The Bloody History Behind the Barber Pole

The barber pole, a universal symbol of barbershops, has a gruesome origin rooted in medieval surgery. In 1163, the Council of Tours forbade clergy from practicing surgery due to bloodshed, leading monks and nuns to delegate these tasks to barbers, who already performed minor procedures like bloodletting and tooth extractions. These barbers became 'barber-surgeons,' merging with surgeons in England in 1540 to form the Company of Barbers and Surgeons, before separating in 1745. Barber-surgeons practiced humorism, performing bloodletting, lancing abscesses, setting bones, extracting teeth, and even trepanation. They served in civilian and battlefield hospitals until the late 18th century, with rural practice lingering into the 19th century. The barber pole's origin traces to London, where barbers advertised with blood bowls until banned in the early 14th century. The pole itself derives from the staff patients gripped to make veins stand out, wrapped with blood-stained rags that twirled in the wind. The red and white stripes are common in Europe, while the US added a blue stripe, possibly representing veins or patriotism. The ball on top may symbolize a leech bowl, and basins at the bottom caught blood. The professions legally separated in France (1743), England (1745), and the rest of Europe thereafter, but barbers retained the pole symbol. Today, the pole has spread worldwide, often painted on windows or walls.