Goatee
Encyclopedia
Goatee refers to a style of facial hair
incorporating hair on a man’s chin
. The exact nature of the style has varied according to time and culture.
Traditionally, goatee refers solely to a beard
formed by a tuft of hair on the chin. In modern American English, it is often used to refer to the style of facial hair traditionally called the Vandyke, a combination of a goatee and a mustache.
The style dates back to Ancient Greece
and Ancient Rome
, where the god Pan was traditionally depicted with one. When Christianity
became the dominant religion and began coopting imagery from pagan myth, Satan
was given the likeness of Pan, leading to Satan traditionally being depicted with a goatee in medieval
and renaissance art, an image which persists into the modern era.
The goatee became popular again in the late 19th century, becoming one of the characterizing physical traits of the bohemian
s in Paris
. In America
, Abraham Lincoln
wore a goatee at various points in his presidency.
The goatee would not become popular again until the 1940s, when it became a defining trait of the beatnik
s in post-World War II
America. The style remained popular amongst the counter culture until the 1960s and then fell out of popularity again.
Facial hair
Facial hair is a secondary sex characteristic of human males. Men often start developing facial hair in the later years of puberty or adolescence, approximately between 17–20 years of age, and most do not finish developing a fully adult beard until their early 20s or even later...
incorporating hair on a man’s chin
Chin
In the human anatomy, the chin is the lowermost part of the face.It is formed by the lower front of the mandible.People show a wide variety of chin structures. See Cleft chin....
. The exact nature of the style has varied according to time and culture.
Traditionally, goatee refers solely to a beard
Beard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
formed by a tuft of hair on the chin. In modern American English, it is often used to refer to the style of facial hair traditionally called the Vandyke, a combination of a goatee and a mustache.
The style dates back to Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
and Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, where the god Pan was traditionally depicted with one. When Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
became the dominant religion and began coopting imagery from pagan myth, Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
was given the likeness of Pan, leading to Satan traditionally being depicted with a goatee in medieval
Medieval art
The medieval art of the Western world covers a vast scope of time and place, over 1000 years of art history in Europe, and at times the Middle East and North Africa...
and renaissance art, an image which persists into the modern era.
The goatee became popular again in the late 19th century, becoming one of the characterizing physical traits of the bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
s in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
wore a goatee at various points in his presidency.
The goatee would not become popular again until the 1940s, when it became a defining trait of the beatnik
Beatnik
Beatnik was a media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s and violent film images, along with a cartoonish depiction of the real-life people and the spiritual quest in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical...
s in post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
America. The style remained popular amongst the counter culture until the 1960s and then fell out of popularity again.
See also
- BeardBeardA beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
- MoustacheMoustacheA moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
- SideburnsSideburnsSideburns or sideboards are patches of facial hair grown on the sides of the face, extending from the hairline to below the ears and worn with an unbearded chin...
- Soul patchSoul patchThe soul patch is a small patch of facial hair just below the lower lip and above the chin. It came to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, when it was a style of facial hair common among African American men, most notably jazzmen. It became popular with beatniks, artists, and those who frequented...
- Vandyke beard