What does an earring in a man's ear mean?

Those distant times, when earrings in the ears were worn exclusively by the fair sex, are gone forever. Currently, men of different ages do not hesitate to complement their image with this accessory. For some, this is a tribute to fashion or adherence to a certain style, for others - an element of some subculture. One way or another, now any man can choose earrings for himself in accordance with his taste preferences. What can the presence of an earring in a man's ear indicate? What are the historical preconditions for such a tradition?

The history of men wearing earrings goes back more than one thousand years. According to historians, representatives of a strong half of humanity began to wear earrings in their ears about 7 thousand years ago. For example, in ancient egypt only noble persons close to the ruling stratum adorned themselves with this accessory. In ancient rome the situation was completely different - earrings were worn exclusively by slaves. The earring in the ear was considered a kind of distinctive mark of the slaves.

In the 13th century, the Vatican strictly forbade Christians to pierce their body parts. This was due to the fact that the Creator created people in his own image and likeness, so it was impermissible to make any artificial adjustments to his appearance. Opponents of violent church prohibitions, most of them were the lowest strata of society, protesting against the violence of the churchmen, began to wear earrings as a sign of disagreement. To a large extent, these were certain categories of people.

• The thieves... They did not disdain in any way to somehow stand out in the crowd, thereby showing the society that there are no laws for them.
• Pirates... These guys pierced the lobe and inserted a large gold ring there when they managed to capture the ship.
• Gypsies... They gave a mystical meaning to the earring in the ear - it was believed that it brings good luck. They pierced the earlobe of newborn children if the previous child in this family died.
• Nomads.

In Europe during the Renaissance, earrings were worn by wealthy and noble men. Of course, such jewelry was made of expensive precious metals. To emphasize their high social status, men could wear an earring decorated with a precious stone. Members of the lower class at that time could afford to wear copper or wooden earrings.

1. If a man had two ears pierced, it means that he was the only breadwinner in the family, and only he could give heirs to this family.
2. In the East, in the old days, the wearing of earrings by men was quite popular. Usually, such jewelry indicated the high social status of their owner. Earrings were also made of non-ferrous metals and decorated with various gems.

Why do men now decide to have their ears pierced? There are several reasons for this.

1. A tribute to fashion. Many men wear earrings as a fashion trend. Thus, they complement their style and try to match the fashion trends.
2. As a custom or tradition. Even in our progressive times, some representatives of the stronger sex pierce their ears, following the traditions of their people or religion. For example, the widespread ear piercing of boys is one of the Hindu practices.
3. As a status symbol. Some men wear diamond or gold earrings as a way to showcase their wealth. They can also see jewelry like this as a safe investment that they can look forward to in difficult times.
4. To attract women. Some guys get their ears pierced because they think girls find it very sexy.

If women wear earrings only to decorate themselves or complement their fashionable image, then for a long time the earring in a man's ear acquired a deeper meaning. First of all, it mattered which ear the representative of the strong half of humanity decided to decorate with an earring.

In our time, wearing earrings is a matter of personal taste preferences, but in the last century, if a young man adorned his right ear with an earring, then this told others that he considers himself a member of sexual minorities.

Of course, with the advent of the XXI century, the bearer of the earring in the right ear is not perceived by society as a lover of same-sex relationships.

Earring in the left ear of a man speaks only of the desire of a young man to add a touch of extravagance to his image... Quite often, adolescents, adherents of a subculture or the so-called metrosexuals resort to this way of emphasizing their individuality.

Usually, wearing earrings in both ears, men are trying to demonstrate their complete independence from the opinions of others, especially if these are unusual models. Including, this may indicate that this the guy belongs to a certain social group, is engaged in a creative activity or belongs to some subculture.

Many men regard earrings in their ears not only as a stylish accessory that can complement their fashionable image, but also as an object that once again emphasizes their belonging to a particular type of activity or a particular subculture. The shape of the earring can also say something about the character and habits of their owner.

1. Earrings with clear geometric shapes prefer to wear men with a mathematical mindset and a fairly conservative outlook on life. These types of earrings are preferred by office workers, financiers, businessmen, bank employees.
2. Simple and elegant models, for example, miniature carnations with a diamond and barely noticeable decor indicate that a man wants to increase interest in himself among the weaker sex and once again demonstrate his high level of well-being.
3. Dangle earrings with a complex design, they prefer creative and extraordinary natures.
4. Massive jewelry that depicts images of animals, religious or magical symbols is loved by superstitious men or prone to shocking.

Consider the most common and popular options for men's earrings that are currently worn by the stronger sex.

• Carnations... These models are considered classics, therefore they are suitable for men with a conservative outlook on fashion. The main positive feature of this form of earrings is their compliance with almost any fashionable image and occasion.

• Rings... The ring in the ear on one side brings a rebellious spirit to the look, but at the same time draws attention to the state of the man.

• Tunnels and plugs. Both of these models of men's earrings are usually chosen by guys who are not afraid of bold experiments, because in order to show off in the tunnels, you will need to practically disfigure your earlobes. Such accessories help a man to shock the audience and emphasize his dissimilarity from others.

• Clips... These jewelry will suit those who are not averse to complementing their look with beautiful earrings, while they do not want to punch holes in their earlobes.

Assyrians wore earrings in the form of a spear or a rod, honoring by this the god Marduk - the protector of Babylon. In ancient egypt earrings were worn by Egyptian pharaohs, among them Ramses XII. He preferred products of complex shape and a length of at least 15 cm. Scandinavian countries earrings mostly played the role of not decoration, but an amulet protecting from misfortunes. Vikings wore earrings, expecting that on dangerous sea voyages they would save from the storm and save in the event of a shipwreck. V Russian Empire fashion for men's earrings came along with the veterans of the Caucasian War. Georgians and Armenians decided to insert earrings into the boys' ears, thinking that this accessory would shelter them from dangers and ailments.

A lot of interesting facts are connected with earrings.

1. Earrings with an English lock are in the greatest demand in the world - they have the highest degree of reliability.
2. There is bijouterie, the cost of which is dozens of times higher than items made of precious metals. These include earrings with Swarovski crystals, the price of which is quite high, even if they are not made of precious metal.
3. The famous French monarch Henry II wore a pearl earring in his right ear.
4. In the Middle Ages, European sailors who crossed the equator on their ships wore a gold earring. Such decoration gave them privileges in port taverns - only they were allowed to put their feet on the table. For the pirates, the earring indicated that they had succeeded in capturing a ship with gold.
5. In Russia, from the time of paganism and up to the XII century, men wore single earrings in their ears. However, in the era of the Muscovite kingdom, this custom has sunk into oblivion.
6. During the reign of the first emperor of the Russian state, Peter I, it was not customary for noble men to wear earrings. This was mainly due to the fact that at that time there was a fashion for long wigs that covered the ears. And only with the onset of the era of the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, when the wigs took a different shape (became shorter), the nobles again began to flaunt with expensive earrings in their ears, showing those around them their wealth and high social status.

For more information on the man's earring, see the next video.