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Sacred Trees 1 1
offerings by superstitious persons. Again, in Vol. II. Chap.
VIII, when describing the journey he made from Shiraz to
Fapa and Darab, he speaks of having met with a stone altar
surrounded by a rude stone wall or fence of large stones. He
says of this place :
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" Near it there were a few trees, none of
them remarkable for their size, but most of them apparently
old. Amongst them was a Dirakht-i-fazI, the branches of
which were thickly hung with rags, as high as a man's arm
could reach." He continues :
" This name dirakht-i-fazl (the
excellent tree) is bestowed on every tree that exhibits votive
offerings, without regard to its size, species, age, beauty, or
situation. Such trees are found near the tombs of supposed
saints (or Imdni-Zadchs), though they may frequently be seen
in desert places, where they could not be supposed to have
derived sanctity from such relics."
The poet and philosopher Sa'adi (born in the twelfth
century), in his work entitled Gtilistdn, or the Rose Garden,
speaks of a sacred tree to which the people commonly
resorted to offer up petitions.
From some of their sacred books, which the Gabrs and
Parsis attribute to Zaratusht (Zoroaster) himself, but which
are supposed to have been compiled in the third century a.d.,
from ancient MSS. and traditions, it appears that trees were
invoked by them as pure and holy, and that a form of prayer
was particularly addressed to the Feroiiers (Fravashis)
spirits of saints— through whose influence the trees grew up
in purity, and who, placed above those trees as on a throne,
were occupied in blessing them. Some of these Feroiiers
are described as females ;
all are immortal and powerful, but
beneficent and pleased with offerings. They protect their