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Origin of The Barber PoleThe modern barber pole originated in the days when bloodletting was one of the principal duties of the barber. The two spiral ribbons painted around the pole represent the two long bandages used. One was twisted around the arm before bleeding, and the other used to bind it afterward. Originally, when not in use, the pole with a bandage wound around it (so that both might be together when needed) was hung at the door as a sign. But later, for convenience, instead of hanging out the original pole, another one was painted in imitation of it and given a permanent place on the outside of the shop. This was the beginning of the modern barber pole. |
HISTORY OF BARBERING
The word
"barber" comes from the Latin word "barba," meaning beard.
It may surprise you to know that the earliest records of barbers show that they
were the foremost men of their tribe. They were the medicine men and the
priests. But primitive man was very superstitious and the early tribes believed
that both good and bad spirits, which entered the body through the hairs on the
head, inhabited every individual. The bad spirits could only be driven out of
the individual by cutting the hair, so various fashions of hair cutting were
practiced by the different tribes and this made the barber the most important
man in the community. In fact, the barbers in these tribal days arranged all
marriages and baptized all children. They were the chief figures in the
religious ceremonies. During these ceremonies, the hair was allowed to hang
loosely over the shoulders so that the evil spirits could come out. After the
dancing, the long hair was cut in the prevailing fashion by the barbers and
combed back tightly so that the evil spirits could not get in or the good
spirits get out.
This rule of barbers was a common thing in ancient Asia. In fact, wherever there
were legends and superstitions about the hair, the barbers flourished. To this
day in India, the veneration of the hair continues and those who cut and dress
the hair are important characters.
SHAVED HEADS AND BEARDS
In Egypt,
many centuries before Christ, barbers were prosperous and highly respected. The
ancient monuments and papyrus show that the Egyptians shaved their beards and
their heads. The Egyptian priests even went so far as to shave the entire body
every third day. At this time the barbers carried their tools in open-mouthed
baskets and their razors were shaped like small hatchets and had curved handles.
The Bible tells us that when Joseph was summoned to appear before Pharaoh, a
barber was sent for to shave Joseph, so that Pharaoh's sight would not be
offended by a dirty face.
In Greece, barbers came into prominence as early as the fifth century, BC. These
wise men of Athens rivaled each other in the excellence of their beards. Beard
trimming became an art and barbers became leading citizens. Statesmen, poets and
philosophers, who came to have their hair cut or their beards trimmed or curled
and scented with costly essences, frequented their shops. And, incidentally,
they came to discuss the news of the day, because the barber shops of ancient
Greece were the headquarters for social, political, and sporting news. The
importance of the tonsorial art in Greece may be gathered from the fact that a
certain prominent Greek was defeated for office because his opponent had a more
neatly trimmed beard.
In the third century, BC, the Macedonians under Alexander the Great began their
conquest of Asia and lost several battles to the Persians who grabbed the
Macedonians by their beards, pulled them to the ground and speared them. This
resulted in a general order by Alexander that all soldiers be clean-shaven. The
civilians followed the example of the soldiers and beards lost their vogue.
Barbers were unknown in Rome until 296 BC, when Ticinius Mena came to Rome from
Sicily and introduced shaving. Shaving soon became the fashion and the barber
shop became the gathering place for the Roman dandies. No people were better
patrons of the barbers than the Romans. They often devoted several hours each
day to tonsorial operations, which included shaving, hair cutting, hairdressing,
massaging, manicuring and the application of rare ointments and cosmetics of
unknown formulas. The great ladies of Rome always had a hairdresser among their
slaves and the rich nobles had private tonsors, as they were then called.
Barbers were so highly prized that a statue was erected to the memory of the
first barber of Rome.
When Hadrian became emperor, beards became the fashion again -- and for a very
good reason. Hadrian had a face covered with warts and scars. He allowed his
beard to grow to cover these blemishes. The people of Rome imitated the emperor
and grew beards whether they needed them or not.
