On The Lighter Side.. Do Cimmerians Shave?

[Bladerunner]

I always wondered how Conan kept his clean cut look. In all artwork or even stories he is clean shaven and has a perfect square cut mane. Does the big guy have a shaving kit? Or a Barber on call? Even inprisoned in deepest sorcerous dungeons he crawls out square cut black mane and clean shaven. What gives?
Just thought I would bring up a little lighter side of Conan. I think this is humorous. Any comments or clues as to the mysterous barber?

 

[eldunno]

Good point; in the old "Conan the Barbarian" Marvel comics, you would occasionally see some scruff, but the shaving issue has never been solved. I suppose he would keep his dagger sharp enough to shave with?!

 

[XcomSquaddie]

Technically, wouldn't it be "On the hairy side"...

As for actual grooming, keeping a blade sharp enough for shaving isn't the problem. The problems arise when you try using it to shave, with no mirror, no shaving cream... :shock:

I've read that Native Americans used sharpened shells to shave their scalps. I don't think they actually get facial hair. Lucky bastards.

 

[VincentDarlage]

I shave daily without a mirror and shaving cream. I just never used them. I am not sure what I would do with a mirror in regards to shaving anyway. Unless I was going for an artistic design with my facial hair - then I could see the use.

 

[XcomSquaddie]

I shave daily without a mirror and shaving cream. I just never used them. I am not sure what I would do with a mirror in regards to shaving anyway. Unless I was going for an artistic design with my facial hair - then I could see the use.

No shaving cream??? If I did that, my face would be shredded. Damn! You gave me chills with that one...

The mirror, I could probably do without. I keep my head shaved (to hide my hair loss) and of course you can't use a mirror on the back. So yeah, that could be optional. But no shaving cream....

 

[The King]

I shave daily without a mirror and shaving cream. I just never used them. I am not sure what I would do with a mirror in regards to shaving anyway. Unless I was going for an artistic design with my facial hair - then I could see the use.

If you're using an electric razor this is possible but I can't imagine mechanical shaving without cream or soap.

But I believe you don't use mirror for fear that you wouldn't see your face reflected, would you? :wink:

 

[Arkobla Conn]

I shave daily without a mirror and shaving cream. I just never used them. I am not sure what I would do with a mirror in regards to shaving anyway. Unless I was going for an artistic design with my facial hair - then I could see the use.

If you're using an electric razor this is possible but I can't imagine mechanical shaving without cream or soap.

But I believe you don't use mirror for fear that you wouldn't see your face reflected, would you? :wink:

I shave in the shower without cream, soap or mirror. of course, it's fine/light in color and not a problem if I do it every day. I don't even get a 5 oclock shadow until 2 days later (if I don't).

As for conan...I distintly remember some Conan mag's that showed him using his sword to cut his hair...which is why it is square cut. Not to be to sarcastic, but we don't see him going to the bathroom either....I'm sure he whips out his dagger and scraps his chin. i seem to recall him having a beard for conan of the Isles

 

[VincentDarlage]

Well, I do love vampire stories...

I hate electric razors. I use a three bladed disposable. I think I have only nicked myself once. I tried shaving cream once to see why people use it, but couldn't figure out what the difference was. It just seemed to desensitize my face so that I couldn't really figure out where the razor was and how much pressure I was using. It seemed to make the experience more dangerous for me. Never tried soap.

I figure if I can do it without a problem, the so can Conan, since he is MUCH tougher than I am. If he needs a mirror, he could always use a watering trough or a standing pool of water. Most civilisations have barbers also. How did the ancient Celts and Egyptians shave?

 

[Trodax]

If I recall correctly, one of Howards tales said something about Conans "hairy chest". That doesn't seem to be the status quo in the artwork either.
I guess big C just forgot his daily chest-wax that day...

 

[The King]

Well, I do love vampire stories...

