For thousands of years people of all countries and races have assigned great value to their hair. They associated hair with mystical, beauty and power symbols and this has been reflected in numerous tales and legends. According to one even a constellation in the sky was named after hair. In the 3rd century B.C. Queen Berenice II of Egypt swore to the goddess Aphrodite to sacrifice her beautiful long hair, of which she was extremely proud, if her husband Ptolemy III Euergetes returned safely from the war against the Assyrians. So he did, and she had her hair cut and placed it in the goddess' temple. By the next morning the hair had disappeared. To appease the furious king and queen (and save the lives of the temple priests), the court astronomer Conon announced that the offering had so pleased the goddess that she had placed it in the sky. And he indicated a cluster of stars, which has since been called Berenice's Hair (Coma Berenices). Another legend claims that much later the beauty of the golden curls of Lucrezia, the daughter of the Roman Pope Alexander VI, inspired a young talented court chef to create well known Italian pasta "tagliatelle" (ringlets). In Greek mythology, a lock of purple hair on the king Nisos’ head made him immortal and his city of Megara - invincible. While the Biblical hero Samson lost all his power and strength when the treacherous Delilah shaved off his long locks of hair while he was asleep. And there is a German tale about the beautiful Lorelee who rescued her beloved knight from stormy waters of Rhine by means of her long hair braid...