Before the words (Indonesia, Bali)

In Bali, toddlers are the focus of a collective attention that blends gentleness, spirituality, and symbolism. According to Balinese tradition, a child does not touch the ground for the first few months of life: carried by loved ones, they are considered still “close to heaven.” It is only after a ceremony called nyambutin (or nyabutan ), around six months old, that they are symbolically connected to the earth.

Another significant rite is the otonan , celebrated every 210 days (a cycle of the pawukon calendar), which honors the arrival of the soul into the world of the living. These rituals are not folklore: they shape a vision of the world where each birth involves the community, the ancestors, and the deities.

Language is not rushed. Mantras or nama perut (“belly names”) are sometimes whispered before the official first name is given. In this context, the gaze, the posture, the objects worn—here a necklace adorned with a chocolate monkey—become the first languages ​​of a being still in the midst of crossing the threshold between visible and invisible.