Original Dreadlock Soldiers

The word “dread” derives from Ethiopian warriors who refused to cut their hair until the emperor returned from five-year exile during the Italian invasion. Hence the term ‘dreadlocks’ due to the dreaded appearance of their matted, uncombed hair. The Rastafarian inspiration for the ‘dreaded’ hairstyle derived from Kenya freedom fighters called Mau Mau who engaged in a ferocious guerilla warfare with British imperialists.