Suku Anak Dalam Baby Boy Haircut: A Hereditary Tradition in Rombong Jurai
"Boys must be bald, and only given pigtails at the front. Girls did not. Nowadays, there are hardly any boys who do not undergo this tradition," Jaelani explained.
A haircut is not just a matter of style, it can be an identity. Across the world, haircuts have become an integral part of traditional rituals, celebrations, and social status markers. In fact, hairstyles often characterise the identity of a group.
Such is the case with the hairstyle of Jambi's Suku Anak Dalam. Although at a general glance it looks similar to most people, there is a uniqueness to Suku Anak Dalam boys that cannot be missed.
Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) Jambi, is one of the indigenous groups living in the forest areas of Jambi, especially in Sarolangun, Batanghari, Bungo, and Bukit Duabelas National Park. They are known as a community that has a strong bond with nature and the forest, which is the source of their livelihood and the centre of their spiritual life. Suku Anak Dalam maintains their identity through customary practices and cultural uniqueness, including the tradition of haircuts that are part of the identity of boys in the Rombong Jurai Suku Anak Dalam community.
Boys in the Rombong Jurai Suku Anak Dalam community have a distinctive hairstyle, where only the front part of the hair is allowed to grow, while the other parts are bald. This tradition is mandatory for baby boys entering the age of four months to two years.
‘This haircut has no special meaning, it's just a style passed down from our ancestors,’ said Mena, one of the parents in the Rombong Jurai SAD community.
This tradition is part of the birth ritual in the Rombong Jurai Anak Dalam community. After a baby is born, there are several customary stages that must be followed. In the first month after birth, the baby's mother is required to bathe her baby on the terrace of the house or a place not far from the house, with the aim of protecting the mother and baby from the disturbance of spirits.
In the second and third months, a traditional event called Bulan Nampau is held, a thanksgiving ceremony attended by close relatives and the village Tumenggung. At this event, the baby and its mother are taken to the river and the baby's feet are dipped into the water while prayers are read by the Tumenggung or a community leader who is considered to have expertise.
When a baby boy turns four months old, a distinctive haircut is required. The baby boy's hair is shaved off, leaving only a small amount of hair at the front. Meanwhile, baby girls are not required to undergo this tradition. In the past, both male and female babies of the Rombong Jurai Anak Dalam tribe were required to undergo the haircut.
"Boys must be bald, and only given pigtails at the front. Girls did not. Nowadays, there are hardly any boys who do not undergo this tradition," Jaelani explained.
The uniqueness of boys' hair can be found throughout the Rombong Jurai Suku Anak Dalam community, especially in Limbur Tembesi Village, Bathin VIII District, Sarolangun Regency. Although this haircut tradition has no deep philosophical meaning, they still preserve it as a marker of identity. For this community, the haircut symbolises that the boy who carries it out is part of the Suku Anak Dalam in their entourage.
By inheriting what their ancestors have taught them, they believe that this tradition can protect them from harm. Although many members of the community have now settled down and no longer live nomadically, they still maintain and preserve their culture and traditions, including the distinctive haircuts for their boys.