Autoren-Bilder

Thomas S. Gowing (–1874)

Autor von The Philosophy of Beards

1 Werk 32 Mitglieder 2 Rezensionen

Über den Autor

Hinweis zur Begriffsklärung:

(eng) Gowing was a prominent citizen of Ipswich, but I can find no information on when he was born.

Werke von Thomas S. Gowing

The Philosophy of Beards (2014) 32 Exemplare

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Wissenswertes

Rechtmäßiger Name
Gowing, Thomas Shave
Todestag
1874-01-09
Geschlecht
male
Nationalität
UK
Wohnorte
Ipswich, Suffolk, England, UK
Hinweis zur Identitätsklärung
Gowing was a prominent citizen of Ipswich, but I can find no information on when he was born.

Mitglieder

Rezensionen

Thomas Gowing gave a lecture one evening in the early 1850s, which so amused and fascinated his audience that a publisher agreed to put it into print. Not for the first time, then, we have a new edition of The Philosophy of Beards.

Gowing put together everything he could find on beards throughout history. There are chapters on various societies around the world, describing how beards were appreciated. In some, men trimmed their hairs into varying numbers of points. Others decorated their beards with gold and jewels. Some grew their beards down to their feet. Various religions have at various times condemned beards and forbade men from shaving them off. Men forced to shave have saved every hair in order to be buried with them so they could get into heaven. Beards do not provide insulation, warmth or cooling. By the time he reaches 80, “27 feet will have fallen under the edge of the razor”, Gowing says.

Beards had all kinds of significance. Kings wore styles exclusive to them, and so on down through the ranks. You could tell a man’s status by his beard. In Turkey, going without was the sign of a slave (or a woman), and upon being given their freedom, slaves immediately let their beards grow. It is not for nothing that in Islam “By the beard of the prophet…” is about as serious as you can get about some claim. In Saudi Arabia, cutting off a beard was the most severe of punishments. Today’s Taliban make it a central requirement – men must have beards.

The ultimate in beard stories has to be Louis VII of France. His priests convinced him to shave, and it so disgusted his wife Eleanor that the church granted her a divorce on that basis. She went on to marry Henry II of England. Her dowry contained a couple of entire regions of France, which caused endless wars over the next 300 years. Three million French were killed in them – all over the lack of a beard.

The Philosophy of Beards is a fun little book, peppered with drawings of various styles. It reads and works just like TED Talks do today, with accompanying print versions available later. Even 175 years later.

David Wineberg
… (mehr)
 
Gekennzeichnet
DavidWineberg | 1 weitere Rezension | Jul 31, 2018 |
An intriguing Victorian curiosity, this is a lecture justifying and surveying of the history and cultural significance of beards, accompanied by pictures of various impressive specimens.
 
Gekennzeichnet
bodachliath | 1 weitere Rezension | Jan 4, 2016 |

Statistikseite

Werke
1
Mitglieder
32
Beliebtheit
#430,838
Bewertung
½ 3.7
Rezensionen
2
ISBNs
4
Sprachen
1