Braids Across Cultures: Woven Into Humanity

[Abbie Shores]

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The Ancient Roots of Braiding
• The Argument of Cultural Theft
• Personal Stories and Examples
• A Shared Human Practice
• Respect vs. Restriction
• Conclusion

Introduction

Braids have become the centre of a modern cultural argument. Scroll through social media and you will find people accusing others of “stealing” cultures, while others reply that braids are universal, belonging to everyone. The debate can get heated, and often the heart of the matter is lost in the noise. To me, the braid is not theft but connection—a shared practice that stretches across continents and centuries, holding different meanings in different places. The real conversation should not be about prohibition, but about respect.

The Ancient Roots of Braiding

Braids are older than writing, older than pyramids, older even than many of the civilisations we study in school. The Venus of Willendorf figurine—around 30,000 years old—shows carefully plaited hair. Ancient Africans created intricate braided patterns as far back as 3500 BCE, each design communicating tribal identity, age, or status. Egyptians braided wigs and adorned them with beads of gold. Greek women wove elaborate crowns to symbolise harmony and order. Celts and Vikings used braids in battle, not only for practicality but also for strength and symbolism.

From North America to Asia, from the steppe tribes of Central Asia to the maidens of medieval Europe, braiding emerged again and again. When you look at history, it is clear: braiding is not owned. It is part of being human.

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The Argument of Cultural Theft

The modern debate, however, does not start from history—it starts from pain. In the United States, for example, Black men and women were mocked, penalised, and even excluded from schools and workplaces for wearing natural or braided hair. Cornrows and box braids—deeply cultural and practical styles—were once deemed “unprofessional” or “untidy.” Yet when white celebrities or fashion designers later wore the same styles, they were suddenly called “bold” or “fashion-forward.” That double standard hurts. It makes sense that people feel protective.

But when this pain is channelled into the blanket statement “braids are being stolen,” it becomes inaccurate. Hairstyles, unlike sacred symbols or unique rituals, cannot be owned by one group. They are too widespread, too old, and too deeply human to belong to one culture alone.

Personal Stories and Examples

I remember once watching a young girl in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, her hair neatly woven into Dutch braids, skipping happily alongside her mother. A passer-by stopped her mother and accused her of “cultural appropriation.” The woman looked baffled—she had simply braided her daughter’s hair before school, as her own mother had done for her in the 1980s. That exchange stayed with me. It showed how quickly we can forget the shared roots of something so simple and natural.

On the other hand, I’ve also heard stories from Black women who straightened their hair for years because they feared they wouldn’t be taken seriously in interviews. When they later chose to wear braids with pride, they described it as reclaiming their identity. Those stories must be heard too. The braid can carry trauma as much as tradition.

There are also positive examples: in some schools now, “cultural hair days” are celebrated, where children come in with their favourite braided styles—be it cornrows, fishtails, plaits, or halo braids. Instead of division, there is celebration. The children look at one another’s hair not with suspicion but with admiration. It proves the argument doesn’t have to be hostile; it can be about curiosity and learning.

A Shared Human Practice

To say braids belong to one culture is like saying bread belongs to one culture. Every society has made bread, but each gave it a different shape, meaning, and taste. Likewise, braids appear everywhere but are expressed differently. An African box braid carries history of resilience; a Viking braid carried readiness for war; a Victorian plait symbolised maidenhood. The beauty lies not in restricting one another, but in recognising the stories woven into each strand.

Respect vs. Restriction

The key question is not “who is allowed” but “how do we show respect?” If a style has specific cultural significance—such as certain ceremonial braids—it deserves context and acknowledgement. Wearing it while dismissing or mocking its roots is indeed harmful. But most everyday braids—French, Dutch, fishtail, pigtails—are shared practices. Wearing them does not erase history; it participates in it.

I often think of this debate as a crossroads: one path leads to walls and prohibition, where we divide ourselves by fear of theft. The other path leads to bridges, where we learn about one another’s histories and wear styles with gratitude. I believe the second path honours both heritage and humanity.

Conclusion

Braids are not cultural theft. They are threads in the great human tapestry, worn by warriors, mothers, children, kings, and villagers alike. To braid hair is to engage in an act as old as civilisation. The true harm lies not in wearing braids, but in erasing their meanings or denying others the right to wear them proudly. If we choose respect over restriction, then the braid can once again be what it always was: a shared, beautiful way of expressing identity, heritage, and creativity.

A Note on Language

By the way, in the UK these styles are often called plaits (pronounced “pl-at”), while in the United States the word braids is more common. The two words are interchangeable, though braid tends to be used more broadly in fashion and cultural discussion. In parts of Europe, you may also hear terms such as tresses or plaiting, while in Africa specific styles carry their own names, from cornrows to box braids. The differences in terminology remind us that while the technique is universal, every culture weaves its own story into the language of hair.

Editor’s note: This article explores the shared history of braids with respect for all cultures. It acknowledges that hair can carry deep personal and cultural meaning, and aims to celebrate braiding as a universal human tradition rather than diminish any individual heritage.

🌟 Welcome back, Abbie Shores!

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