Let’s face it. Whether it is because of the weather, genetics, or just plain luck, we have all had bad hair days. However, none compare to the permanent bad hair of Medusa. According to Greek Mythology, Medusa claimed that the goddess Athena was jealous of her beauty. Out of anger, Athena turned her into a monster with snakes for hair. Not only was Medusa stuck with this bad hairstyle for the rest of her life, any person she looked at turned to stone.
If you think having snakes for hair is awful, try being shaved bald by your lover. The story of Samson from the Bible says he was not allowed to cut his luscious locks or he would lose the strength given to him by God. He made the mistake of telling his love, Delilah, his secret. She had a servant shave his head in his sleep which allowed him to be captured and imprisoned by the Philistines. Now that is a bad hair day.
Similar to the story of Samson is the story of King Nisus. He was invincible as long as his hair remained intact. His daughter, who was in love with his enemy King Minos, cut his hair while he slept. This allowed King Minos to capture him.
Sometimes, one person’s bad hair day can result in a good day for someone else. The grandson of Poseidon, King Pterelaos, was immortal due to his lavish locks. His daughter, too, was in love with his enemy, King Amphytron. She shaved his head which allowed King Amphitron to conquer him. While King Amphitron was busy with King Pteraleos, Zeus came down from the heavens and slept with his queen. This resulted in the birth of Heracles. Not a bad deal for Zeus!
CreditNo one was more upset about their bad hair day than the Sif, the wife of Thor. While she was sleeping, the trickster god Loki stole her beautiful, long, wheat-colored locks. She screamed in anger while her husband stormed, threatening whoever had stolen her hair. Out of fear, Loki had dwarves help him weave her new hair out of gold, even longer than before.
Okay, not all days are bad hair days. The story of Rapunzel is testament to that. She was trapped in a tower by an enchantress who would visit her by climbing up her hair. One day a prince hears her singing and falls in love. Her hair was long, beautiful and strong enough to allow her hero to climb up to her rescue.
