Chapter 2
Sacred Symbolism of
Trees Across Cultures
Trees and the Native Americans
In Native American mythology and legend, just as in the Bible and myths of countless other cultures, there are numerous tales regarding the magick and sacredness of trees. Here are two I feel are most beneficial to examine in the endeavor of formulating a larger picture. Before moving forward, please keep in mind that if I were to gaze upon a tree while sitting down beneath it and looking up, I could say this perspective is how a tree looks. If you are standing on top of a building and looking down upon the same tree, it will appear differently, and you could say this is how a tree looks. Both are correct, both are true, and there are also other viewpoints, but one cannot say his or her viewpoint is the only truth because that is not true.
Legend of the Sacred Tree
In the book The Sacred Tree: Reflections on Native American Spirituality, authored by Judie Bopp, Michael Bopp, Lee Brown, and Phil Lane Jr., one can find the story of the Sacred Tree. This tale states that the Creator has given to the peoples of the earth a sacred tree under which all can gather, and under this tree can be found healing, wisdom, and refuge. This tree has roots reaching deep into Mother Earth and tall branches climbing up toward Father Sky like hands in a gesture of prayer. The fruits of the Sacred Tree are love, compassion, generosity, patience, wisdom, justice, courage, respect, and humility. The story goes on to share a great prophecy as taught by the ancients of North America. The prophetic portion of this tale suggests that if humans stray too far from the tree and forget to eat of its fruit, or should they turn against this tree and attempt to cause it harm, great troubles would fall upon humanity. People will become sick in the heart, body, and spirit and lose the ability to receive visions and dreams. They will begin to quarrel and war with each other and become unable to tell the truth or function as honest beings. Lives will become filled with anger, sadness, and depression. The prophecy states that this will come to pass, but that the Sacred Tree will never truly die, and if the Tree lives, so shall humankind. The prophecy concludes with the foretelling of a time when all people shall awaken from a long deep sleep during a time of great need, and many will fearfully search for the tree once more. This tree will be found in the hearts of the honest and wise.
What an amazing tale! Generally, when the heart is referred to in spiritual or mystical writing, it is not in reference to the literal, physical heart but is symbolic of our emotional self or perhaps the heart chakra, which is a bridge between our lower and higher selves. The heart chakra is located just above the center of our bodies, the solar plexus chakra. Could this tree, found in our hearts, be a mirror image of the Tree of Life found in the center of the Garden of Eden?
I cannot help but see a parallel between this prophecy, those of the Bible, and so many others. To me, it certainly seems as though we are living in the times of this prophecy. Let us open our hearts to the Sacred Tree and to each other once more.
The Sacred Cottonwood
I found the following story in a book called Myths of the Sacred Tree by Moyra Caldecott. It is a Sioux story of the cottonwood tree. This is indeed a sacred tale. A wise and knowledgeable shaman was granted a vision in a time when the people had been drifting away from their roots and sacred rites. The vision was a ritual to be performed, one that would bring the people back to the sacredness of nature and the divine. It was a ritual to be called the Sun Dance.
The shaman, or spiritual leader of the people, announced that in the ritual they were to perform, a “standing person” would be chosen to occupy the center of the ritual circle. This “standing person” was the cottonwood tree and was chosen because the tree represents the way of the people because it appears to reach from earth to heaven.
Again, the tree is located at the center of a sacred space and we see the need to reconnect with the Sacred Tree, the World Tree, or our higher self in order to realize what we have forgotten: we are all connected to each other, to the earth, and to the divine. God, Goddess, the Great Spirit, the Creator, our heavenly father and mother, or whatever you prefer to call the higher power, is truly neither up nor down, but is all around and within. We are part of the divine and the divine is part of us. All you must do is contemplate upon the mystery of a tree.
Nigerian Mystery of the Twelve Trees
I also found this tale in the book by Caldecott and it was so fascinating that I had to share it. It is brief but enriched with much symbolism and meaning. In this tale, a hunter ventured into the woods to gather food, and the spirit of the forest revealed to him a potent formula to render oneself invisible. He was to take the bark of twelve particular trees (the tale does not specify which trees) and grind the bark into a powder to be mixed with water. This paste, when applied over the body, would render him invisible to the animals of the forest.
Clearly, the formula mentioned will not literally turn anyone invisible; therefore, it is not of great importance to know which trees were to be used. What matters is the symbolism. Once more we encounter the number twelve, here being the combination and unity of different types. This could be referring to the zodiac and the ages, but it more than likely refers to the unity of all peoples and our connection with nature and the divine. I feel that the invisibility spoken about here may better be phrased as a blending in of sorts. If someone blends in with the background or the environment, they may move about unnoticed. Additionally, to “blend in” can mean to be a part of the environment, to be one with nature. Another possibility is that by blending in, we lose our pride and ego, shed our differences, and we lose the evil of discrimination and judgment. By blending in with the environment, we see each other as equals. The tale also states that one will be rendered invisible to the animals, and I suspect that this could imply placing emphasis on our higher selves and the divine in a way that our earthly/mundane concerns, or our animal selves, become less important and disappear into the background, hence the beginning of spiritual enlightenment.
I believe this tale is suggesting the power and importance of rediscovering our connection to nature, to each other, to spirit, and reminds us that we are a part of nature not above it. Just give it a thought and see what it means to you.
Sacred Trees of the Egyptians
Trees held a very special place in Egyptian mythology, religion, and art, and many if not all trees were considered sacred. Let’s begin with the sycamore tree.
