the
slaying of enemies, the retention of the hair is probably also meant
to support and increase the wearer's strength for the accomplishment
of his purpose.

16. Disposal of cut hair and nails

If the hair contained a part of the wearer's life and strength its
disposal would be a matter of great importance, because, according
to primitive belief, these qualities would remain in it after it
had been severed. Hence, if an enemy obtained it, by destroying the
hair or some analogous action he might injure or destroy the life and
strength of the person to whom it belonged. The Hindus usually wrap
up a child's first hair in a ball of dough and throw it into a running
stream, with the cuttings of his nails. Well-to-do people also place a
rupee in the ball, so that it is now regarded as an offering. The same
course is sometimes followed with the hair and nails cut ceremoniously
at a wedding, and possibly on one or two other occasions, such as
the investiture with the sacred thread; but the belief is decaying,
and ordinarily no care is taken of the shorn hair. In Berar when the
Hindus cut a child's hair for the first time they sometimes bury it
under a water-pot where the ground is damp, perhaps with the idea
that the child's hair will grow thickly and plentifully like grass in
a damp place. It is a common belief that if a barren woman gets hold
of a child's first hair and wears it round her waist the fertility of
the child's mother will be transferred to her. The Sarwaria Brahmans
shave a child's hair in its third year. A small silver razor is made
specially for the occasion, costing a rupee and a quarter, and the
barber first touches the child's hair with this and then shaves it
ceremoniously with his own razor. [329] The Halbas think that the
severed clippings of hair are of no use for magic, but if a witch can
cut a lock of hair from a man's head she can use it to work magic on
him. In making an image of a person with intent to injure or destroy
him, it was customary to put a little of his hair into the image, by
which means his life and strength were conveyed to it. A few years
ago a London newspaper mentioned the case of an Essex man entering
a hairdresser's and requesting the barber to procure for him a piece
of a certain customer's hair. When asked the reason for this curious
demand, he stated that the customer had injured him and he wished
to 'work a spell' against him. [330] In the Parsi Zend-Avesta it is
sta