Aghadar, a Belief of Revering Trees in Gilan

Abstract

The effect of social systems and religious values which are tied up with graphical conditions on the mindset of the different tribes is well established On this account it is not surprising that the beliefs of herdsmen are different from the myths of farmers Such a conflict can be found between the beliefs of plain dwellers and the beliefs of mountain inhabitants Thus the diversity in myths beliefs and livelihoods among different ethnic groups is very common in a geographical area with a diverse climate There is an urgent call for studying ancient beliefs of the rural peoples as such beliefs are at the risk of being vanished The reason is that many villagers have chosen to live in urban areas for economic and welfare reasons or their lifestyle have been exposed to fast paced cultural dynamics Despite the frequent call our knowledge about the source of the deep seated beliefs is very limited Less research exists on how such beliefs and mindsets have influenced the structure of habits and shrines To address the gaps this study examines the beliefs of revering different trees species held by plain dwellers of Gilan who are endowed with diverse vegetation and explains how belief in such endowments are bound up with the structure of habitats and sacred places Data for the present study were collected through observations and documents and analyzed using qualitative content analysis The findings of the research can be used by architect designers researchers from the variety of disciplines e g archaeology and policymakers to improve people rsquo s lifestyles based on their culture and create culture based habitats nbsp