Wild Symbolism in Prophetic Visions
Prophetic texts use the image of the “shaggy” not as a literal description but as a powerful symbol of wild, uncivilized strength that is alien to an ordered world. In this context, long, unbridled hair is employed as a metaphor for barbarians—the very groups that the Roman Empire associated with foreign, dangerous, and devastating forces. One source states:"Long 'hair like that of women' is a much clearer allusion for most of John's readers: everyone in the Roman Empire knew that long hair, in contrast to most people in Greco-Roman society, was worn by the 'barbarians' outside the empire..." (source: link txt)This allusion is intended to evoke a sense of threat and otherness in the reader by emphasizing that the looming forces described in the prophecies possess a harsh, natural power, similar to the wildness of the animal kingdom. Similarly, the images of the lion’s thick mane and the disheveled hair or locks mentioned in another fragment further reinforce the association with primordial strength and inevitable destruction:"Lions are satisfied with their thick manes, which serve as protection in battle. And wild boars, with their bristly hair, delight in and, with their raised fur, strike terror into the hearts of hunters. And the woolly sheep flaunts its health in the form of disheveled locks." (source: link txt)Thus, the mention of the “shaggy” in prophetic descriptions symbolizes untamed, wild power, as well as the alienation and threat arising from those beyond the confines of familiar order and civilization. This creates an image of impending chaos, a capacity for destruction and devastation, which constitutes the central message of such prophetic texts.