The czupryna (Polish: wysokie polskie cięcie, podgolony łeb, łaszczówka), also known as the Polish halfshaven head, is a traditional Polish noble haircut, associated mainly with Sarmatism, but worn by Poles in the Middle Ages too. It is marked by shaving hair above the ears and on the neck at the same height, with longer hair on the top of the head. For hundreds of years it was typical of Poles.
The origins of the halfshaven head are not clear. It was probably worn before the 12th century until its slow disappearance in the 18th century. Some of the earliest mentions of the "Polish halfshaven head" from the Middle Ages were written by an anonymous Franciscan in 1308,[1] Wincenty from Kielcza[2] (half of 13th century), and Austrian poet Zygfryd Helbling (end of 13th century),[3][4] who was swearing on Polish and Czech influences.[clarification needed] In the chronicles of Mierzwa (beginning of 14th century) from Kraków, we can also read that Prince Leszek the Black (died in 1288) grew his hair to ingratiate himself with Germans, so it was a scandal both in his times and in the times of the chronicle. Graphic sources include the paten (half of 13th century) from Płock Cathedral commissioned by Konrad Mazowiecki, and the paten commissioned by Mieszko the Old (year 1195)[5] for the Cistercian monastery in Ląd, and the floor from Wiślica (years 1175-1180).[6]
It is possible that not only Poles, but also other Slavs wore a halfshaven head. In the year 1235, the British Franciscan Bartholomeus Anglicus wrote in his encyclopedia that for the most part all the Slavs, except Ruthenians and those Slavs who were mixed with Germans and Latins, shave their heads.[7] Bartholomeus, who lived in Magdeburg for several years, knew the Slavic lands well.[8] By "Slavic lands" he meant the area from Saxony to Ruthenia and from Dalmatia, Carinthia and Serbia to the Baltic Sea. Saxo Grammaticus also wrote about shaven heads and the dislike of beards when writing about the Slavic temple of Arkona (Jaromarsburg).[9] He wrote that according to the common custom, only priests could grow long hair and beards.[10]
In a Saxon manifesto against Slavic pagans from the year 1108 it is mentioned that Slavs simulated Saxons during an attack by wearing their scalps[11] - Saxons grew long hair,[12] so the Polabian haircut had to be very different: very short. This suggests that the custom of shaving the hair, recognised as Polish in the 13th century, had to be more widespread.
The existence of the czupryna amongst the Polabian Slav territories is clearly attested by many archaeological discoveries. By way of example, one may adduce the following: a small bronze statue from Schwedt/Oder (X-11th century),[13][14] Altfriesack Götze, a wooden statue from Altfriesack (6th-7th century),[15] a sitting statue from Gatschow near Demmin (XI-12th century),[16] and a small sculpture from Merserburg near Leipzig (10th century).[17] All the figures have short hair and halfshaven heads. There are also a metal fitting from the museum in Oldburg and a wooden statue from Wolin (10th century). Because of corrosion, it is difficult to say if the heads are shaven, but the hair is surely short.[18][19] The clearest proof are the Sachsenspiegel illustrations - all Wends in the illustrations (in contrast with the long-haired Saxons) have a short haircut, shaved at ear-height.
A halfshaven haircut, similar in appearance to a modern Mohican haircut, was also worn by the Cossacks of Ukraine from the 1500s until the 20th century. This was known as the Oseledets and was seen as the mark of identification as a true Cossack.
Through the centuries in Polish literature we can see a specialised nomenclature surrounding the czupryna. It is possible to distinguish various types:
