This preference for tousled locks had earned the Merovingians the name reges criniti (“long-haired kings”), which was more than just a trademark or an idle nickname. Hair was an essential symbol of their power. Like Samson in the Old Testament, if a Merovingian was given a crew cut, he was deemed to be shorn of all power. So in 751 Childeric was not merely being restyled. He was ceremonially deposed.
