“The distinctive mark of a Black Sea Cossack, borne by the lower order among them, of a braided lock from the crown of the head, passing behind the right ear, is retained even by the officers, but concealed by the younger part of them, with very artful foppery, among their dark hair. They seemed ashamed to have it noticed, although, like a relic on the breast of a Catholic, it was preserved even with religious veneration; and there was not one of them who would not sooner have parted with his life, than with this badge of the tribe to which he belonged,” – observed Dr. Edward Clarke when meeting Ukrainian Cossacks in the Kuban area around 1800.
One can see the Zaporizhian/ Chernomorsky Cossacks and the Hohol haircut in the famous painting by Ilya Repin potraying the events of the year 1650 approximately:
But were the Cossacks the first to wear this kind of haircut?
The famous ruler was King of Rus Sviatoslav the Brave is the first one who wore ‘hohol’ haircut. His appearance was descibed by Byzantine court historian Leo the Deacon who met him in person in 971 AD. And what’s more, according to that Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon, that hairstyle had been worn by Sviatoslav’s anscestors as well. Leo the Deacon met Sviatoslav the Brave in person and here is his famout description:
“[Sviatoslav] arrived sailing along the river in a Scythian light boat, grasping an oar and rowing with his companions as if he were one of them. His appearance was as follows: he was of moderate height, neither taller than average nor particularly short; his eyebrows were thick; he had grey eyes and a snub nose; his beard was clean-shaven, but he let the hair grow abundantly on his upper lip where it was bushy and long; and he shaved his head completely, except for a lock of hair that hung down on one side, as a mark of the nobility of his ancestry; he was solid in the neck, broad in the chest and very well articulated in the rest of his body; he had a rather angry and savage appearance; on one ear was fastened a gold earring, adorned with two pearls with a red gemstone between them; his clothing was white, no different from that of his companions except in cleanliness.”
Sviatoslav is famous for his powerful campaigns in the East and South, that precipitated the collapse of two great powers of Eastern Europe – Khazaria and the First Bulgarian Empire.
…A lock of hair… as a mark of the nobility of his ancestry…
In Ukrainian, this lock of hair is known as Oseledets, or Chub. The Muscovites call it Hohol/Khokhol and it became the term they use for a Ukranian in a derogatory way. But as can be seen from the quote above
- Such a hairstyle is a mark of nobility
- By misunderstanding the origin of such a hairstyle, the Muscovites show that they are the absolute strangers to the culture and heritage of Kyiv Rus.
“Kyiv Rus is Heimskringla Sagas and Byzantine Texts” book takes a closer look at Sviatoslav the Brave and the origin of Kyiv Rus.
Boxer Usyk with ‘hohol’ haircut and Monument to Sviatoslav the Brave based on Leo the Deacon’s description.
