Let’s start with the fact that scientists still haven’t reached a consensus on why we actually have eyebrows at all. The most widely accepted scientific view today is that eyebrows evolved to emphasize speech through facial expressions. For example, to emphasize our surprise, we raise our eyebrows, and so on.
At the same time, some researchers are convinced that eyebrows are nothing more than a “visor” over our eyes, designed to keep sweat and rain out. Some biologists even believe that eyebrows appeared in prehistoric humans when they began sleeping on the ground, so predators would think their eyes were always open.
In any case, we have eyebrows, which means we can decorate them however we like, modify them, or even shave them off and draw something new in their place. However, initially, all these eyebrow decorations and modifications had a purely sacred, religious significance.
For example, the ancient Egyptians, who invented a special kohl-based eyebrow dye, darkened, curved, and lengthened their eyebrows to achieve a visual resemblance to their gods – in particular, the highly revered god Horus, who had the head of a falcon.
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While in ancient Egypt, both men and women dyed their eyebrows, in the ancient world, this was considered a purely feminine practice. For example, among the ancient Greeks, dyed eyebrows were considered a distinguishing feature of unmarried women. Greek women tinted their eyebrows with a special mixture of goat’s milk and tree resin.
But the ancient Romans went even further, inventing false eyebrows. These accessories were created from mouse skins or goat hair. Incidentally, it was in the ancient world that the cult of the unibrow first arose – both Greeks and Romans considered it a sign of exceptional beauty.
Given the special importance of sports in the ancient world, Anthony Davis would likely have become incredibly popular even 2.5K years ago. And certainly no one would’ve traded him from the Lakers for Luka Doncic mid-season… but well, that’s beside the point.
By the way, regarding the unibrow, the Southern Slavs call this visual feature a “wolf’s gaze,” and many Asian peoples have a long tradition of drawing on the “bridge” between the eyebrows, finding it very attractive in both men and women.
Yes, different peoples and different cultures have completely different views on beauty standards. Well, that makes studying cultural differences between people all the more interesting, doesn’t it?
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The tradition of dyeing eyebrows in various bright colors originated in China, while ancient Japan had its own beauty standards, requiring women to shave their eyebrows and draw new ones high on the forehead with mascara. This, in particular, achieved the effect of a surprised expression. Actors in the Japanese folk theater, Kabuki, also did the same, but it was more of a professional requirement.
Finally, in Medieval Europe, always under the strong influence of the Church, any eyebrow dyeing was considered a sin. However, the beauties of that time weren’t too disheartened and simply preferred to pluck their eyebrows, leaving the finest “threads” above their eyes.
Incidentally, something similar also came into fashion about a hundred years ago, when women in Europe and America, imitating movie superstar Marlene Dietrich, either plucked the “extra” hairs on their eyebrows or drew them on their foreheads “anew.” As we see, everything new is often a well-forgotten old…
