Vistula plait

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Christian IV. On the side of the back of the head his braid is visible

The Polish plait (also Wichtel- , Wüchsel- , Schrötleins- or Judenzopf , Haarschrötel , trichoma , Cirragra , plica polonica is called) the historical name for a massive agglomeration matted scalp hair into a tangled web similar to today's dreadlocks , which in extreme cases the hair as a whole can affect. The term was also used in a figurative sense for trains of thought and literary works.

history

The Weichselzopf was not uncommon in Germany in the Middle Ages and up to the 16th century and is said to have been found in Switzerland , Belgium , Alsace and on the Rhine . In the 19th century it still occurred in the Danube countries and in Poland , which is where the Latin name plica polonica and the English polish plait come from .

Probably the most famous of whom a hairstyle in the style of the Vistula braid has been passed down was the Danish-Norwegian King Christian IV (1577–1648). The hairstyle, which was imitated at court, had a braid of Vistula decorated with a red bow hanging down the left side.

medicine

Vistula plait in Clever Hans's mane hair

The sour curl braid also came into the focus of medicine, as it was often accompanied by skin diseases and was associated with poor hygiene, which was widespread in the poorer sections of the population. In these disease-prone cases, a weeping rash developed first at individual points and later over the entire surface of the scalp , which mostly dried up to form scabs and the hair stuck together into a dense, felt-like structure. Since combing out the hair was avoided partly because of the painfulness, partly out of superstition, apart from the exudate , dirt of all kinds was deposited in the hair felt , which made the hair even denser and could also accommodate lice , their nits as well contributed to bonding. From the medical side, care has been taken to ensure that the hair and skin are clean in order to prevent these phenomena. In Meyer's Konversations-Lexikon (4th edition from 1888 to 1890), for example, it says : “It's just best to shave off your hair early on and comb and brush very carefully. If the braid is out of date, it is best to start the cure with this procedure in order to allow the local remedies that are still to be used to have a more thorough effect on the diseased scalp. "

In human medicine and hygienic works, the term Weichselzopf appears mainly up to around 1910 and to a decreasing extent and increasingly from a historical perspective until shortly after 1920, after that almost only in dictionaries to describe the matting of hair caused by the nits of high-grade head lice and eczema crusts , or as a note. In veterinary works it was mainly used in connection with horses.

literature