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Trees have always inspired awe in humans, embodying strength, longevity, and the cyclical nature of life and death. To our ancestors, these magnificent beings appeared to have existed long before them and would continue to live long after, giving them an aura of eternity. For primitive humans, the underground was the world of death, and trees, with their roots reaching deep into the earth and their branches extending toward the sky, existed in both realms. This profound connection led to their veneration and the creation of numerous myths and legends.
Such fascination is reflected in art, from ancient primitive works to the pinnacles of civilizations. The depiction of trees has been widespread in art and architecture, from the prehistoric era to the early stages of civilization. Therefore, many variations of trees appear in different forms, representing a wide variety of beliefs, such as longevity, ascendance, and many others, and sometimes representing the personal expressions of the weaver/designer and reflections of nature.
The Tree of Life is one of the most celebrated of such trees, often depicted with a multitude of flowers and fruits of different kinds. This motif is prevalent in Persian rugs, where it is portrayed with a multitude of fruits and flowers, reflecting its enduring appeal and significance. Many weavers and designers may not know the story of the mother of all trees, but the concept is so fascinating that it has inspired countless variations of the symbol.
When traders and creators are asked about the motif's significance, many point to the Quran or Biblical story of creation. However, the tree of life is not mentioned in the Quran and neither does it have inspiring specifications in the Bible. The most descriptive verse could be read in Revelation 22:1-2:
“Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
While the biblical Tree of Life remotely resembles the one, we see on rugs, those on Persian carpets usually have a far more generous number of fruits and flowers. Therefore, the biblical version could not be the main source of inspiration. As the tree appears on Persian rugs so widely, it would be logical to search ancient Iranian sources for the main inspiration behind its creation.
The ancient Zoroastrian scripts are a plausible source to consider, offering references to amazing mythical stories and creatures.
Believed to be the oldest monotheistic religion in the world, Zoroastrianism was practiced by many in ancient Iran and inspired many other nations since pre-Judaic times and it was the mother of many later stories.
It comes as no surprise to discover such sources contain the oldest version of the Persian Tree of Life. According to “Bundahishn” the Zoroastrian version of the story of creation, The Tree , stands in the middle of the mythical sea of "Farakhkart" (the sea of vast shores).
It is mentioned there that the seeds of all plants originate from this tree. Every year, the legendary bird Simorgh spreads these seeds into the water. Tishtrya, the god of rain, then takes these seeds with the rainwater and disperses them around the world, ensuring the proliferation of all plant life.
Mēnōg-ī Khrad or Spirit of Wisdom is another book that survived from the last years of the Sassanid dynasty, the 7th century, mirroring much older Zoroastrian beliefs from circa 1500 BCE. It describes the legendary Simorgh (Persian Phoenix) sitting on the tree of many seeds. According to the book, every time it lands on the tree, a thousand branches break and many kinds of seeds spread around as a result (for Tishtar the God of Rain to spread around the world), and once the bird flies off, a thousand new branches grow instead. The script goes on to mention how Ahura Mazda protects the tree from dark forces by assigning two “Kar” fishes to guard the tree.
After the Arab invasion in 632 AD, the story evolved into an Islamized version. It is a fascinating tale of how two cultures struggled to overcome one another and merge in literature.
The Holy Quran in Surah Ar-Rad, verse 29 mentions the Tuba tree: "Those who believed, and work righteousness, Tuba is for them and a beautiful place of (final) return." The metaphoric mention leaves room for a wide range of exegesis. However, such interpretations all agree that the Tuba is a tree in heaven.
Five hundred and fifty years later, one of the most prominent Islamic philosophers of all times, Suhrawardy, describes the tree as follows: "There are all kinds of fruits you know in the world on that tree (Tuba) and all the fruits that you (humankind) have are fruits of her. If the tree did not exist, there would have been no trees, no flowers, and no vegetation. The Simorgh has his nest on that tree and every morning, when he spreads his wings over the earth, the fruits appear on trees and plants on land."
Suhrawardy, who wrote these lines, could have used the Tuba or “Tree of All Seeds” or Tree of Life as a metaphor to hide his mystical ideas. As a follower of Hallaj who was killed brutally 250 years earlier, the young Suhrawardy could not declare his beliefs openly. Therefore, he resorted to metaphor and mysticism, which cost him his life in 1191 when he was only 36 years old.
