For the majority of African tribes before the slave trade, hair was endowed with spiritual power and views as the pinnacle of spiritual expression, and power. Some tribes believed that due to the hair being the most elevated part of the body, it acted as an antenna or conduit for gods and spirits to reach the soul.
Therefore it would be against spirituality to cut it.
Other tribes from the south of Africa believed that longer hair that stretched downward such as locs, were a conduit for energy to travel from the earth to the body. That as the hair stretched down to the earth, the hair would act as a balancer between the energies of the body and the ground.
Moreover, the hair was regarded with a certain spiritual respect as many elders would say “if you allow the hair on the head to grow undisturbed; it will grow to a certain length required by your body and then it will stop.”, meaning that the hair had a natural intelligence and was given to us by the gods to protect us. The care of a person’s hair was also only entrusted to a very close family member or friend who would continue to do their hair for the rest of their lives. Likewise, if the hair would fall into the wrong hands, it was believed that this could cause you both physical and spiritual harm.
Fontanelle hair, or a patch of hair, is a great example of a tradition in African spirituality which was meant to protect the soul and the hair. Once a baby was born, their head would be shaved, only to leave a single patch of hair that covered the most sensitive part of the skull, which would double as a protection from bad spirits. Throughout sub - Saharan Africa, this demanded ritual, so the babies mother would often place the cut off hair in a basket and place it in a hidden place as the hair was likened to the soul. Additionally, warriors in West Africa often cut off all of their hair and left it with their mothers or wives as it would allow their loved ones to have a piece of their souls in case of untimely death.
The source of this belief stems from the importance of the head to African spirituality. According to Yoruba theology, “Although the physical head is highly valued because of its social and biological importance as a sight of perception, communication and identity, it is regarded as no more than a shell for the inner head.” This theology is translated through many tribes in Africa and is reflected in a prayer known as the Oje which translates to “May my inner head never spoil my outer one”. The harmony of the two is expressed through many of the regal looking and protective hairstyles worn by people all across the African diaspora.
Works Cited
Downes, Robin. "African Hair And It's Significance: Connecting To Our Spirit." Elev8. June 18, 2019. Accessed January 01, 2021. https://elev8.hellobeautiful.com/315595/african-hair-and-its-significance-connecting-to-our-spirit-video/.
Adira, Queen. "The Truth About Long Hair, Spiritual Power, And Why Natives Wore Their Hair Long." Black Liberation Love of N Unity. April 28, 2020. Accessed January 01, 2021. https://blackliberationlovenunity.wordpress.com/2016/04/19/the-truth-about-long-hair-spiritual-power-and-why-natives-wore-their-hair-long/.
YouTube. June 22, 2020. Accessed January 01, 2021. https://youtu.be/htCrhr5VCjo.
YouTube. October 10, 2019. Accessed January 01, 2021. https://youtu.be/jC-P_-qxBZg.
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