Mr. Legolas – Style – Kommersant

Long ponytail hair can be found on almost every male character in various fantasy adaptations. What is behind this popular on-screen male hairstyle, Kommersant Style finds out.

The first thing you see in the series “House of the Dragon” is the endless “half-horse” tails. You can not understand the nuances of the story, but it is impossible not to pay attention to this detail. Long hair, tied at the back of the head in a ponytail or braided at the temples in braids, in fact, has been stretching for more than one historical narrative. They have become a kind of hallmark of every self-respecting fantasy series or film, and this hairstyle can be seen on men as often as on women.

A kind of championship in wearing a fantasy tail can be awarded to Legolas, played by actor Orlando Bloom in The Lord of the Rings. The film’s hair stylist, Peter Swords King, said that this style of Legolas was not born immediately, it was important to show the beauty and sophistication of an elf, but an elf who can fight – and it took a long time until we saw snow-white hair, opening sharp ears at the temples .

The Game of Thrones prequel show is about the Targaryen dynasty, and almost all of them wear half ponies. Maybe it’s easier to keep a crown on your head, perhaps this is a kind of reference to the duality of human nature, a symbol of good and evil. However, there is a good reason why we see this hairstyle so often: it is unusual and very practical, especially for characters who are constantly involved in combat scenes – it is more convenient to fight, the hair does not interfere with riding a horse, breaking into a crowd of orcs with a sword or fly on a dragon. It is impossible to imagine any historical character with a modern haircut, so long hair is a clear signal to the viewer that now there will be a lot of fabulous and little pragmatic on the screen.

Irina Kirienko