The mulberry tree (Morus) is a rapidly growing deciduous plant cultivated for millennia across temperate regions, primarily for its fruit and leaves. Its history is deeply intertwined with human civilization and mythology. The distinctive characteristics of the tree, particularly the dramatic transformation of its berries, established it as a powerful symbol in numerous ancient societies. This feature provided a foundation for complex philosophical and mythological meanings.
Transformation and Duality: The Meaning Behind the Color Change
The most profound symbolic meaning of the mulberry tree stems directly from the physiological process of its fruit maturation. Immature mulberry fruits typically present as white, pale yellow, or green, suggesting a state of initial purity or innocence. As the fruit ripens, a chemical transformation occurs, causing the fruit to transition through pink and red hues before settling into a final, deep shade of purple or black.
This biological shift from a light color to a dark, blood-like pigment established the tree as a universal symbol of duality and transition. The white berries represent life, potential, or the beginning of a cycle, while the final dark color suggests maturity, passion, sacrifice, or death. This contrast embodies the full spectrum of the life-death cycle and the inevitability of change.
The rapidity of this color change also contributed to the symbolism of expediency and wisdom. The tree is known for its remarkable patience, being one of the last deciduous trees to bud in the spring, waiting until all danger of frost has passed. Once it begins to grow, however, it does so with surprising speed. This combination of prudent delay followed by rapid action led to its early association with the concept of measured wisdom and the understanding of opportune timing.
Key Narratives of Tragic Love and Origin
The symbolism of the mulberry was established in Western culture by the narrative of Pyramus and Thisbe, a tale of forbidden love recorded by the Roman poet Ovid in his Metamorphoses. The young Babylonian lovers, separated by feuding families, planned a secret rendezvous under a white-berried mulberry tree near the tomb of Ninus. The tree witnessed their tragic miscommunication and demise.
Thisbe arrived first but fled upon seeing a lioness with bloody jaws, dropping her veil in haste. When Pyramus arrived, he found the lioness’s tracks and Thisbe’s torn, blood-stained veil. Concluding his beloved had been devoured, he was overcome by grief. He plunged his sword into his body, and his blood stained the white berries of the tree a deep red.
Thisbe returned to find the fruit transformed and her lover dying at the base. Before taking her own life with the same weapon, she prayed the tree would forever bear this dark color as a monument to their tragic love. The gods ensured the mulberry fruit would ripen to a permanent, dark purple, making the tree an enduring emblem of sacrifice and eternal affection.
Global Cultural Interpretations: Wisdom, Mourning, and Longevity
The mulberry tree holds diverse significance across different cultures, often rooted in its practical applications. In Ancient Greece, the tree was associated with Pan, the god of nature. Later, it symbolized wisdom, reflecting its cautious habit of leafing out late. Greeks and Romans honored the cultivated tree with dedications to goddesses like Athena and Minerva, who were associated with crafts and prudence.
Chinese culture places the mulberry, or sāng, at the center of its foundational industries and spiritual beliefs. The leaves of the white mulberry (Morus alba) are the sole food source for the silkworm, making the tree synonymous with the production of silk, nourishment, and economic prosperity. This close connection to the silkworm led to the mulberry being symbolically linked to the goddess Leizu, the legendary inventor of sericulture.
The concept of sāngzi, a phrase combining mulberry and catalpa trees, became a literary symbol for one’s native place or hometown. Because these trees were traditionally planted near homes for their utility, the phrase evokes deep feelings of nostalgia, ancestral connection, and filial piety. Furthermore, in traditional Chinese cosmology, the mulberry was sometimes linked to the Fusang tree, a mythical solar tree that symbolized longevity and the connection between the earthly and celestial realms.