Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 39.djvu/517

Rh carries snuff-spoons, etc.," in addition to its value as a distinction. Of one tribe it is said that they wear most exquisite helmets, formed of their own hair; these cost an infinity of care and trouble and time, and are resplendent with beads, ostrich-plumes, and metal crest. To attempt the barest outline of the diversity of hair-dressing, however, would take us too far. With two or three examples, outside the African area, we must stop. The Fijians are remarkably fond of grand coiffures. Williams tells us that "many chiefs have a special hair-dresser, to whom they sometimes devote several hours a day. Their heads of hair are frequently three feet in circumference—one was nearly five feet. They also dye their naturally black hair at times to white, flaxen, or red." A curious point may be mentioned in this connection.

Such head-decorations would be injured were one to lie down and rest his head upon the ground, so a special type of wooden pillow is used in Fiji. It is placed under the neck, and keeps the hair free of the ground. Similar pillows are found wherever such care is bestowed in hair-dressing—as in Africa and Japan to-day, and in Egypt thousands of years ago. The cases already given are ornamental simply, or indicative of rank; hair-dressing may, however, become a tribal or family mark. The Siamese tuft—"lotus bud"—is such a case, as are also the Chinese queue, and the curious styles of hair-dressing that distinguish gentes among our Indian tribes.

Here we have a host of curious customs before us. From them we may draw some general conclusions. Leaving for the present all the religious significance of these mutilations and deformations aside, we find—

First. These alterations are an actual gain or advantage in several ways: (a) as tribal marks; (b) family signs; (c) social distinctions.

Second. Whatever the actual original significance of deformations, they illustrate the action of two important contrary laws: (a) A law of strife for self-assertion or individualization; this really operates as the beginning of every one of these we have considered. The man who has done something, feels himself to be some one—desires to mark himself off from the rest visibly. (b) But the law of imitation leads to that which was at first an individualizing thing, becoming customary and fashionable.