I hate electric razors. I use a three bladed disposable. I think I have only nicked myself once. I tried shaving cream once to see why people use it, but couldn't figure out what the difference was. It just seemed to desensitize my face so that I couldn't really figure out where the razor was and how much pressure I was using. It seemed to make the experience more dangerous for me. Never tried soap.

I figure if I can do it without a problem, the so can Conan, since he is MUCH tougher than I am. If he needs a mirror, he could always use a watering trough or a standing pool of water. Most civilisations have barbers also. How did the ancient Celts and Egyptians shave?

Soap or shaving cream are used to moisture the skin so that it is more supple.
I think that Egyptian priests used oil to shave their heads as probably did the Stygian scholars.
Concerning the Celts I don't know but just look in the inside of the D20 Slaine RPG Core book. Shaving wasn't their first concern.
Moreover I know that druids considered long beards as a mark of wisdom.

For Conan I think it is not typical (even his square cut) but I can't recall Howard describing a character as having a beard either (even in his Kull stories).

This is just probably because most young men had no beards in the 20's (that is the sort of readers these stories were destined to). It wasn't a custom and Howard could thus have not thought about.
Even before this time many men had beards and/or long mustaches (just look at these old pictures from the American Civil War).

The customs at the beginning og the 20th century was the thin mustache but I can hardly imagine Conan with one. :lol:

 

[thulsa]

Most civilisations have barbers also. How did the ancient Celts and Egyptians shave?

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/beards.htm

- thulsa

 

[The King]

Very interesting indeed. Thanks thulsa.

 

[Bladerunner]

Perhaps Atlanteans did not grow beards. After all isn't Cimmerians the original colonist of Atlantia before it sank? Also I always wondered about the superstious nature of Cimmerians as Altanteans were refered to demon worshippers and powerful sorcerers. Did the Cimmerians loose this over time when the continent sunk and the Picts were forced ashore and waged war upon them? Perhaps it was in the tales of old that remembered the disaster of Atlantis and the Cimmerians told their children buy word of mouth to fear magic and the supernatural so it would never again happen to their people.
I wonder if one caught a Cimmerian as a child from a raid from either Hyboreans or Aesir Raiders and a scholar bought him/her a slave from them would they still not learn magic? Or would some deep dark inner conscience stop them?
Just a thought we had around our gaming table.

 

[sbarrie]

Perhaps Atlanteans did not grow beards. After all isn't Cimmerians the original colonist of Atlantia before it sank? Also I always wondered about the superstious nature of Cimmerians as Altanteans were refered to demon worshippers and powerful sorcerers.

Well, they did devolve into white apes after Atlantis and before Cimmeria, IIRC.

 

[XcomSquaddie]

I occasionally devolve into a hairy white ape, but mostly just after work and on the weekends.

 

[The King]

Cimmerians used the crushed brains of their foes (mostly Picts) as shaving cream and their skulls as chamber pots. So when you see or hear about a pile of skulls in a cave, this is no funeral mound but the W.C. of old.
That means that they were very organized because the just didn't spread them everywhere.

I still can't figure what they used to shave themselves though.

 

[Arkobla Conn]

I occasionally devolve into a hairy white ape, but mostly just after work and on the weekends.

Funny!

 

[Faraer]

Of couse, we don't know whether Cimmerians in general do shave.

Yes, Conan has a hairy chest (mentioned in The Hour of the Dragon and perhaps elsewhere). But who ever doubted it?

 

[toothill man]

Well, I do love vampire stories...

I hate electric razors. I use a three bladed disposable. I think I have only nicked myself once. I tried shaving cream once to see why people use it, but couldn't figure out what the difference was. It just seemed to desensitize my face so that I couldn't really figure out where the razor was and how much pressure I was using. It seemed to make the experience more dangerous for me. Never tried soap.

same here tryed foam once and bled like a pig so dry shave with a disposable every day drives my poor wife nuts also found powered razors always broke or nicked so have been doing shaving dry since I have had too