In the latter years of Henry I's reign, one of his knights (milites) experienced a troublesome dream. Whilst asleep he dreamt that his long, luxurious hair was strangling him. He was so unnerved by this vision that upon waking he promptly had it all cut off. The knight (miles) was apparently one of a number of long-haired men who, forgetful of their natural sex, had wished to grow their hair long in order to look like women. This dream episode and subsequent hair-cutting is reported by the twelfth-century Benedictine monk William of Malmesbury. Malmesbury goes on to comment that as a result of this dream many others also had their hair cut but that it was a short-lived fashion. Indeed, according to Malmesbury, barely a year had passed before:

Malmesbury's explicit use of gendered imagery raises a whole series of questions. Men are here compared to women with their long flowing hair in a way that makes clear that this is not how men should act.