Within ancient history, tales of kings and rulers often contain unexpected twists and turns. Enter Wamba, the 7th century King of the Visigoths, whose reign is shrouded in a peculiar legend regarding his tonsured hair.
Wamba’s Triumphs and Turmoil in Visigothic Spain
Wamba was a Visigothic king who ruled from 672 to 680 AD during a tumultuous period in the Iberian Peninsula. His reign marked a time of both internal strife and external threats, as the Visigothic kingdom grappled with political instability and the encroachment of neighboring powers.
Throughout his reign, Wamba faced numerous challenges, including rebellions from disaffected nobles and incursions from external foes such as the Moors. Despite these challenges, Wamba implemented reforms aimed at strengthening royal authority and restoring order within the kingdom.
His efforts to consolidate power were significant, although ultimately he was deposed following a rebellion led by his adversaries, notably Erwig, a prominent nobleman who orchestrated the uprising and subsequently ascended to the Visigothic throne.
Wamba renouncing the crown, by Juan Antonio Ribera. (Public domain)
The Legend of Wamba’s Tonsure and Loss of the Throne
Bizarrely, legend has it that Wamba’s fate as king hinged on the state of his hair. Folklore has claimed that within Gothic law, it was stipulated that a king must have a full head of hair. Therefore, once a king’s hair was cut in the style of a tonsure—meaning the shaving or cutting the hair on the…
