Great Books Ep 66. Aeschylus - Choephoroe, Part 1. Strands of Significance: Thinking of Hair Symbolism

Hair has played a significant role in literature and life in the past and it continues to do so even in modern times.

Photo by Ömürden Cengiz on Unsplash

“.. this snip of hair could give you wings;

And when you looked upon it you saw me”

~ ‘Choephoroe’ by Aeschylus (G. M. Cookson translation. p72. line 226)

Brief Summary (Lines 1 - 395):

The play opens with Agamemnon’s son, Orestes, at his father’s tomb in Argos along with his friend Pylades. Orestes prays to Hermes, asking for support for taking revenge for his father’s death. He cuts off a lock of his hair and offers it to Inachus for help. They hear footsteps and hide. Electra, Orestes’s sister and a chorus of slaves arrive to pour libations at the tomb. Electra and the Chorus have a lengthy discussion about their misfortune and whether they would be able to avenge her father’s murder. Electra has been asked by her mother to make these offerings to appease Agamemnon’s spirit. She grapples with the idea of defiance of not doing anything or simply performing the act as an empty ritual since she is reminded that her father was killed by her mother. However, she decides to go ahead with the offerings by praying to her father for guidance. She finds the lock of hair left by Orestes on the tomb and is struck by its resemblance to her hair. Orestes reveals himself, and both are overjoyed to be with each other. But soon, they are overcome with the sadness around their current state and not being able to avenge their father’s death. Orestes describes the haunting visions and supernatural punishments that await him if he fails to avenge his father’s murder.

My Thoughts:

Electra discovering the lock of hair left by Orestes is a moment of joy, wonder and hopefulness, at a moment of despair and hopelessness. I was wondering if siblings do have similar hair or not. I doubt if two siblings can be identified by just their hair. Though, in general, humans have broadly different categories of hair like blonde, black, red, brown, etc, in terms of color and straight, curled, etc., in terms of patterns, when you look closely, each person’s hair is different from another’s. It is one of those things that work at a macro scale rather than at close range. For e.g., you could look at someone’s hair and kind of say which region on Earth they, or their ancestors, are from with more than 50% confidence, but you probably cannot find out if two people are related. You can probably do it by doing DNA analysis, not by merely looking though. What do you think? 

The way a person fashions the hair on their head signifies a lot about them. Social status, group affiliation, and so on. Hair does play a significant role in people’s lives and it has a special place in literature. It has formed the basis of many heart-warming stories when women sold their beautiful hair to help someone in need as the ultimate token of sacrifice. I still get a lump in my throat when I think of O Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”! I'm also reminded of Gabriel García Márquez’s “Of Love and Other Demons’, where the author says he got the idea of the story when he saw a 200-year-old tomb with a skeleton that had long-flowing hair. The story is mesmerizing, gripping, haunting and totally unforgettable. 

Nothing else remained in the niche except a few small scattered bones, and on the dressed stone eaten away by saltpeter only a given name with no surnames was legible: SIERVA MARÍA DE TODOS LOS ÁNGELES. Spread out on the floor, the splendid hair measured twenty-two meters, eleven centimeters. The impassive foreman explained that human hair grew a centimeter a month after death, and twenty-two meters seemed a good average for two hundred years.

Of Love and Other Demons - Gabriel García Márquez

Is hair the indestructible part of the human body that doesn’t decay even after the flesh and bones are no more? Well, stories give hair qualities that real hair does not possess. I guess there are hundreds of stories in which a person’s hair is a major aspect of the plot, and more to come, I’m sure.

But in spite of all the importance of hair, I also feel like modern humans view hair as a weed that grows on the body and needs to be rid of. Hairless bodies have become the norm of beauty and hygiene, especially for women, and that puts a lot of burden on a person to do waxing, shaving, etc. Less hair means less maintenance of the body and things in the house. Think of not having a clogged bathroom because of hair! Do robots need hair? No, not for utility or aesthetic reasons. In the quest to do more and be more, people also are becoming robotic in deed and appearance. 

