Suebian knot

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The Suebian knot (Suebenknoten) is a historical male hairstyle ascribed to the tribe of the Suebi.

bog body of Osterby with Suebian knot
bog body of Osterby with Suebian knot

According to Tacitus, the Suebian warriors combed their hair sideways and tied it into a knot, allegedly with the purpose of appearing taller and more awe-inspiring on the battlefield. Tacitus also reports that the fashion had spread to neighboring Germanic tribes among the younger warriors, while among the Suebians, the knot was sported even by old men as a status symbol, with the most artful knots worn by the noble.

Suebian knots were found to be worn by the bog bodies of Osterby and Dätgen. Historical depictions are found on the Trajan column, the cauldron of Musov, the Tropaeum Traiani relief, and a bronze sculpture of a kneeling German in the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

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