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«BULLETIN OF THE IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY. GEOARCHAEOLOGY, ETHNOLOGY, AND ANTHROPOLOGY SERIES»
ISSN 2227-2380 (Print)

List of issues > «Geoarchaeology, Ethnology, and Anthropology Series». 2026. Vol 55

Hair-Cutting Rituals among the Turkic and Mongolian Peoples of Inner Asia

Full text (russian)
Author(s)

M. M. Sodnompilova

Institute of Mongolian Studies, Buddhology and Tibetology SB RAS, Ulan-Ude, Russian Federation

Abstract
Among the Turkic and Mongolic peoples of Inner Asia, the ritual cutting of children's natal hair represents a distinctive custom that has persisted from antiquity to the present day, albeit with significant transformations in its underlying rationale and execution. In traditional cosmologies, hair was endowed with complex symbolism and was subject to numerous ritual prescriptions and prohibitions. The cutting of so-called “uterine” (or birth) hair constituted a crucial childhood rite of passage, during which specific hairstyles were created for boys and girls. Uterine hair was believed to belong to a liminal sphere within the human body, serving as a conduit for communication with deities and ancestral spirits. This connection was considered particularly potent during the first three years of life, after which it was permitted to weaken. However, the upper age limit for the ritual could shift in response to various factors–including childhood illness or the child's exceptional status (e.g., being an only or long-awaited child). Significantly, among many groups, the magical bond was never entirely severed: uterine hair was subsequently incorporated into the hairstyles of adults and was preserved throughout the individual's lifetime, typically entrusted to the parents' care. Over time, these traditional practices underwent progressive transformation and loss of their original ritual significance. In recent decades, however, the ritual of cutting natal hair has experienced a revival, albeit with substantially altered justifications– focusing not on sacred “impurity” but on concerns for the hair's health and thickness. Contemporary familial practices exhibit considerable variation: in some households, children's hair remains entirely uncut or receives only a symbolic trimming; among those who identify the practice as “traditional,” adherence to ancient preservation rules is rarely observed. Modern societies employ diverse methods of hair removal, all ostensibly aimed at preventing harmful manipulation of the hair. Among the Buryats, Tuvans, Khakassians, and Altai peoples, the present-day ritual is typically associated with a child's first birthday and is regarded as one of the most significant childhood celebrations. In rural Mongolia, this ceremony continues to retain substantial economic importance within family life.
About the Authors
Sodnompilova Marina Mikhailovna, Doctor of Sciences (History), Leading researcher, Department of History, Ethnology and Sociology, Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies SB RAS; 6, Sakhyanova st., Ulan-Ude, 670047, Russian Federation e-mail: sodnompilova@yandex.ru
For citation
Sodnompilova M. M. Hair-Cutting Rituals among the Turkic and Mongolian Peoples of Inner Asia. Bulletin of the Irkutsk State University. Geoarchaeology, Ethnology, and Anthropology Series. 2026, Vol. 55, pp. 55–66. https://doi.org/10.26516/2227-2380.2026.55.55 (In Russ.)
Keywords
Inner Asia, Turkic and Mongolic peoples, society, uterine hair, first haircut custom.
UDC
391.5
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2227-2380.2026.55.55
References

Sources

  1. Author's field materials 1. Opros, provedennyi v 2025 g. v g. Ulan-Bator, Mongoliya (informant – Battsengeliin Natsagdorzh, 1984 g. r., tsongol, Mongoliya [A survey conducted in 2025 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (the informant is Battsengalyn Natsagdorj, born in 1984, tsongol, Mongolia)].
  2. Author's field materials 2. Opros, provedennyi v 2025 g. v g. Ulan-Ude Respubliki Buryatiya (informant – A. R. Galdanova, 1937 g. r., terte, p. Bayangol Zakamenskogo raiona Respubliki Buryatiy) [A survey conducted in 2025 in Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia (the informant is A. R. Galdanova, born in 1937, terte, Bayangol village, Zakamensky district of the Republic of Buryatia)].
  3. Author's field materials 3. Opros, provedennyi v 2025 g. v g. Ulan-Ude Respubliki Buryatiya (informant – N. I. Matoshkina, 1954 g. r., khuramsha, s. Khatar-Khadai Ekhirit-Bulagatskogo raiona Irkutskoi oblasti) [A survey conducted in 2025 in Ulan–Ude, Republic of Buryatia (the informant is N. E. Matoshkina, born in 1954, Khuramsha, Village of Khatar-Hadai, Ehirit-Bulagatsky district, Irkutsk region)].
  4. Author's field materials 4. Opros, provedennyi v 2026 g. v g. Ulan-Ude Respubliki Buryatiya (informant – D. Tsyrendorzhiev, 1999 g. r., bodongut ordogoi, s. Zatkulei Zabaikalskogo kraya) [A survey conducted in 2026 in Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia (the informant is D. Tsyrendorzhiev, born in 1999, bodongut ordogoi, Village of Zatkuley, Trans-Baikal Territory)].

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