The problem is that you’re lumping together a whole bunch of things that are not dreadlocks: don’t look like dreadlocks, aren’t called dreadlocks, don’t have the same social/historical meaning as dreadlocks; all in the same category like they’re the same thing. That’s a form of cultural erasure, and it’s not accurate.
The only confirmed matted (not dreaded) hairstyles of Europe were the glibbe and the plica polonica, neither of which look anything like dreadlocks. And the Vikings were sticklers for having untangled hair, to the point where they kept combs on them at all times (which they were eventually buried with, signifying their importance) and kept their hair in braids. Not only do we have the burial record we have perfectly preserved bog bodies which all have elaborately braided styles. Viking warriors did cake their braids with mud to protect their hair during battles, but they did not have dreads. The South Asian jata worn by practitioners of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism is a style only used by ascetic monks, and is matted (not dreaded, see below), and are also caked with ash from sacred ceremonial fires so that’s a false equivalence as well.
Moreover, no one is attempting to imitate the plica polonica, or they’d have one giant beaver tail, or the glibbe, which is matted bangs, or the jata, which require ash. They are imitating the way the African diaspora SPECIFICALLY style their hair into locs, which is unique and different from all the other examples you mention.
Additionally it is a hair texture issue. Afrotextured (3c-4c type hair) dreads naturally because of its corkscrew shape.
All other types of hair matt, which is a whole different process where the cuticle of the hair has to be damaged and raised, revealing the living inner sticky core of the hair in order for the hair strands to stick to one another.
Obviously, these 2 things are not the same.
That’s why all it takes for black people to have dreads is a little twisting and some kind of moisturizing product, and a life time commitment to constant maintenance & hygiene.
And why white people do silly shit like back combing, the ‘twist n rip’ method, elmers glue, not washing their hair, and other forms of damage, lack of hygiene and neglect to achieve an imitation of the real thing they consider a ‘low effort’ hairstyle.
See the difference now? That’s why the imitation of ‘locs’ in the picture you provided are a matted disgusting mess.
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