 The long hair tradition was widespread among English and French men in the 11th and 12th centuries, although it was considered acceptable for men to have shorter hair, mainly because of the endorsement of the Roman Catholic Church.The tradition was largely brought about by monarchs who rejected the shorter hairstyle, causing the people to follow.Wulfstan, a religious leader, worried that those with longer hair would fight like women, and be unable to protect England from foreign invasion.