Page 13 - SYTYGIB: Ancient Egypt
P. 13
What would you like today, young man? Shaved with just a single braid of hair left over or shaved with just
a single braid of hair left over?
Hmmm, I think I might go for shaved with just a single braid of hair left over this time.
EXCELLENT CHOICE!
FANCY THAT!
A dye for grey hair was made with
fat from a black snake. So if your gran gets a new look, but also starts hissing at people and wriggling along the ground, now you know why.
Do you ever wish ... you could get a cool new haircut?
Well, why not go all ancient Egyptian, yeah? As well as the classic “braid of hair down the side of a bald head” look, some Egyptian kids had a style that featured just three tufts of hair on top of their head. Imagine your mum’s face! Some grown-ups who didn’t want to be bald encouraged hair to grow on their heads by rubbing in an ointment made from the fat of snakes, crocodiles and hippos.
Wealthy Egyptians wore elaborate wigs made of human hair. It was even thought that one wig in the British Museum’s collection was padded out with sheep’s wool, though it was later found to be real hair. Just as well – a woolly wiggy would definitely have caused a baaa-d hair day!
Next time you’re grumbling about your hairdo, just be thankful you don’t stink of hippo fat!
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Clothes and hairstyles