موي بريدن در سوگواري

The Tradition of Cutting Hair in Mourning Ceremonies

Cutting hair in mourning ceremonies was a widespread tradition in all cultures, as evidenced in certain ancient sources. Even today there are people who cut their hair at the loss of a beloved one. The Shahnameh also makes a reference to this tradition. The lines in the Shahnameh referring to this tradition can only be interpreted in the light of the findings of mycologists and anthropologists. Based on such knowledge, the writer interprets this tradition as a symbolic castigation and the ruffling of hair at the time of death as an ascetic denial of sexual relations.