Meaning of the Jedi Braid

Can anybody tell me what the markers mean specifically on the Jedi Padawan Braid? I've been wondering for a while and haven't found any answers. Thank you!

Astra-Khan

 

I don't think that was ever released, we know Obi had red and yellow, and Ani had yellow and red.....

Maybe its personal preference...hmmmmm

 

I'm not for certain if that has been addressed. I have a little bit of theory about it...

This of course would be if a) The Jedi Master was of a race that HAS hair, and b) if the Padawan also is of a race that HAS hair...

I imagine that when a Jedi takes a Padawan, there is a bit of "bonding", and as a symbolic gesture, the Master cuts a lock of his/her hair and braids it into the Padawan's hair. The Padawan's braid grows longer, with his/her masters hair intertwined. Eventually, the Padawan faces the trials and, after becoming a Knight, the braid is cut.

This could in turn be passed on to that Jedi's Padawan some day..

The different bands would show where the Master's hair was joined to the Padawan's.

But, as I said, that's just one man's theory...

--Kai

 

That is a VERY interesting idea, Kai. It does make sense though, but at the same time, it's kinda strange. Oh well, thank you for the input.

Astra-Khan

 

Kinda strange? Thanks! I do try...

I do wish there would be some explanation by the "powers-that-be" on that subject, along with a lot of the Jedi Lore...I do so love details...

--Kai

 

And maybe those aren't wookie braids on Chewbacca , maybe they're trophies cut right off a Padawan. After all, look what a Jedi did to daddy.
^^^^^^In reference to Boba Fetts braids^^^^^

 

ROTLFMHO!!!!
Uh oh I guess No pranking a wookie huh?
Humm, I can see the logic of a Master and Padawan's hair being used in that as a symbolic gesture of an already exsisting mental bond. verty cool.
SO0 how DOES a Master choose a Padawan anyhow? Can a padawan choose a Master or is this soley on the Master's part to choose? Too bad there isn't some thing that here for Master Jedi's to apprentice Padawan's.

Mynn

 

Jauhzmynn
RE how a Padawan is chosen

It's not Canon, but the Jedi Apprentice series gives us a view by way of the early Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan story. I would deduce that the Master chooses....otherwise Obi-Wan would have chosen Qui-Gon if he could but he was initially rejected as a padawan

 

I was also thinking that the markers might symbolize how many years they've been training for or phases in the training that they passed and when of something like that. Yeah, they should have somthing where a master can apprentice somebody on here. That'd be cool. I'm still a Padawan but my Master just moved. What luck, huh?

 

Yeah that sucks Astra-Khan. Sorry to hear your Master's elsewhere. :-( So what are ya ' going to do?
Sadly there aren't any Jedi in my region. SO I'm off on my own Luke Style. NOT a good idea. it's down right hard.
hey maybe us padawans should have something here, if anything we cna learn off each other until a master gets all of us. whatcha' think?

Mynn

 

Maybe the colors of the bands on the braid has to do with the Clan they are part of when they are younger. I read somewhere that baby Jedi are grouped into Clans where they recieve their initial training before they are chosen by Masters. The kids you see yoda teaching are part of the Bear Clan.

 

Mm, I think the Masters choose, but the Padawans have the right to refuse, wouldn't you think? Imagine if you were chosen by someone who really intimidated you! *trying to picture herself being chosen by Mace Windu* Eek!

I'd guess maybe that the three strands of a braid represent the past, the present & the future (the Master, the Padawan, and the Padawan who will someday be apprenticed to the current Padawan -- sort of continuity to the earliest Masters).

Did anyone understand that last sentence? I hope?

 

Master Renata,
I understand that last sentance perfectly. The clans remind me of native american indian clan groupings.
Apprenticed by Mace Windu. he doesn't intimadate me at all. Given the differacnes in his height to mine, I'd get a neck cramp always looking up.
Yoda would be intimadaiting.

padawan Mynn

 

I thought the colors were just for decoration and had no particular significance like when you do a hairweave.

Speaking of Padawan braids, does anyone know where to find one? Not the cheapy nasty synethic ones that fall apart, but goodones. Or should I go locate a jedi Knight and swipe a lock off 'em.<G> JK

padawan Mynn

 

Wow I never realized people had such interesting views on that one simple braid. Well, anyway, I've braided my own hair for a Padawan braid and adopted Anakin's colors instead of Obi-Wan's because I think I'm more like Anakin (more likely to turn Dark I'm sorry to say...). I don't know what I will do about not having a master. I guess I will teach myself until somebody else wishes to train me. Anyway, in the mean time, we padawans should try to learn from each other. It's better than nothing!