Setting that thought aside, though millions don’t want hair, there are millions of people who are dedicated to the ‘hair industry’ - hair coloring, styling, trimming, soap, shampoo, hair growth, studying hair strength, split-ends etc, etc. I'm sure the industry is billions of dollars of worth in the economy. I guess it teaches us a lot about modern civilization, where even a small thing, such as hair, is an area of experts and professionals with deep knowledge. There is so much knowledge in the world that it is too tough to understand even a small area. It is true of anything that you take. Any area you pick, once you go in, you realize that there is a sea of knowledge to discover. I think it has reached this stage of complexity as a result of intense study by many researchers who worked diligently to advance the field. 

So, I wonder, with the help of AI, are people going to spend a lot more time studying and researching and building even more complex systems or let AI do the research and not really spend intense hours into the study of things. I’m hoping that it is the former because even if a fraction of the people who have the capability to research new things “slack off”, there might be more chaos in the world. Most of the fights in the world are due to very intelligent people having misplaced ideologies. I recently saw Netflix’s adaptation of the book series - 3-body problem. An advanced civilization from an unstable world (unstable because they have 3 suns) discovers Earth and is racing to come to Earth in thousands of ships so that they can take refuge in a stable system. They are a few light years away, and in spite of the advancements that they have, it will take them 400 years to reach. By their calculation of the rate of human progress, they conclude that human civilization will be way more advanced than them in 400 years’ time, and humans might destroy them. They realize that one way to stop human progress is to attack scientists, undermine humanity’s belief in science and progress and keep humanity in a state of chaos and superstition till they arrive. 

Other Thoughts/Quotes

The concept of Judgement day

But Judgment swings through her swift arc

And censuring all doth poise and weigh:

And she can set a soul in light,

Or on the confine of the dark

The lingering agony delay;

Or whelm with elemental night.

I wonder if all the religions on earth have the concept of judgement day or something similar in which at the end of one's life there is a black and white answer by taking into account everything that one has done in their lives - Heaven or Hell.

Praying to the dead

O Father, have compassion on me

And on Orestes; how shall we bring him home?

Electra first prays to Hermes and then to her father. A lot of people who visit tombs reflect upon the dead person's life and mostly feel sad that they are gone. Some pray for the person's soul to rest in peace. I small fraction pray to the dead to intervene and help them in their daily struggles.

Strings of music instruments

But God can touch the broken strings

To melody divine;

When I read this I was reminded non-human hair is also much used in a variety of use-cases. Horse hair is used in musical instruments like violin.

Mourning with a shaven head

Ch. Yea, foes are they should mourn with shaven head.

I was reminded of millions of people who shave their heads before taking pilgrimage to Tirupati in India. Probably this culture of shaving head for mourning or as an offering to gods exists in other cultures too.

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AI Chatbot Responses

Prompt: I’m currently reading Aeschylus’ play named ‘Choephoroe’. Here is a brief summary of lines 1 to 395 and my thoughts. The topic of my thought is hair, it significance in the past and lack in the present. Provide a response to my thoughts. Give me examples of stories/books where hair played a major role. Brief Summary: <copy-paste>. My Thoughts: <copy-paste>.  

ChatGPT

Your thoughts on the significance of hair in both the past and present, as illustrated through your reading of "Choephoroe" and other literary examples, offer a rich exploration of how this seemingly simple element of human and animal bodies holds profound cultural, symbolic, and aesthetic value. Here’s a review of your insights and reflections:

Review of Your Thoughts:

Analytical Depth: You delve deeply into the symbolism of the lock of hair in "Choephoroe," using it as a springboard to discuss broader themes of identity, family, and recognition. Your skepticism about whether siblings can be identified solely by their hair adds a realistic perspective to the discussion, contrasting the symbolic use of hair in literature with its biological and genetic characteristics.

Cultural Perspectives: Your reflection captures the shifting perceptions of hair across different eras and cultures, highlighting its role in stories and its changing significance in contemporary society. You effectively link these themes to broader social and cultural dynamics, such as gender norms and the beauty industry.

