12 facts about beards you probably didn’t know – This will shock you!

9. Touching a Beard Could Lead to a Fight

During the Middle Ages, if a man touched another man’s beard, this was grounds for a duel. That’s right; beards are serious business. Beards have long been seen as a sign of manliness, and touching the beard of another man was seen as an insult and a threat to the “assaulted” man’s ego. So, naturally, a sword fight was the only way to settle this dispute. Of course, walking up to a stranger and touching his beard is still a violation of personal space. It’s no longer socially acceptable to get into a duel with someone over beard touching, but it’s probably best to keep your hands to yourself, unless you have permission to touch another guy’s beard.