Using his carpet, Shapur sneaked into the camp of the Roman army one night, surprised the Emperor Valerian, who was asleep, and abducted him. Sassanian ruler, Shapur, is said to have had a magic carpet too. Phraates was given a triumphant reception when he returned, and is said to have floated over the heads of his subjects on his magic carpet. In the story, Phraates flew from the heights of the Zagros Mountains on a carpet or a piece of cloth to confront his enemy, which he destroyed with fire and lightning. In 130 B.C., the king is said to have been engaged in a war with Antiochus VII, the ruler of the Seleucid Empire. Parthian king by the name of Phraates II. One of these stories relates to a late 2 nd century B.C. ( Public Domain )Īpart from being a mode of transportation, magic carpets have also been depicted as a sort weapon that was used during wars. Solomon at his throne, painting by Andreas Brugger, 1777. Eventually, God decided to punish Solomon, and whilst the carpet was flying in mid-air, He shook it, thus causing the 40000 men on it to fall to their deaths. Being in possession of this carpet, Solomon’s pride is said to have grown each day. This carpet is said to have been able to carry 40000 men in the air at any given time. In another version of the Solomon story, the king received his magic carpet from God himself. Grimoires by a Biblical King? The Magical Treatise of Solomon and the Key of Solomon.The Lost and Coveted Treasures of King Solomon.Alternatively, it has been claimed that the artisans involved in the making of the magic carpet wandered around for years, before settling down somewhere in Mesopotamia. Without royal patronage, the alchemist (and his artisans) could no longer make magic carpets, and the knowledge is said to have been lost forever. When news of this cold reception reached the Queen of Sheba, she was heart-broken, and decided not to have anything more to do with magic carpets. He could not receive the gift, and gave it to one of his courtiers instead. When the carpet arrived, Solomon was busy with the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem. The carpet is also said to have been so large that the king’s host could stand on it. This carpet is said to have been made of green silk which was embroidered with gold and silver, and studded with precious stones.
When the queen heard this good news, she had a magic carpet made, and sent to King Solomon as a token of her love. Years later, the alchemist perfected his skill, when he discovered that the trick lay in the carpet’s dying, rather than in its spinning process. In Ben Sherira’s story, the legendary Queen of Sheba had a royal alchemist who managed to make a small brown rug hover above the ground. This story is claimed to have been compiled from two ancient works that have since been lost. Jewish scholar by the name of Isaac Ben Sherira. One of these is said to have been written by a 13 th century AD. There are at least two versions of the tale of King Solomon and his magic carpet. It seems that King Solomon of Israel is the earliest known historical figure to be associated with magic carpets. Still, the history of magic carpets may be traced back to an earlier point in time. It has also been asserted that magic carpets make their first appearance in more modern versions of the tale, most visibly Walt Disney’s 1992 Aladdin.Ī manuscript of the One Thousand and One Nights ( CC BY-SA 3.0 ) In the original version of ‘Aladdin and the Magic Lamp’, the abduction of Princess Badroulbadour and her bridegroom on their wedding night happened not on a magic carpet, but on their marriage bed, which was carried through the air by the genie of the lamp. From Magic to Science: The Intriguing Ritual and Powerful Work of Alchemy.Floating Islands Seen at Sea: Myth and Reality.For example, in the Galland manuscript, the oldest manuscript which contains the first 282 (out of 1001) stories, no mention is made of magic carpets. Interestingly, contrary to popular opinion, the magic carpet does not feature prominently in the Thousand and One Nights.
Whilst magic carpets are perhaps most commonly associated with the stories found in the Thousand and One Nights, magic carpets have also been mentioned in the writings of different civilizations at various points of time in history. These carpets are known also as flying carpets, as they transport their owners from one place to another through the air.
Magic carpets are a form of transportation most notably found in oriental tales.
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