 

Speaking of Padawan braids, does anyone know where to find one? Not the cheapy nasty synethic ones that fall apart, but goodones.

Make one! Get some loose hair from Sally's or some shops selling synthetic hair according to your hair color and braid it to the lenght you want. Use Colored Rubber Bands to mark the different site on the braids.

As for attaching it to your hair, you have a choice of one of those small bobby pins (we have some small cute ones here), small clip, small peg (like the Official Braids) or braid/tie it into your hair.

Over here, clip on braid was fashionable so I bought some from the Hair Accesories Shops here. The only problem is that the clip is a bit big (one of those normal size hair snap on?). For my TPM Padme Tatooine, I even cheated for the braid on her head by using a Head Band that already had the Hair Braids glued onto it.

Hmm, a random thoughts: If part of the Master's Braid was braided into the Padawan's Braid, what if both of them have different hair color like Blonde and Black?

 

Aww ya' mean I can't get some off a Jedi's head while he's sleeping? Rats. :-D Ok ok, ok, I'm not touchin' anyone.


Well if one master/padawan group had two differant hair colors, it'd look cool. Shoot at one time I had a braid the same size as the Padawan not behind my ear but at the nape of my neck.(Way before the SW prequels came in) Each section of hair was a separate color.(Green, pink and purple.) Looked like a woven ribbon at the base of my neck. A lot of my friends liked how it looked, said it was ppretty.

WHen I do grab some of the hair, I'll acutally braid it into my own, then it's not going to fall off. Bobby pins and clips don't stay on or I could loose my braid in a fight. Now should I do the differant colors bit w/ the colored strands of fabric(Embroidry floss) or the hair being my own color w/ the floss?

Mynn

 

That's really cute, Mynn! Now doe sanybody else know a possibilty for the meaning of the braid?

Astra-Khan

 

Another way to attach it is Spirit gum adhesive

 

<G> ;-) Thanks.
Well, I'm not your average everyday Jedi. Not reckless at all. I don't like breaking stuff.
Maybe the briad represents the Padawan learner's apprentice time w/ his/her Master. I read somewhere that a kid brought into he Jedi temple has to "pick up the basics" before they'er 13 years old. If they don't, they'er sent away. Talk about PRESSURE. I think they go intothe Apprenticeship(Padawan leaner at 13 or 14 years old, and train for <scratchs head>15 years(I think). Possibly the colors are just personal preferance. Ever notice some of the braids are quite long? (I'd never let anyone cut my hair as short as Obi-Wan's. it'd look quite odd on a female.)

If I were a padawan that passed the trials, became a Knight and eventually a Master, I'd still wear my braid because no matter how much I learn, I'm still a student.

What's everyone else's take?

Padawan Mynn

 

I think Jedi Girl of Corellia was right about it showing what clan the apprentice is from. I also read something else about it but I can't remember it. When I do, I'll post it.

 

Hiya.
Well, about padawan braids and how to make them stick on, I stuck mine on my glasses once, and my hair hid it. Much easier, since i didn't have to worry wether the braid was slipping or not.

 

UP!

 

I finally found out from a friend what the markers(Color bands or beads) mean on a braid. She got all of this from various sources. LOTS fo books. I do NOT know if it's "Cannon", but it can explain some things of the skills of Obi Wan, Qui Gon and Anakin.

Yellow band----New beginnings as a Padawan. This is applied right after being choosen as a Padawan(before 16 standard years old.)

Beads or other color bands represent the Padawan's area/s of study. Possibly woven along the braid. The yellow band at the top and the Red band at the bottom.


Red band after 16 standard years old means he/she is starting on the road for gaining of wisdom and knowledge.

White-------Healer
Blue--------Mechanics
Red---------Pilot
Green-------Living Force
Yellow------Lightsaber/and other weapons
Black-------Jedi version of Covert
Operations.


Anakin Skywalker had red and blue bands. Mencahincs and piloting. BOTH of which he excels at.

Obi Wan as a Padawan had red /yellow bands,(I might be wrong). Those would mean he studied piloting and weapons skills. Both he is good with.

Myown braid will have white, green, and yellow beads. I'll a tie on my yellow and red bands out of embroidry floss when it arrives.

My beads are of Qui Gon's Padawan days, plus it'd look cool. If I don't like how it looks, I can always use the embroidry floss to do the same thing.

Does this make any sense?


Jauhzmynn

 

LMM had a great padawan braid thread awhile back. That's where I first proposed my theory of the masters braiding their braids into their padawan's hair, and all but proved it with pictures from the end of TPM.

In that same thread LMM brought up the point that Anakin's braid colors are blue, red, blue. He said this could stand for his development from jedi to sith and back to jedi. Interesting.


!snap