Agreed. The main style seems to have been fairly long on top, shaved at the back of the head to about mid-ear level, and then usually combed forward over the forehead. That was the same for all fighting men, from Harold and William down to their men-at-arms.
The biggest difference seems to have been the Saxons' handlebar moustaches, which judging from Late Antiquity sources had been characteristic for centuries/
I had my copy of Stenton's book on the Bayeux Tapestry in my hand on Sunday. Where's it done??? Anyway, yes, the main difference between Normans and Anglo-Saxons according to the Tapestry is moustaches. But there is pretty well no evidence on hair styles: so invent it!
Found it! And it is actually more complicated than I remember: and f course may be irrelevant to you, since it is post-1066 and we have no idea for accurate it is. But Anglo-Saxons tend to have longish hair -- but still well above the shoulders -- while Normans tend to have the back of the head shaved quite high. There are a couple of Norman workmen with beards, and I found one Anglo-Saxon with a beard. But almost everyone is clean shaven, except for a few highclass Anglo-Saxons who have moustaches.
There is nothing in all this to indicate what Anglo-Saxons would have worn _early_ in the eleventh century. At the very end of the eleventh century the habit of WIlliam Rufus's young Norman courtiers to wear their hair long is regarded as a sign of effeminacy: and NO-ONE on the Bayeux Tapestry has what I would think of as _long_ hair.
I was quite amused when the Norman haircut (short bowlcut, shaved back of head) came back in fashion for boys in the 1990s or so. At any rate, I believe the Normans did it because it was practical under helmets.
It's what I associate with working class boys throughout the middle of the 20th century, aka the "pudding bowl cut" (theory: put pudding bowl on head, get rid of all hair that shows)
I'd be ignoring the Normans if you're going early 11th, as they didn't really arrive until well after the middle of the century.
Google for +England and one of the following "Canute", "Cnut", "Ethelred", "Harold Harefoot", and try and ignore all the silly ones that will show up (and the obvious Victorian pre-Raphaelite ones too). That will give you at least the Kings' haircuts - there's some rather pretty curls in there :-)
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The biggest difference seems to have been the Saxons' handlebar moustaches, which judging from Late Antiquity sources had been characteristic for centuries/
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See here: http://www.rgcrompton.info/origins/1066info4.html
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There is nothing in all this to indicate what Anglo-Saxons would have worn _early_ in the eleventh century. At the very end of the eleventh century the habit of WIlliam Rufus's young Norman courtiers to wear their hair long is regarded as a sign of effeminacy: and NO-ONE on the Bayeux Tapestry has what I would think of as _long_ hair.
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Google for +England and one of the following "Canute", "Cnut", "Ethelred", "Harold Harefoot", and try and ignore all the silly ones that will show up (and the obvious Victorian pre-Raphaelite ones too). That will give you at least the Kings' haircuts - there's some rather pretty curls in there :-)
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