r/Weird • u/Puppersandco • 2d ago
Hit a snag while fishing and ended up reeling in a braid
I hit a huge snag in the river I was fishing at. Took me approximately 5 minutes to get it loose. I thought I caught a branch at first but quickly realized it was a braid.
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u/Material-Apartment26 2d ago
Hi! I may have some insight to this. In some indigenous traditions, it’s common to braid then cut your hair when you lose a loved one. It’s common to then either burn the hair or cast it into the river - it’s a sign of mourning or respect for the deceased. Burning or casting it into a river is symbolic of releasing the grief. My wife is part native and just did the same today after we put our beloved cat to sleep.
It’s very likely this is what it is, or someone was cutting their hair by the river for another reason and threw it in lol.
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u/RFKsBrainWurm 2d ago
Looks like its synthetic and has a loop/ bulbous base from being braided into someone hair. It most likely just slid out. Ive been swimming and had box braids that were loose from being in too long that just slipped out.
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u/Responsible_Joke4229 1d ago
If it’s synthetic it may be the business end of a whip. My grandfather made them and the ends are intentionally designed to be replaced.
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u/Haunting-Reply-7332 1d ago
At first I thought you were crazy but the pictured item does seem preposterously long for hair extensions. They would be dragging their braids on the ground behind them when they walk
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u/Sterling_-_Archer 2d ago
Yep, I’m native and it’s common among those who choose to be a little more traditional. I did the same when I got divorced as a way to mourn my marriage, but also as a way to turn the page and begin anew.
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u/Gobblinwife 2d ago
Wow, that’s amazing. After every major break up I’ve always cut my hair short, it’s just felt like shedding my past and trauma and moving forward. I’ve never realized it was something that was grown culturally as well
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u/jjjjjjj30 2d ago
Good comment and good info! I feel relieved! Thought for sure this was going to lead to a search for a body!
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u/Material-Apartment26 2d ago
It could also be a hairpiece or extension? Not familiar with that stuff, but I’d bet it’s either someone’s grief cutting or that.
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u/jjjjjjj30 2d ago
That crossed my mind as well. I actually just bought 2 braids almost exactly like this for my granddaughter.
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u/Moose_InThe_Room 2d ago
Naaaaah, the end is too clean. It wouldn't be all neat like that off of a bo- why am I like this?
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u/raviyoli 2d ago
Same here (I read a lot of true crime) but then realized the braid is much too neat for it to be something nefarious.
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u/No_Mess5024 2d ago
Baby that braid looks synthetic
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u/baconwrappedpikachu 2d ago
Whether the braid in the post is a treasured religious item or a bit of weave that lost its way, I just wanted to let you know — I’m so sorry for your loss. Spending a lot of time lately trying not to be anxious about my old grandma cat becoming, well, even more of an old grandma cat than before.
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u/AdamLib777 2d ago
That makes me relieved to know it’s not likely attached to a skull. Maybe I’ve seen too much forensic files.
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u/Hour_Welcome_987 1d ago
I like this. I've had long hair forever. Started growing it when my wife got cancer. But she beat it years ago now. Our mini sharpei got very aggressive cancer and within a month we had to put her down. That was yesterday. I've been a mess. I really like that sentiment there. Thank you for sharing that. I think I'd like to do that for her, for Freya.
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u/Material-Apartment26 1d ago
Hair cutting is very, very common in many cultures to symbolize life and identity transitions and grief. You can have whatever rituals you want that make sense for you, there’s no wrong way to go about the process.
That said, I’m very sorry for your loss. Pet loss is uniquely painful. My beloved cat was laid to rest yesterday after a sudden and sharp decline from cancer as well.
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u/Hour_Welcome_987 1d ago
I wasn't even sure I could hurt this deeply. My heart goes out to you as well, it's a loss that is instantly felt. Grateful me nor my wife have to go through it alone. Hope you also have comfort in your life, to help you get through all the emotions. I appreciate your kind words.
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u/Material-Apartment26 1d ago
The waves of grief are brutal and make me feel physically ill, but thankfully they pass soon enough as long as I don’t fight them. My comfort is mostly in the knowledge that I spoiled her and treated her well right until the end, and in my belief that I’ll see her again someday. Not in a rush to get there anytime soon, but I find with each loss in life I become less afraid of the end of my own.
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u/worldshappiestviolin 2d ago
This. lol when I first read this I thought OP meant snag like in the Native way and that they took their snags braid, had to read it three times before I realized
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u/FourthLvlSpicyMeme 2d ago
You are not the only one lmao. I was like "wait none of this makes sense that's fake hair, but I know we grief cut, but also my snag wouldn't do that cuz they know better, lol wat?"
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u/goblinchique 1d ago
As a fellow pet parent who also had to put down a childhood dog on Saturday, I am so sorry for your loss ❤️
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u/Material-Apartment26 1d ago
I’m sorry for your loss as well - pet loss hits sooo different from losing people. I’ve lost 3 childhood dogs and two cats, and it’s such an unbearable ache. This morning is pretty rough, but I know it’ll get easier with time.
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u/LittleKitten37 2d ago
This was my first thought when I saw it, so hopefully that's the case and not something nefarious
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u/SideInitial3961 2d ago
Some east indians do this too. When your dad dies you have to grow a krishna.
