*Humming the tune from Oliver…*
Curls glorious curls
Oh please can I touch them? Everybody now…curls, glorious curls!
The Armitageworld blogosphere has been buzzing since the release of images from the red carpet for the Wellington Premeire of World’s End revealed Richard Armitage sporting slightly longer hair with delicious curls, especially at his nape.
Richard Armitage walks the red carpet in Wellington July 13, 2013
Source: http://www.richardarmitagenet.com
Perry of Armitage Agonistes threw down the gauntlet here for me to connect those winsome waves to examples from the classical tradition – challenge accepted! (I didn’t want to do laundry today anyway 🙂 )
References to curls are fairly uncommon in the literary tradition, but I did find a doozy! In Book XVII of the Iliad, the action centers around the battle for the body of Patroklos, the cousin of Achilles who had been killed by the Trojan prince Hektor. In the process of the battle, another Trojan hero, Euphorbos is killed. Homer describes the fallen as folllows:
For those not familiar with myrtle blossoms (I had to look them up) they do have a certain curl along the edge of each flower, and do resemble cropped curls when in bunches. Myrtle blossoms had multiple uses in Greek ritual practice, so Homer’s metaphor would have been quite vivid to his original audience.
I found one depiction of the fight for Euphorbos’ body, but unfortunately, his notably curly hair is hidden under his helmet.
Curls obscured…Fight for the body of Euphorbos
Source: Wikimedia
Greek art is littered with images of curly haired men. Close cropped curls, long spiral curls, loose wavy curls, curls, curls, curls. For me though, the most iconic head of hair in the classical tradition is that of Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μέγας – Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered much of the known world by the age of 30 and was not known for his modesty. Portraits of him abound, and one thing is always striking – his gorgeous wavy hair. The faces of the portraits vary to a degree, but Alexanders are almost instantly recognizable as long as the hair is intact.
Portrait Bust of Alexander – British Museum
Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Alexander Mosaic” from Pompeii
Even his horse (his name was Bucephalos) has flowing wavy locks…
Source: Wikimedia
Macedonia coin of Alexander as Ammon
*note the nape curls everyone!
Source: Wikimedia
Let’s come in a little closer on captivating curls of Richard Armitage shall we?
Exhibit C…for curls obviously!
Source: http://www.richardarmitagenet.com (my zoom/crop)
Pardon the pixelation, but I submit that if someone were to get his or her fingers in there and tousle up those neatly combed waves… any volunteers? I thought so…get in line! My blog, I get to go first 🙂 …. Sorry, my point was that if we ran our fingers through his hair a bit he’d come out the other side with a vertibly Alexandrine ‘do. I have to go and compose myself now…ὅ παῖς καλός!!
Ancient Armitage 