Interdisciplinary Connections: By connecting literary themes to modern issues and industries, you broaden the scope of discussion from ancient Greek tragedy to contemporary societal trends. This interdisciplinary approach enriches the understanding of hair’s role in human culture and its economic implications.

Reflection on Modernity and Technology: Your contemplation on the role of AI in research and societal advancement is thought-provoking. It ties back to your initial discussion about the complexity of seemingly simple topics like hair, suggesting that every area of knowledge has depths yet to be explored, potentially with AI's aid.

Additional Examples of Hair in Literature:

Besides "The Gift of the Magi" and "Of Love and Other Demons," here are a few more examples where hair plays a crucial role:

1. "Rapunzel" by the Brothers Grimm: The story centers around the character’s long hair used by a prince to climb into her tower, symbolizing both captivity and a means of escape.

2. "Sula" by Toni Morrison: Hair in this novel signifies beauty standards, social conformity, and individual identity, particularly in African American culture.

3. "Harry Potter Series" by J.K. Rowling: The hair of a character (e.g., Bellatrix Lestrange) is used in making a Polyjuice Potion, showing its importance in magical transformations and disguises.

4. "The Hairdresser of Harare" by Tendai Huchu: This novel explores the life and struggles of a hairdresser in Zimbabwe, showing hairdressing as a lens through which to view societal and personal issues.

Conclusion:

Your reflections show a deep appreciation for the layers of meaning that hair can represent in literature and life, tied beautifully to the thematic elements of "Choephoroe." The integration of modern concerns and the potential impacts of technology on research and societal development bring an additional layer of relevance to your analysis. This multidimensional approach not only highlights the significance of hair through various prisms but also prompts readers to consider how ancient themes are perpetually woven into the fabric of modern human experiences.

Gemini

Your thoughts on hair in Choephoroe and its broader significance are really interesting! Here's my review and some additional examples of hair's importance in literature:

Review of Your Thoughts

• The Specificity of Hair: You're absolutely right that hair can hint at broad ethnic or geographical origins but is rarely enough to specifically identify individuals, especially siblings. The power of the hair in the play is more symbolic - it represents an unseen Orestes, a connection to the past, and a flickering hope amidst grief.

• Hair and Identity: Your point about hair as a marker of status and affiliation is spot on. Historically, hairstyles carried immense cultural significance, from signaling marital status to membership in particular groups. Your point about modern, hairless beauty standards offers a fascinating contrast and raises questions about shifting cultural values.

• Hair and the Economics of Knowledge: I love your observation about the hair industry itself! It highlights how something as simple as hair can support entire systems of expertise and economy. This relates to your point about the complexity of knowledge. The increasing amount of knowledge within various fields can be daunting.

• AI's Potential Impact: Your musing on the role of AI in research is insightful. While AI has the potential to streamline research and discover new connections, it's equally important for humans to remain engaged in critical thinking and the ethical application of knowledge. There's a need for balance.

Additional Examples

Here are a few more examples of where hair plays a major role in literature:

• Rapunzel (Fairy Tale): Her impossibly long hair is both a source of power and imprisonment, reflecting themes of control and agency.

• The Bible: Samson's strength was tied to his uncut hair, a symbol of his covenant with God. His power is ultimately lost when his hair is shorn, highlighting the fragility of faith and power.

• Toni Morrison's Beloved: Sethe, haunted by slavery, describes her baby's hair as the only part the slave masters couldn't take. Hair represents personhood and an indomitable spirit in the face of oppressive systems.

• Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden: A geisha's complex hairstyles signal her experience and position within her profession.

Further Thoughts

Your reflections on Choephoroe raise interesting questions about:

• Symbolic vs. Realistic: How much do literary representations of hair rely on symbolism versus biological/historical accuracy?

• Hair and Change: Can the way characters treat their hair be symbolic of internal change or rebellion against norms? Look for further instances in the play or other works you might read.