Some Remarks on Head-worship

Abstract

We see an example of head-worship with the practice of placing animal-heads under the fire-altar (Agnicayana). In this paper, I address the question why the heads were placed, and I also discuss how head-worship was regarded in ancient India.

According to the Taittirīya-Saṁhitā and Kāṭhaka-Saṁhitā≈Kapiṣṭhala-Kaṭha-Saṁhitā, the severed human head should be made fit for a sacrifice through specific ritual procedures, because the head is impure now that it is bereft of the prāṇas. In the Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa, Prajāpati–who had severed animal-heads and placed them under the altar—made bricks from the mud and water gathered from where he had let the remaining trunks float, reconsidering that they were also needed. These descriptions seem to reflect rather negative feelings over the severed head.

It is also noteworthy that the head is usually not employed at the animal sacrifice, considered to be used for Asura’s sacrifice, and as far as this research shows, the desire to have a head in the yonder world is mentioned only at the Agnicayana. This might be connected to the fact that the Agnicayana is performed for the purpose of being reborn in the heavenly world, and that using severed heads is peculiar to the Agnicayana among the Śrauta rituals.