Meaning of Motifs

Anadolu halı motifleri, yüzyıllardır dokuyucuların duygularını, inançlarını ve yaşam biçimlerini simgelerle ifade ettikleri zengin bir kültürel mirasın parçasıdır. Her motif; aşk, bereket, koruma, güç ve doğurganlık gibi farklı anlamlar taşır. Bu semboller sadece estetik değil, aynı zamanda birer sözsüz anlatım aracıdır. Anadolu’nun her bölgesi kendine özgü motif diliyle bu geleneksel sanata katkı sunar. Halılar, geçmişten günümüze uzanan hikâyeleri ilmek ilmek anlatır.

The Burdock Motif

The burdock, a plant with burrs that stick to clothing and animal hair, is believed to avert the evil eye. It is also a symbol of abundance.

Chest

The chest motif implies marriage. It actually represents the trousseau chest in which the young lady keeps the material to be used in the husband’s house. Her expectations and hopes are reflected in the pieces she has woven, knitted, and embroidered.

The Cross

The belief is the human eye is the most effective precaution against the evil eye. Very often it is depicted as a spot (usually of blue color) inside a triangle, square or quadrangle. A common form of the human eye is a diamond divided into four parts. The particular eye motif used on rugs can vary from one region to another.

Dragon

The dragon is the guardian and protector of treasures and secret objects as well as the tree of life. It is a symbol of power, force, and might because of its ability to produce flames from its mouth as well as by its supernatural appearance. The dragon also offers specific protection from the sting of the scorpion

The Eye

The Fertility

The fertility motif contains the hands on hips and ram’s horn motifs used together to denote a man and a women. An eye motif in the middle is used to protect the family against the evil eye.

The Fetter

The fetter motif represents the desire to tie a family or lovers together. A fetter is a cuff-like item placed on the legs of horses to keep them from running away. The cuffs are connected to each other by a chain. It is a symbol of harmony and togetherness of lovers. The fetter motif is also called ‘kostek’. As used on Anatolian weaves, it symbolizes the continuity of the family union, the devotion of the lovers, and the hope they should always stay together.

The Hairband

Anatolian women express many of their feelings by their hair style. The newly married young women plait their hair and tie threads of different colors at the end of each plait called ‘belik’.

Hair band motif indicates the desire to get married. If the woman uses some of her hair in weaving, she is trying to express her desire for immortality.

The Hands on Hips

The hands on hips is a very common and widely used motif. It symbolizes the mother goddess, a mother with child in womb, fertility, abundance or the hope of giving birth to healthy children, and the productivity of animals and plants.

The Tree of Life

The tree of life motif symbolizes the desire for immortality. It can also mean the afterlife. This motif is the worldwide symbol of life rising up to heaven and it encompasses both earth and heaven.

The Hook

Another Anatolian motif used against evil eye is the hook. It is also called “çakmak”, “eğri ala”, “balık” and “küçük kara balık”.

The variation called “gönül çengeli” is mostly used on stockings and implies marriage.

Wolf's Mouth

Kurt agzi, also known as dove tail, is a term used in joinery to indicate the triangular fittings connecting the corners of various woodwork. In this context, the motif expresses, like in the fetter motif, the wish for solidarity. But its use on weaves serves a different purpose.

In Anatolia all press comb weaves except rugs are produced by nomad or seminomad tribes whose basic economic activity is cattle breeding, and the primary threat is the attack of wolves. People use those motifs as a means of protection against the wolves. In fact, a king of sea shell called calkak which is used as a protection against evil eye, is called kurt agzi in some regions.

Birds

In Anatolia there is no other motif carrying so many different meanings than the bird motif. While birds like owls and ravens imply bad luck; doves, pigeons and nightingales are used to symbolize good luck. The Bird is the symbol of happiness, joy and love. It is the soul of the dead. It is longing, and expectation of news. It stands for power and strength. It is the imperial symbol of various states founded in Anatolia.

In Catalhoyuk birds resembling eagles and vultures are described as animals attacking human beings. The eagle called Horos in the language of the Hittites later took on a legendary meaning. There is a relief of an eagle with two heads on the sphinxes standing at the two sides of the entrance door of Alacahoyuk. The theme of a double headed eagle holding a couple of hares in its claws was later used on the sign of the Seljukian State.

In his lines “We took off, became birds and flew, Thank God!” mystic poet Yunus Emre is expressing the feeling of getting near to God. He describes death by the words “The bird of life has flown off”. By saying “Life is a bird in its cage”, Ministrel Karacaoglan states that the bird flying away from its cage is death.

Evil's Eye

The weavers have always believed some people possess a power in their glance which can cause harm, injury, misfortune, and even death. At immediate risk are babies, pets, important objects in the home, and property. The Muska is a triangular package containing a sacred verse carried by the tribal people for protection. When woven into a rug, it serves as an amulet, conferring protection by its presence.

Ram Horn

This motif is used as a symbol of fertility, heroism, power and masculinity. It is also called boynuzlu yanis, boynuzlu, koçlu yanis, gözlü koç başı.

Running Water

Scorpion

Due to their fear of its venom, people used to carry jewelry in the form of a scorpion or decorated with the tail of a scorpion in order to protect themselves against this animal.

Snake

The history of mankind is closely related with snakes. All the stories of existence include the theme of a serpent offering Eve the forbidden fruit. Black snake is the symbol of happiness and fertility.

The Hand, Finger & Comb

All are used against spells and the evil eye. The use of this theme dates back to very early times. The fingers on the hand number five, which is considered a lucky number. The comb motif is largely related to marriage and birth. When used against the evil eye, it expresses the desire to protect birth and marriage against evil eye.

The Star

The star motif, though it generally symbolizes happiness, can represent the womb, thus it may mean fertility as well.

Ying Yang

The oriental symbol of yin/yang is used to represent love, unity, and harmony between a man and a woman. It is a symbol of dualism.