The fashion changed again to clean-shaven faces. We know that Caesar was
clean-shaven. As we will see repeated in history many times, the leaders of the
state were the leaders of fashion and the people were always ready to follow the
prevailing styles. There are many passages in the Bible referring to the barber
profession. Moses commanded that all who recovered from leprosy should be
shaved. This was done as a health precaution, because throughout history the
Jews have honored the beard as a badge of manhood. To this day, the orthodox
Jews have little respect for clean-shaven men. During periods of mourning, the
ancient Jews allowed their beards to go untrimmed, but ordinarily their beards
were trimmed regularly. The prophet Ezekiel refers to an ancient custom in these
words: "Take thou a barber's razor and cause it to pass upon thy head and
upon thy beard." The razors of those days were made of flint and oyster
shells.
FIRST BARBER ORGANIZATION
The earliest known organization of barbers was formed in 1096 in France when William, Archbishop of Rouen, prohibited the wearing of a beard. The barber-surgeon, or chirurgeons, began to thrive all over Europe. They were the doctors of the times and the royalty as well as the common people came to the barbers to have their ills treated as well as for shaving and haircutting. The physicians proper were in continual conflict with the barber-surgeons. The barbers embraced dentistry as well as surgery and this brought down on them the enmity of the dentists of the times. This caused a long strife, whose settlement required the interference of kings and councils. There was a division between the barbers and the regular surgeon-dentists. But the barbers retained the privilege of practicing dentistry and surgery for several centuries.
FOUNDED SCHOOL OF SURGERY
In the middle of the 13th century, the barber companies of Paris, known as the Brotherhoods of St. Cosmos and St. Domain, founded the first school ever known for the systematic instruction of barbers in the practice of surgery. This school was later enlarged and became the model for schools of surgery during the Middle Ages. Many of the foremost surgeons of the times were students of the School of St. Cosmos and St. Domain. The establishment of this school was one of the greatest contributions ever made toward the progress of humanity. The oldest barber organization in the world, still known in London as the "Worshipful Company of Barbers," was established in 1308. Richard le Barbour, as the Master of the Barbers, was given supervision over the whole of his trade in London. Once a month he had to go the rounds and rebuke any barbers whom he found acting disgracefully or entering on other trades less reputable. The master of a city company not only had this power, but he successfully prevented unauthorized persons from practicing the barber profession. The Barbers Guild of the 14th Century was undoubtedly more powerful than any of the modern unions. The king and council sanctioned the Guilds and so they could enforce their regulations. It was not uncommon for violators of Guild regulations to suffer prison terms for their misdemeanors.
BARBERS AS SURGEONS
Up to the year 1416, the barbers were not interfered with in the practice of surgery and dentistry. But it was soon evident that they were attempting too much. It was impossible to expect ordinary human beings to competently practice surgery, dentistry and the various tonsorial operations. People began to complain that the barber-surgeons were making them sick instead of well. Many barber-surgeons resorted to quackery in order to cover up their ignorance of medicine and anatomy. These abuses came to the attention of the mayor and council of London. In 1416 an ordinance was passed forbidding barbers from taking under their care any sick person in danger of death or maiming, unless within three days after being called in, they presented the patient to one of the masters of the Barber-Surgeon's Guild. Until 1461 the barbers were the only persons practicing surgery. The practice of surgery was still in its primitive stage, but new discoveries were being made regularly and the barbers found it impossible to keep up with the new discoveries and at the same time maintain their skill in dentistry and barbering. The surgeons began to forge to the front and became increasingly jealous of the privileges accorded the barbers. But for a long time they could do nothing to prevent the barbers from acting as surgeons. In 1450, the Guild of Surgeons was incorporated with the Barbers Company by act of parliament. Barbers were restricted to bloodletting, toothdrawing, cauterization and the tonsorial operations. However the board of governors, regulating the operations of the surgeons and barber-surgeons, consisted of two surgeons and two barbers. Every time a surgeon was given a diploma entitling him to practice his profession, the diploma had to be signed by two barbers as well as two surgeons. The surgeons resented this, but the barbers were very much favored by the monarchs and preserved their privileges until the middle of the 18th century. Henry VIII, Charles II and Queen Anne presented the barber-surgeons with valuable gifts and raised many of them to high offices. Under a clause in the Act of Henry VIII, the Barber-Surgeons were entitled to receive every year the bodies of four criminals who had been executed. The dissections were performed four times a year in the Barber-Surgeons Hall which still stands in London.
The only surgery performed by barbers today is the occasional amputation of an ear or two and Jimmy is the only one I know of who still practices that.