I, as I am sure all of you too, have done a lot of cleaning since the lockdown started. So, as I figured out how to clean various towels, mats and rugs I noticed how these humble household items symbolise different aspects of my life.
Every year Towel Day is celebrated on 25 May as a tribute to Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In the book is a guide for hitchhikers who want to travel through the galaxy, and on its cover are the “friendly” words “Don’t panic”. Ford Prefect, who is an intergalactic alien hitchhiker stuck on Earth, describes the advantages of the humble bath towel. I cannot praise the virtues of the bath towel better than Douglas Adams, so here I quote from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:
“A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. You can wrap it around you for warmth…; you can lie on it on … beaches…; you can sleep on it beneath the stars…; use it to sail a mini-raft…; wet it to use in hand-to-hand combat; wrap it around your head to ward off noxious fumes…; you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough. More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. If a [non-hitchhiker] discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, …, space suit, etc.” and the hitchhiker can then easily borrow any of these items he may have “lost” because… “…any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.” (8)
Douglas Adams covered all there is to say about towels. So for fun, I will explain what I think the types of mats I have encountered during lockdown mean on a symbolic or psychological level.
- The “ordinary mat” also known as wall-to-wall carpeting
Wall-to-wall carpeting is a very ’70s thing that has gone in and out of fashion. These carpets have been replaced by laminated floors that look great, are easy to clean and are durable. In our house we went retro and installed a carpet in the living room. It is definitely more challenging to keep clean than laminated floors, and for some reason it attracts all sorts of “accidents” from my children and animals. But now in winter a carpet injects a sense of comfort and cosiness, hygge-style. “Hygge” was the runner-up word of the year in 2016 (after “Brexit”) and is a Danish or (to a lesser degree) Norwegian word for cosiness, wellness and contentment. (7)
So the ordinary mat is something that might be replaced from time to time by a newer fashion trend, but it will remain a nostalgic comfort-giver, almost like banana bread.
2. The Yoga Mat
You can do yoga without a yoga mat, but it is surprisingly difficult. In the ancient times yogis practiced yoga directly on the grass or sand. (1) If available, tiger or deer skin rugs were used, but this didn’t happen very often because of the cost. Yoga mats became popular when yoga was introduced to the West, and a lady named Angela Farmer is said to have developed and produced the first “sticky” mats with her father in 1982. A yoga mat specifically for yogis was made by Hugger Mugger Yoga Products in the 1990s. Eco-conscious mats were made for the first time in the early 2000s by the British firm EcoYoga.
Now the varieties (and prices) have no boundaries. There are even ones with lines and shapes on them that guide the distance and position of your feet, which is quite helpful if you are as visual-spatial disadvantaged as I am.
Yoga means “to yoke” or “to unite” (10), to bring together body and mind. For me the yoga mat symbolises the union between our physical body and mental aspects such as thoughts, feelings, emotions and even the spirit.
3. The Prayer Mat
I have not practised a religion where a prayer mat is used, but having practised yoga and meditation for many years it feels intuitive to use a mat for the purpose of prayer. Prayer mats are used by Muslims to cover the ground during prayer. The design of a prayer mat depends on its weaver and the village it comes from, and it is usually decorated with inanimate Islamic symbols and structures. When praying, the “niche” at the top of the mat must point in the direction of Mecca, the Islamic centre for prayer. Thus a Muslim must always be aware of where Mecca is, from their home or even when travelling. The mat has a strong symbolic meaning and must be treated with respect.
Oriental rugs can bridge cultures. There are about 400 Anatolian rugs safeguarded by Saxon Lutheran churches, parish storerooms and museums in Transylvania. Since Transylvania never came under direct Turkish occupation, it maintained the Christian religion until 1699. The Reformed Churches gained ownership of many of these rugs, mainly through donations. Many items of religious imagery were disposed of in the 16th century, but the rugs were used to decorate and give warmth to the churches, and were thus preserved. (2)
The prayer mat symbolises our religious or spiritual life. It has a rich history and is decorated with symbolism.
4. The Welcome Mat or Doormat
Welcome mats are made of tough materials because they take a lot of punishment doing their job – welcoming residents and visitors to a home and giving them the opportunity to wipe their shoes before entering. To lay out the welcome mat can imply an “extensive or elaborate” display of friendliness and hospitality. (5) In the mindfulness meditation setting we often talk of laying out the welcome mat for any experience that may arise during meditation. This means we try not to avoid anything, even discomfort or pain.
