In Ancient Greece Kouros sculptures from the Archaic period depict men wearing dreadlocks.  Spartan Hoplites wore locks as as a symbol of strength, often into the battle field for intimidation. Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs locked hairstyles have appeared in drawings and tomb carvings. Wigs and even mummified remains have also been recovered from archaeological sites with their Dreadlocks still intact. In Africa the oldest historical record of locks can be credited to the monks of Ethiopia. Also the Ashanti, Galla, and Fulani tribes. The locked Hindu deity Shiva and his followers were described as "wearing twisted locks of hair". Shiva is thought to take the weight of the mighty Ganga in his locks, being released through his hair to prevent the river's force from destroying earth.

The Polish plait was quite common in Europe during past centuries when hair grooming was largely neglected. It affected mostly the peasantry. But was not unusual among higher social classes. It was a struggle and an honour to accumulate such a mass of hair but  It was surrounded in superstition. The plait was believed to be an amulet and could ward off illness from the body. People began to believe the plaits were an external symptom of an internal illness. A growing plait was supposed to take the illness "out" of the body, and therefore was allowed to shed naturally or was ritualistically disposed of. Medical professionals sometimes cut them by force. There was a similar style in English folklore.

Native American cultures regarded hair as a life force and a spiritual source of identity and tradition. Hair was a source of immense pride and hair care was an important daily task that required considerable time and intricate processes. Hair was often decorated with bone, shell, horn, antler, wood, or tortoise shell A variety of greases were also used by most tribes as pomades including bear grease, raccoon fat, or deer marrow. Many tribes follow some of the ancestral traditions of hair care, washing hair with yucca root before a wedding, braiding each other's hair as an act of love and bonding; intertwining  grass in their braids to show their unity with Mother Earth. and to honour their native forebears.

Among the Sadhus and Sadhvis, Indian holy men and women, locks are sacred. Their formation was a religious ritual and an expression of their disregard for profane vanity, a manifestation of a spiritual understanding that physical appearances are unimportant. According to the 'Hymn of the longhaired sage' in the ancient Vedas, 'Jata's' (long hair) express a spiritual significance which implies the wearer has special relations with spirits, is an immortal traveller between two worlds and the master over fire. They only let their Jata down for special occasions and rituals. The strands are then rubbed with ashes and cow dung, considered both sacred and purifying, then scented and adorned with flowers.  

In Australia the indigenous Aborigine were often documented to have matted locks of hair adorned with bones and feathers and painted faces. Hair was coated with sand and red ochre. Again, its believed there is an inner transformation during adolescence. The symbol of image is created when an individual goes through unique life experiences. The 'Walkabout' is a hugely influential rite of passage, of nomadic self exploration. Image was inconsequential. To allow hair to gather knots was liberating. The spiritual attachment to the self, to the land was a strong, unbreakable force that was rooted in social groups and territories

The  Massai warriors of Kenya are famous for their long, thin, red locks dyed with red root extracts. They are an especially unique tribe found in Kenya not only due to their special cultural traditions but, because of their perseverance and commitment to preserving their culture despite all Western attempts to educate and influence their traditions and culture according to Western beliefs. They stood strong and held on tightly to their beliefs.