The Mane Event
Last
week, my lovely Bride took our youngest granddaughter to a local production of Rapunzel. Apparently it was a big hit
with her, because she wanted to meet all the cast members following the curtain
call. Being just shy of three years old, she wouldn’t speak with them, but she
did want them to speak to her. I guess that’s an early form of being star
struck.
When I
saw her upon her arrival at our home, I immediately said to her, “Rapunzel,
Rapunzel! Let down your hair!” She just gave me a blank stare like her Papa was
losing it. Maybe the new version is different than the one I read sixty-five
years ago. People have a way of messing with these Grimm things. It was
apparent, however, that Rapunzel’s hair still plays an integral part in the
play.
The
whole Rapunzel thing got me thinking about the importance of hair in
history—particularly, Biblical history. With the big to-dos we make about our
own coifs these days (Rogaine and all that), I’m surprised Rapunzel hasn’t made
a comeback long before now. I, myself, still have a bunch of it—albeit gray and
thinning. A lot of my friends are follically challenged, so I sort of stand out
in that arena (everyone should be good at something).
In Bible
times (as we like to say in the trade), there were some folks whose hair was
their claim to fame. Samson was probably the most famous (or infamous) one. You
may remember him. When his locks were lengthy, he had enormous strength. When
his gal, Delilah, gave him a clip job, he was weakened to such a point that it led
to his demise. It was quite gruesome, so I won’t get into it any further.
Still, we should take note of it at this juncture.
Then
there was Absalom. Absalom was King David’s rebellious son. He was known for
his long, thick mane of hair. He would get it all chopped off once a year
simply because it got too heavy for him. Apparently, once when he was shorn,
someone weighed it—five pounds. That’s quite a mane. His good hair and striking
appearance were the talk of the town.
Like
Samson, however, his cephalic mop did him in. Unlike Samson, though, it was
because he had too much hair rather than too little. He was riding his trusty
mule one day and got his do tangled in the low-hanging branches of an oak tree.
As he hung there, David’s army surrounded him and made quick work of him. I’ll
spare you the old “hair today, gone tomorrow” quip, but you get the picture.
When I was young and had heavy hair (not as heavy as Absalom’s mind you, but dark, thick, and wavy), I used to kiddingly tell people I couldn’t get it cut off or I’d lose all my strength. I have no excuses now. I’m old and weak despite the hair. Now it’s merely a habit.
[Dave Zuchelli is a graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and currently resides in Aldie, VA.]
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