Tradition / Region: Arabic Mythology
Alternate Names: Tree of Hell, Infernal Tree
Category: Plant
The Myth
Deep in the center of Hell there is said to grow a dreadful tree known as Zaqqum. Its roots sink into the fire itself, and its trunk rises from the depths of torment, nourished not by water or soil but by flame and suffering.
The tree bears fruit, yet its fruit is not a blessing. Its growths are said to resemble twisted heads, foul and terrifying to behold. The damned are driven by hunger to eat from it, though they know what awaits them. When they swallow the fruit, it burns inside their bodies, scorching their stomachs like molten metal. Afterward they are forced to drink boiling liquid, which only deepens their torment.
The tree stands as part of the landscape of punishment, feeding those who cannot escape it. Its branches spread through the infernal realm, and its presence reminds the inhabitants of Hell that their suffering is unending.
Thus Zaqqum is remembered as the tree of fire and bitterness — a plant rooted in the depths of the unseen world, whose fruit is not life but the taste of punishment itself.
Gallery
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Zaqqum. In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaqqum.
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive