Since time immemorial, people have been offering / sacrificing their first produce to the Gods as a “Thanks Giving”.
Having obtained that elusive deer, the hunters offered up the best parts of that first kill to the Gods of hunting and nature.
Having harvested crops far in access to what they had planted, farmers offered a portion of their first crop to the Gods of Earth and rain.
First fruit, flower, first salary etc were offered to the Gods as a way of saying “Thank you” to the Gods.
While cooking, women in
Similarly, people believed that we should offer “something of the child” to the Gods to thank them for the life that was given to them. Commonly, hair is chosen as the most precious and beautiful aspect of the child and is offered to the Gods after their 1st birthday. Child mortality being what it was in those days, if a baby survived the first year of its life, it was expected to grow up to be strong and healthy. Hence they thanked the Gods for the child’s survival with this ceremony.
In
So it is reasonable that hair would be offered as a “first offering” from the child to the Gods. Removing the hair that has been there since birth, is a purification rite as well. It cleanses the child. Usually, this done after child has passed the first, third or fifth birthday.
Offering hair also had other connotations
In some cases, and some communities, offering the “first” to the Gods was taken a step further and even the first child was offered up to the Gods ! Ofcourse, the child was not “sacrificed”, but was “dedicated” to the Gods. This would often mean the first child became a monk, priest or a temple servant, serving in the temple their parent dedicates them to. If the child was female, this would mean she would become the Devdasi of the Gods. Depending on her skill and talent, she may become a singer, dancer or a temple servant in the temple her parents dedicate her to.
Amongst Jews, Muslims and some Christian sects, offering the male genital’s
foreskin serves a similar purpose.
They also use this is as a binding covenant (contract) between the child and
their God. In case of Abraham, he
was asked to sacrifice his first child in person ! Later a goat / ram was found to take
place of the child. Muslims still
celebrate this event during
© Bhagwat [email protected]