The Chronicle of Gallus Anonymus mentions, inter alia, the haircuts of two sons of Popiel and a descendant of Piast, Siemowit. It is then that the progenitor of the Piast family receives his name, which can be translated as "the ruler of the family". Why were haircuts such an important element of the culture of the ancient Slavs that they were included in the legend of the origin of the Piasts?
A rite or rite of passage is a family ceremony to mark a person's transition from one stage of life to the next. The term "rites de passage" was proposed by the French anthropologist Arnold van Gennep in a work of this title from 1909. Various types of rituals related to the stages of human life are known in all cultures of the world. For the Slavs, haircuts were the first ritual of this type to which a boy was subjected. The girls' counterparts were braided lines. A wreath was put on the girl's head, thus marking that she was no longer a child, but a virgin.
Before we look at the ritual of the haircut, it is good to talk about other similar rituals in order to better understand the cultural background.
One of the very important rituals was swajba or wedding. For a woman and a man, starting a family was an extremely important stage of participation in the life of the entire community. In this way, they undertook the task of begetting and educating the next generation, giving hope for the survival of the family. They also connected two families by contract and brought the property to a new farm. Each wealthy and well-run farm contributed to the better functioning of the entire community.
During the wedding ceremony, which was an important element of the wedding, the bride's hair was cut and burned, and a bonnet was put on the head. The girl said goodbye to the family house and in the groom's house, she was devoted to the care of new domestic deities. In this way, the woman left her virginity behind and became the mistress of the new household.
The final rite of passage for a member of each community was the funeral. The Slavs, like other peoples, believed in some form of afterlife. Souls went to the realm of Navas, Paradise, or to the realm of Veles. Beliefs had to be different at different times. It was common to burn corpses, but there was also a custom of burial underground, and a tree was planted on the grave. Until the 10th century, coins were placed on the lips of the deceased - possibly a fee for a Charon-like carrier. An important element of the rite was also equipping the deceased with items that he used during his lifetime.
The rituals led each person through the stages of his relationship with the local community. But let's get back to the haircut.
The most famous mention of the first haircut can be found in the legend about Piast and Siemowyn, described by Gallus Anonymus. According to the author of the chronicle, on the same day there were haircuts for Popiel's children - the prince of Gniezno and Piast's only son. When two mysterious newcomers tried to enter the feast, they were driven away. So they went to a modest plowman called Piast. He received them as best he could. Miraculously, there was more food and drink at the plowman's house, and less at Popiel's court. At the end of an unexpectedly magnificent feast, "these guests cut the boy and named him Siemowita for the sake of his future fate."
The custom described in the chronicle contains mythological threads, but in this case, we are interested in the rite described. The description shows that it was common to representatives of all social classes. The prince of Gniezno introduces his sons to the male community in the same way as the poor Piast (of course, each one to the best of his abilities). At the time when Anonim was writing his chronicle (beginning of the 12th century), the knowledge of this custom must still be alive. He presents the ceremony as something obvious and only briefly cites elements of the ritual, focusing on its importance for the family of its patron - Bolesław the Wrymouth. Most Poles today know this practice only from the chronicle of Gall Anonymus or legends based on it. Some people go back to the old ways and add new elements. In the Middle Ages, however, the tradition was still alive.
What can we say about the rite itself? What was the haircut about?
Based on the description of Gallus Anonymus, we can conclude that it was associated with a ceremonial reception during which a person other than the parents made a ritual haircut and gave an official name. The entire celebration had not only social but also magical significance. The behavior of the hosts, the events and miracles that happen during the celebration, as well as the given name says something about the future of the child.
Divination was of great importance in the beliefs and practices of the ancient Slavs. Particularly among the Western Slavs, divination was a highly valued skill. Animals (including the famous Radogosh horse), wax, lead, fire, water, and the color of the lake were foretold. The gods could, after all, speak through various phenomena, situations, and objects.
In the case of Siemowit, the haircut and naming are performed by mysterious strangers (Cyril and Methodius? Angels? At least someone with supernatural powers). In traditional rituals, it was more often a father (who thus accepted his son as his descendant) or a Slavic priest - żerca. Before the haircut was performed, the baby usually wore a name to protect it from evil spirits. These were names that mislead the spirits, e.g. Niemój, Nielub, Wilk, etc. If the boy lived to the age of 7 (according to some, up to 12), he could be considered a part of the community and given the right name, usually two-part (Siemo-wit, Sławo-mir, etc.). After cutting the hair - as in the case of the previously described bride's cap - it was ritually burnt. Braiding, growing, and cutting hair were of great importance in the culture of the ancient Slavs. No wonder hair plays such an important role in the rites of passage.
Haircuts are also known in other cultures, e.g. Anglo-Saxon or Jewish. In some people, the symbolic haircutting is performed on infants or very young children. This is recognized as a member of the community, but not related to the transition to a group of young adults, as was the case with the Slavs.
Bibliography:
- Aleksander Brükner, History of Polish culture vol. 1, Krakow 1930
- Stanisław Urbańczyk, The Old Slavs. Faith and Cult, Wrocław 1991
- Anomim so-called Gall, Polish Chronicle, digital edition of NetPress 2008 (https://cyfroteka.pl/ebooki/Kronika_polska-ebook/p9534i23329)
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