A Study of Folk- Beliefs among Female Carpet- Weavers of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari

One of the ways to learn about the behavioral norms of a nation is to gain the knowledge of their popular culture and folk-beliefs. Popular culture is an everlasting treasure containing the invaluable thoughts, emotions, tastes, and achievements of several generations in a country. Among the various manifestations ofspecific cultures, hand-woven carpet holds a particular place which, due to its long history, abounds in profound cultural beliefs. One of the regions where carpets have been produced extensively since long ago is Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari. The artist female weavers of this province consider certain themes and ideas at the different stages of carpet production and then incorporate them in the design of their products at the level of execution. Each of these ideas or themes is rooted in the beliefs that have been transferred from one generation to another through the word of mouth. This paper explores some of the social and cultural beliefs of female carpet weavers of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province based on library documents and field methods.