polystratus cut his hair and lost his strength.
polystratus cut his hair and lost his strength.
who cut his hair and lost his strength?
polystratus
the film is mostly the same as the original biblical story, but with notable differences such as, once again, the expanded and sympathetic role of delilah (bauer), the introduction of the garrison commander (stern) who is friends with samson (hamilton), more focus upon samson's relationship with his first wife, a different handling of the 30 garments bet, and, perhaps the most crucial alteration of the climax. in the original story, maintained in the 1949 film and the 1996 film, samson only regains his strength after his hair has grown long again, thus allowing him to tear down the philistine temple. in this movie, however, samson is taken to the philistine temple just after his hair has been cut short, and he prays to god to restore his immense strength despite his short hair, and god complies, allowing samson enough strength to tear down the stone pillars, thus destroying the temple. delilah is saved through what looks like the intervention of god. she brings samson back to his tribe to be buried. philistea is portrayed as a theocracy with the high priest of dagon as overlord. one might note that good philistines, most notably delilah and her surroundings, are given an egyptian air while evil ones have a rather mediterranean air. indeed the philistines were originally a european people related to the greeks that entered the middle east through the doric migrations around 1200 bc.
samson and delilah (1984 film)
it was not only women who were at risk. it was said that during the 18th century, the demand for hair in england was so great that in some places children were forbidden to venture out alone lest they fall victim to hair thieves. "the jacksonville weekly sentinel" reported on 3 september 1869 that on their arrival at san francisco, "eighty arrived chinamen had their handsome pig-tails cut off by hair thieves." the "evening independent" of st petersburg, florida reported in september 1913: hair thieves have appeared in the west. they enter homes in the night and cut the hair from the heads of sleeping women and children. they do not attempt to move their victims but cut only such hair as can be conveniently reached without awakening the sleepers. there seems to be an organized gang of these thieves. no attempt is made at any other form of robbery, the thieves leaving even watches and jewelry untouched. women in wellington, new zealand were targeted on the streets by an opportunist hair thief in 1914. according to a victim interviewed by the "grey river argus", "for the life of me i couldn't tell you exactly when or where i lost my hair. i didn't feel anything at all ... when opposite te aro house, my friend said: 'oh, someone's cut your hair off!' i laughed and said it was nonsense, but i found it was only too true."
hair theft