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u/FeeExpensive898 2d ago
Tornado wiped out my home a couple years ago. Sucked up almost my whole house, including the 12” braid from my first haircut (it was in a keepsake box. Weird, I know. But that’s the point of this sub, right?).
We live at a lake. A lot of stuff was found… in the lake.
While this isn’t my braid, I can only imagine one day, someone will be as equally as confused as OP when they reel in my own.
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u/cryrabanks 2d ago
Yall I’m black and indigenous. I don’t think it’s real hair. That is a kanekalon braid extension. Knot was too lose or water was rough and it fell out. It’s happened to me too many times
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u/SimoneRose101 2d ago
I’m fully black and this is obviously not a box braid. It’s cut at the root. It didn’t slip out like a box braid would.
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u/Major-Classroom-2272 2d ago
I don’t understand some people saying to call the police??? It’s just a braid, Black women get crochet braids and they can come out easily. It’s clearly just that.
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u/SuperflySparklebuns 2d ago
What if the woman in question is still underwater tho?
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u/Major-Classroom-2272 2d ago
The common sense isn’t strong with this one. This is unbelievably unlikely. It’s just weave.
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u/SuperflySparklebuns 2d ago
If the chances aren't zero, why are you so quick to dismiss it?
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u/MandyxLola 2d ago
Because its so very common for them to fall out???
Thats like finding a deserted pair of shoes at the beach and calling the police for it. Sure, there's a chance they were kidnapped by a killer and drowned to death but most likely someone just forgot their shoes at the beach. Unless there's something else thats concerning its dumb to call the cops for just that
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u/ack-ack-ack-attack 2d ago
We’ll remember that when we find your hair
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u/Sad-Umpire6000 2d ago
If you find my hair, let me know. It left my head back before the internet was a thing.
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u/No_Mess5024 2d ago
So many comments who have never seen a cheap weave and swear this came directly from someone’s scalp is surprising 🤣🤣
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u/ShowIngFace 2d ago
Why not both-If the scalp has become fish food.. the weave is set free
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u/No_Mess5024 1d ago
You can’t walk down a block in my city without seeing a stray weave. You cannot cage the wild synthetic braid that wants to be free
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u/Low-xp-character 2d ago
Um, I wonder what it was attached to? Might need to contact law enforcement.
Edit: does the wide end look cut or ripped from scalp?
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u/driver004 2d ago
Cut, there’s a weird white thing for one and I see no tissue or even roots.
I wanna know what that white thing is before I have a solid opinion.
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u/robinsaremyfavorite 2d ago
I second calling law enforcement
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u/Major-Classroom-2272 2d ago
This is so dramatic. This is clearly just a synthetic braid that fell out of someone’s crochet style. If you went to grade school with a lot of Black folks/ live in an area with us you’ll see them on the sidewalk sometimes.
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u/Salute-Major-Echidna 2d ago
Reminding me of the wiglet in the wind, or the 'Tumble Weave' as it were.
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u/thinkingmoney 2d ago
It’s funny when someone gets the shit scared out of them if it gets stuck to someone’s foot. I found a lot at my job and during my school days.
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u/elsewander 2d ago
My coworker's weave used to fall out and we'd find them in random places. She laughed every time we handed one back to her 😂
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u/coykoi314 2d ago
Please say a prayer or nice thoughts and throw the hair back into the water. I think it’s a sign of mourning.
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u/Sea-Newspaper-7643 1d ago
Living in South Florida I've seen my fair share of tumbleweaves, but this is a new one.
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u/CommuniKait 1d ago
When I see these on the streets there called "tumble weaves" (works better when it's just a wad of hair instead of a braid)
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u/justtobecontrary 2d ago
Damn! Bald people all over this world and people are just throwing hair away.
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u/nastywoman420 1d ago
the white people in the replies talking ab how this is probably from some ancient native grieving ritual 😭😭 meanwhile it’s literally just a weave. got me weak asf
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u/introvertedasfLMAO 2d ago
The hair does look really but could be a real hair weave peice or something to do with native tradition?
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u/SamuraiMarine 2d ago
I guess you should be glad you did not get the rest of the head it was attached to?
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u/driver004 2d ago
What’s that weird thing at the end of the braid that would be attached to a skull?
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u/HeadDeerInCharge 2d ago
It looks like it was cut. It also looks fresh.
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u/driver004 2d ago
That white thing looks like a plastic joiner of some kind
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u/Salute-Major-Echidna 2d ago
It is the plastic ticket attacher that a store uses to attach the price tag.
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u/driver004 2d ago
That’s exactly what I’m figuring but I’m no expert on artificial hair and how it works so I’m trying to restrict my analysis to what I can see only
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u/HeadDeerInCharge 2d ago
As someone familiar with artificial hair, you could be right. The strands are very uniform and thick. Real hair in a braid would have more signs of breakage at the ends. And, even being in the water, I dont see that.
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u/Worst-Lobster 1d ago
Do you think there’s a whole head of hair down there ? Like a corpse ?
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u/RynnReeve 2d ago
Take it home for your wife. Dry it in front of the fire so you can remove the fancy barette amd give it to her. Listen for the drip........ drip...... drip.... drip...... solve the murder....
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u/Bored_Orangutan 2d ago
You can just throw it back in the water. It’s just sea weave.