dendrolatry

tuğba the tree of life

Frida Kahlo Roots : Oil on Canvas 1943

When I tell people I have an unusual connection with trees, they laugh out loud. They either think I'm weird, or they believe that having a deep connection with trees is something everyone experiences.  While it's true that being in nature can be grounding for everyone, and we should all try to spend more time in nature, I believe my connection with trees is strengthened by the name my parents chose for me. My name is Tuğba, which is a Turkish name with Arabic roots. Ṭūbā طُوبَى is the name of a tree that grows in Jannah الْجَنَّة, meaning in Paradise.

A man said to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, “What is Ṭūbā?” The Prophet said, “It is a tree in Paradise as wide as a hundred years of travel. The clothes of the people of Paradise will come from its leaves.” Teachings

Interestingly, in Islam, the Tree of Life is sometimes also referred to as the Ṭūbā tree. There is a tale about the people of the North Caucasus in the 17th century who would gather once a year around a large tree, light candles, and perform rituals. This tree was said to have grown from a piece of the Ṭūbā tree. According to popular belief in Anatolia, every person has a leaf on the Ṭūbā tree in heaven. This leaf falls forty days before a person's death, and if it touches other people's leaves during this fall, the leaf owner's ears will ring.

Silk hanging with embroidered Tree of Life : Ottoman Period 18th-century

However, the Tree of Life is not exclusive to Islamic or Turkish culture. The tree is a universal symbol found extensively throughout history in various religions, mythology, folklore, and art. Like humans, trees naturally tend to reach upwards towards the sky, grow taller, and bear fruit. Many cultures consider trees to be symbols of fertility, immortality, luck, abundance, health, and disease recovery. They represent the source of life, a connection between all living beings, and the cycle of life and death. Trees were also used to communicate with God and were believed to have the power to influence natural events such as rain, sunset, lunar eclipse, herd and cattle multiplication, and easy childbirth for women.

Tree of Life Painting : Palace of Shaki Khans in Azerbaijan 17th-century

When I was younger, other kids would mock my name, and this continued into my teenage years. I struggled with my name and wished I had a more European-sounding name that was easier to pronounce, a name that wouldn’t scream - you are a foreigner, and you don’t belong here. As time passed, I began to read more about my name and connect with it on a deeper level. So yes, a tree saved my life! It connected me back to my roots and back to my name. A name that was given to me by my beautiful parents, who thought long and hard about what to call their first child. Regardless of our religion and beliefs, trees help us become more aware of our connections with something larger than ourselves. 

Dendrolatry - Worship of Trees. 
From dendro +‎ latry from Ancient Greek 
δένδρον (déndron, “tree”) + λατρεία (latreía, “worship”)
Referring to the tendency of societies throughout history to worship and mythologise trees.

For the love of trees! More beautiful things on trees 🍃

I hear

🍃 Tree.fm listen to the trees! Beautiful sounds of the forests around the world. Thank you

Simon James French

for sharing!

Tree.fm

🍃 A beautiful album - I Need to Start a Garden by Haley Heynderickx. I’ve been particularly in love with the song Bug Collector.

I see

🍃 Forest Man is a captivating documentary! I couldn’t hold back my tears. Thank you

Kenshō studio

for sharing!

I read

🍃 I am a big fan of

Alice Vincent

Substack. Last week, I bought two of her books, Rootbound: Rewilding a Life and Why Women Grow - on my Kindle. Alice is a gardener and a writer, and I am excited to start reading both books soon.

🍃 I loved

Austin Kleon

garden metaphors last month - Idea gardens and More ideas from the garden

Take care!

Your friend Tuğba

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