The bloody history of the barber pole
History barbershop midland
History barber Berry
Where did the barber pole originate; where did the barber pole come from?
What is the story behind the barber of Seville?
Why is it called a barber?
Why did barbers do bloodletting?
Knowing history is fun, especially because it is filled with unexpected incidents. One day my friends and I were hanging out when someone brought up barbers, and how did people cut their hair in the past? Who invented cutting hair? A question like these pledged our heads. Therefore, I decided to do some research on my own and answer the question, who was the first barber?
Nowadays, so many things are related to a barbershop like Mane Caper unisex jacket and Mane Caper apron with covered pockets.
Just like most great things in life, barbering was also first dated back to Egypt in 5000BC. Barbers in that era were highly respected and used objects made from oyster shells and sharpened flint to cut hair and beard. Let’s look at some more historical facts about barbers in this article.
The Bloody History of The Barber Pole
Barber poles are the poles you see outside each barbershop; it is useful to recognize a barbers shop. They are red, white, and blue, but why? Just like most historical facts, this one is also covered in violence.
Some historians believe that the red in the pole represents arterial blood, the blue represents venous blood, and the white represents the bandages. As mentioned above, the barbers were much more respected in the past and were known as barber surgeons. They not only performed grooming facilities but also other services like bloodletting. Bloodletting was a very common practice back in the day, and the barber-surgeons used to advertise their services by placing a bowl of blood in their windows. This was to advertise their services. However, by 1307 this advertisement was banned, so the barbers started using poles to advertise. Although some people say that red, white, and blue represent the United States flag, this is up to your interpretation.
History Barbershop Midland
Completely off-topic, but the history barbershop in Midland, Ontario, Canada, is a shop that you can go to if you are interested in barbers’ history. So what exactly is this barbershop?
It is a barbershop that uses traditional techniques to cut your hair! Isn’t that cool? Not only do they provide haircuts but also hot towel shaves and beard care. As this is a traditional barbershop, it provides limited services, but the people there are very friendly and make you feel like you time-traveled to the past! If you are a history fanatic, you will love this place. Moreover, if you are a barber by profession, this seems like a very exciting place to work in.
History Barber Berry
Another great barbershop that has its roots in history. Like the other one, this shop is something all historians will love, especially because of its history. This shop is located in Illinois, United States.
This shop was established in 1910 by Clarence “Buck” Berry. He started cutting hair for people in this place, not knowing how long his legacy would last. The shop was then handed down to his son, Jim, until 1968; he also ran it successfully. After that, this shop was sold outside the family heritage and operated under Ron Saltzgiver, who owned it until 2013.
Where Did the Barber Pole Originate; Where Did the Barber Pole Come From?
Now that we know the barber pole’s history, where did it originate or come from? We already know that the act of cutting people’s hair originated from Egypt.
The history of the barber pole is quite astounding, I must say. The barber pole originated in France in the 16th century. The man who discovered it was called Ambroise Pare. Interestingly enough, he was known as the father of modern surgery, but he started his career as a barber surgeon! Bloodletting was one of his specialties.
What Is the Story Behind the Barber of Seville?
This play is also known as “The Useless Precaution” and is a comical opera play. It was crafted by Gioachino Rossini and contained two acts. So what even is the story about? It has a barber in it!
The story is about a Spanish nobleman called count Almaviva, who is in love with Rosina. He follows her from Madrid to Seville, pretending to be a poor student called Lindoro. Unfortunately, the count can not serenade Rosina, so he decides to take help from a barber, Figaro, who prides himself in his abilities regarding the city’s affairs. And as most fairytales go, after lots of hurdles, the two successfully marry each other.
Why Is It Called a Barber?
Another question that you might have is, why are barbers called barbers? Everything has a history in this world, doesn’t it?
The act of cutting hair has also been mentioned in the Bible. Barbering became common in Rome in 296BC. The word barber is derived from the Latin word “Barbra,” which meant beard. It is funny how Barbra is used as a name nowadays. Anyways, after that, in 334BC, Alexander the Great made his soldiers shave to be able to grab the enemy by their beards while not letting them do the same thing.
Why Did Barbers Do Bloodletting?
You must be wondering, after all this talk of bloodletting, why was it even done? What was the point of letting your blood drain? Honestly, it sounds painful and useless.
Bloodletting was most common in the 19th century and was done to restore health and drive away illnesses. It was a practice that continued till the 1920s! Before barbers started performing bloodletting, they could already amputate limbs, pull teeth, perform minor surgeries, and whatnot. After bloodletting became common, they already had the tools to perform this; therefore, from 1100 to 1500, barbers also performed bloodletting. After which surgeons and barbers became two different jobs, and bloodletting was no longer something a barber needed to specialize in.
In conclusion, hopefully, this article increased your knowledge about barbers and answered some of your curiosities. Next time you go to a barber, you will surely have an exciting conversation with your barber! We should all respect barbering as it is also a form of art that has a rich history backing it up.
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