Regardless of the mythical nature of the Zoroastrian version or the mystical meaning behind Suhrawardy’s story, the Tuba or the “Tree of Life”, such fascinating literal descriptions of the tree have inspired many artists, including those in the carpet world, to create artistic depictions of the tree in both abstract and realistic forms. Carpets with the “Tree of Life Design,” with its rich historical background and story, open the viewers' minds to a mysterious world, allowing them to let their imaginations fly.
The Baluch rug above is a beautiful variation of such rugs. The stylized tree is home to birds and presents multiple flowers. It is a remote deviation from the detailed “Tree of All Seeds” of Bundaheshn or the Tuba of Suhrawardy, but it is a fascinating example of how legends evolve and are simplified to become abstractions of the original versions.
In some other cases, like the late 19th century Isfahan presented below, the educated designer clearly demonstrates his understanding of the story and depicts one of the closest versions of the original story, materializing the Tree of All Seeds with the “Simorgh” sitting on the tree and the “Kar” fishes guarding it.
There are two other mythical trees in Persian culture are worth mentioning, one of which is the Vaq Vaq tree. The tree is mentioned in “The Adventures of the Vishtaspa”7by Asadi Tusi. Vishtaspa or Garshasp in Farsi is a mythical figure in Avesta who was one of the best Zoroastrians of his time8. The book describes his adventures and encounters with mythical figures and places. One such place is the island of Laniz, where according to the author some trees grow and bear fruits in the shape of animals, humans, and jinn heads. According to the story, the heads started crying every morning at sunset, and shed their leaves and turned quiet only at night. Thus, the name Vaq Vaq tree. The book was written in 1065 AD.
The other tree is the talking tree, which is described in Shahnameh9(977-1010 AD). It is a tree which Iskandar (Alexander) encounters during his travels. According to the story, he hears the reputation of the tree and sets out to see it. Upon arriving, the king sees a tree with two trunks, a male and a female. He learns from the natives of the land that the male body talks during the day and the female at night. Once near the tree, Iskandar hears the tree grumbling in a language unintelligible to him. He finds a native to translate what the tree said. The translator breaks the grim message to the King:
What seeketh Iskandar in this world,
Whilst the best of it he hath been served,
Once two seven years more, he reigned,
His mighty throne would be shattered.
Disturbed and upset, the king waits till midnight to hear what the female body of the tree has to say; when the time arrives, the female half of the tree talks to confirm Iskandar’s early death away from his city and family.
The tree in Shahnameh has no resemblance to the Vaq Vaq of the “Garshasp Nameh.” Nevertheless, perhaps due to the faces of the latter and the assumption of its verbal ability, the two trees are often confused.
However, to make the interpretation of the Vaq Vaq tree even more complicated and mysterious, the Holy Quran has a revelation:
"Is this (bliss) a better welcome, or the tree of Zaqqûm? Which we have surely made a test for the evildoers. This tree grows in the heart of the blazing fire (Hell), and its fruits are like devils’ heads. They (evildoers) will fill their bellies eating from it."
As-Saffat 61-66
This shocking description of the “Zaqqum” tree resembles most with the image of the trees with monster heads on the rugs, known as the Vaq Vaq tree design carpets. But would there be someone fascinated so much with the “Zaqqum” to weave it on a rug?
Even those who have such rugs in their collection hesitate very much to associate the design with “Zaqqum.” Rather, most commonly, they tie the story to the more pleasant “talking tree of the Shahnameh.”
This is an intriguing design, like many others, that leaves the door wide open for different interpretations.
In a culture where using metaphors and talking through double entendre is a daily occurrence, wrapping mystic messages within motifs and the design of a rug would be intensely plausible. For the designer or his patron who first created the design, “Zaqqum” could have been the intention.
To prove such a possibility, I have to seek the help of The Grand Master of Persian literature, Hafez and mention a provocative poem of his:
"An angel I was; heaven mine habitation,
Adam plunged me into this desolation."
Could Hafez be reciting the poem from “Shaitan’s” point of view? If so, why? Then wouldn't that be like depicting a tree from hell? The first question has provoked endless discussions among scholars, and shouldn't the second question be of similar nature?
It brings us back to the conclusion mentioned by the late Mr. Tabasi: “To know carpets, one must understand Hafez.”