the very long ponytails that were not supposed to be cut, and that cutting it off would mark a person as an outcast.
Remember the Disney movie Mulan? About the chinese girl who wished to be a soldier? She cast away her doubts and joined the military after cutting off her hair.
I think it’s just in accordance to the lifestyle change… new life, new look, ya know? I know that when I make some kind of life-changing decision, or just need a change of pace, I like to do something with my hair, whether it be cutting it or dying it.
Ashitaka did it in Princess Mononoke too. It makes sence that it symbolizes a big change. Getting your head shaved is the first part of the breaking down process when you join the military.
And also having hair in your eyes is a bad idea in combat.
Originally posted by CalebNova
And also having hair in your eyes is a bad idea in combat.
What if you’re one of those stupid-ass Ninja chicks who supposedly fight better when she can’t see?
Actually, there is a historical significance. Ancient Chinese armies of old regulated the shaving of heads/really short hair cuts so that when you wereon the battlefield, someone couldn’t grab your long hair and slit your throat.
The Samurai would shave their foreheads and tie the rest up into a topknot. Some native american tribes would shave their head except for a single circle on top, wich he left long, and either braided or tied so his enemies could scalp him easier. It was a sign of bravery, especialy since losing your hair while you’re still alive is a great disgrace. It was like daring someone to try and take it… Hard to describe it any other way.
You mean, like what happened on that movie Shanghai Noon?