A doormat can also mean “a submissive person who allows others to dominate them” (3) or even one who “submits without protest to abuse and indignities”. (4)
Thus, on a symbolic level, to lay out the welcome mat for whatever may come up during meditation is a very positive metaphor, but being a doormat is not something to aspire to. I think there is a fine balance here. We should be open to negative experiences (lay out the welcome mat to them), but not endure abuse without speaking up (behave like a doormat).
5. The Persian Mat
Persian rugs are expensive because they are handmade of high-quality materials such as wool, silk, cotton, jute and sisal. (6) The most expensive rug ever sold is a 17th century antique Persian carpet that was sold at a Sotheby’s auction for just over $33 million in 2013 to an unknown buyer. It is only 1,96 by 2,67 m. (11)
I must admit that I love Persian carpets and buy them second hand. They are great value for money, fit in with most decorating styles and are very durable (compared to no 1, the ordinary carpet). They last forever – if in a good condition they are investment pieces, and if they are in a not-so-good condition it just adds to their charm.
The Persian carpet symbolises quality and luxury, but also practicality.
6. The Exotic Animal Cage AstroTurf Mat
A year ago I bought two corn snakes for my twins’ birthday at the request of the one twin. Seemed like a good idea at the time – these snakes have pretty patterns and I got brownie points for being a cool mom. However, the snakes turned out to be one of the less-thought-through decisions I have made in my life. One morning I found the one snake dead, and to this day I do not know why it died. The twins lost interest in the surviving snake, and everyone in the house is now “petrified” of it, so I am the one left cleaning the cage and feeding it live mice. And let me tell you, cleaning its cage is the foulest thing ever!
After watching The Tiger King I have also lost my interest in exotic animals. Although, Reptilia is an awesome pet shop with the cutest exotic pets such as sand snakes, guinea pigs and all sorts of lizards.
So this mat symbolises the unwise decisions I have made in my life, but I still have the responsibility to see them through in a mature way.
7. The Magic Carpet
A magic or flying carpet immediately transports you to your desired destination. Aladdin had the most famous one, but it appears in other stories such as One Thousand and One Nights and many other stories and folk tales.
Solomon was a fabulously wise and rich king of Israel, the son of King David, and his story is told in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), Old Testament, Quran and Hadiths (Is this not fascinating?). According to legend, King Solomon had a carpet of 97 by 97 km, made of green silk and it moved so quickly that he could have breakfast at Damascus and supper at Media, a journey that will normally take just under 23 hours in a car, according to Google Maps. When Solomon became filled with pride, the carpet gave a shake and 40 000 men fell to their deaths. (9)
In Russian folk tales, one of the magical gifts Baba Yaga supplies Ivan the Fool with is a flying carpet, but also (we mentioned this earlier) a towel that can turn into a bridge. (9)
In Mark Twain’s short story, “Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven”, magic carpets (“wishing-carpets”) are used to travel through heaven in a moment. (12)
Of course, the sad news is that there is no such thing as a magic carpet, but it symbolises the incredible power of the imagination. If you can imagine it, you can be there immediately.
I hope you have enjoyed looking a bit differently at our unassuming towels and mats. Soon we will be out of the lockdown and might miss the opportunity to think about these humble objects and what they actually mean.
Dr Melane Van Zyl
RESOURCES
- Yoga Mat. https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5220/yoga-mat
- Prayer rug. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_rug
- Doormat meaning. Oxford Dictionary https://www.lexico.com/definition/doormat
- Doormat meaning. Mirriam-Webster.com https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doormat
- Lay out the welcome mat. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/lay+out+the+welcome+mat
- Why Are Persian Rugs So Expensive? https://www.smartchoicecarpet-ny.com/blog/oriental-rugs/why-are-persian-rugs-so-expensive/s
- Hygge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygge
- Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Douglas Adams https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/386162.The_Hitchhiker_s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy
- Magic carpet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_carpet
- Yoga. https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/4/yoga
- The Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet. http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/so-rugs-n09012/lot.12.html
- Extract from Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1044/1044-h/1044-h.htm