Although a variety of trees have been found in ancient Egyptian art and mythology, the hieroglyph indicating a tree seems to be a sycamore and is called nehet. Found in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, two identical sycamore trees stand at the eastern gates of heaven. Between these two trees is where the sun god Ra, or Re, rises each morning. The sycamore tree, according to Egyptian mythology, was also viewed as an earthly manifestation of the goddesses Isis, Hathor, and Nut. It is interesting to note that the sun god rises between the trees of the goddesses. Again, we see the equality and union of the feminine and masculine aspects of the divine. I also find it quite interesting, though nothing to do with trees, that one of the Egyptian names of the sun god is Ra, or Re, while the god of the underworld or darkness is called Set (who may, although debatable, possibly have later become known as Satan). Today we have sunrays in the day and as night approaches we call it sunset.
The willow tree, Tcheret, was considered sacred to the god Osiris, and the willow was thought to contain the body of Osiris after he was slain and later resurrected. An interesting similarity with the Bible is that Jesus was buried in a tomb and three days later rose from the dead after descending into hell to conquer eternal death. Osiris was also buried in a tomb, actually a few tombs since myth has it that his body was dismembered, and rose from the dead after descending to the underworld. It is said that the tombs of Osiris were located near groves of willow trees.
Other trees considered sacred to the ancient Egyptians were the myrrh, pomegranate, and palm. Palm was sacred to the Egyptian god Heh. The palm was also a holy tree of the Bible and deeply connected with Jesus, as was myrrh. Palm branches were thrown at Jesus in a reverent manner shortly before the crucifixion and symbolized his triumph over death, and myrrh was one of the gifts presented to Jesus by the three wise men, the magicians or wizards, from the east.
In the Old Testament, originally written in Hebrew (and it is important to keep in mind that the ancient written Hebraic language contained no vowels), the sacred name of God, the tetragrammaton, is simplified as YHWH, from which we get the names Yahweh and Jehovah. YHWH stands for Yod Heh Vau (or Vav) Heh. Yod represents the Divine Masculine aspect of the spirit; Heh represents the Divine Feminine; Vau represents their union; and the final Heh represents the physical universe and creation as a product of that union which is you and I, the earth, and all creation. It has also been said that YHWH contains an aspect or representation of earth, air, fire, and water.
Remember, as previously stated, the palm tree was sacred to the Egyptian god Heh. Just think about it. The Israelites were at one point in linear history slaves and subjugates to the Egyptian and Babylonian empires. Is it possible that the mythology and sacred teachings of the Egyptians and Babylonians influenced the later writers of the Bible? The possibility cannot be ignored.
Additionally, the Hebrew letter Y, standing for Yod, (pronounced “Yode” like “mode”), is generally thought to mean the fingers or hand of God, perhaps symbolic of hands pointing up in prayer just like a tree. This comes into greater importance when we look at the Qabalistic Tree of Life. It is quite possible that a tree is symbolic of the hand of a god and our connection with the divine and our divine selves. The W of YHWH is pronounced “Vav” or “Vau” and represents the joining of earth and heaven and makes a connection between the matters of spirit and the physical realm. If you put it all together, the tree may be a seen as a symbol of our earthly connection to the divine.
Buddha and the Bodhi Tree
The story of the Buddha is not only interesting but also relevant to the study of the sacredness of trees. It is important to note that there are many accounts and variations of this story, but it is said that sometime between 563 and 623 BC, Siddhartha Gautama (who later became known as the Buddha), was born in Nepal. One version of this legend, in brief, recounts that his mother dreamt she was soon to give birth to a holy man, a great spiritual leader. Shortly after being born, Siddhartha is said to have taken seven steps in each of the four directions—east, south, west, and north (although which direction he started from is not clear)—and then pointed one hand up to the sky and the other down to the earth below while simultaneously declaring that he had come to relinquish suffering. His mother died seven days after giving birth. He was then raised by his aunt and rich, powerful father who intended him to have all the luxuries of the world and to shelter him from grief, pain, and religion.
Siddhartha became married at the age of sixteen and all was well until he reached the age of twenty-nine when he had four disturbing real-life encounters that opened his eyes to the suffering of the world. The first encounter was with an elderly man who was broken-down, slobbering, and near death. The second was with a young man who was perishing from an unknown disease. The third encounter was with a decaying corpse, and the fourth was with a monk practicing a life of scrutiny. Due to these experiences, Siddhartha became disinterested in luxury and wealth in fear that he too would suffer from age, disease, and death; therefore, he decided to pursue a life of spiritual contemplation much like the monk. He sought out other teachers as well, but they were unable to satisfy his thirst for understanding and knowledge. He then chose to live a life of very extreme asceticism. He denied every carnal pleasure including food and grew so weak that he himself grew close to death. Eventually, Siddhartha realized that the path of ascetism was also not providing him with the answers he sought. But soon, all he was seeking to understand was about to be made known.
Siddhartha came upon a large bodhi tree and sat beneath it for forty-nine days. During that time, he became one with the tree and was sustained by the nutrients of the soil below and the energy of the sun above. He was the tree, and the tree was he. He realized that all are one, all are connected, all are equal, and we are all a part of the divine. Once we realize this, there truly is no suffering. Thus, he became the Buddha.
This is an incredible legend and I cannot help but notice the coincidence between the four directions that the newborn Siddhartha took, seven times each, and the four encounters that changed his perspective. But wait, there is a bit more.
Another version states that many local prophets predicted the arrival of the Buddha twelve years prior to his birth. These prophecies, along with the dream that his mother experienced before passing, were the reasons why his father sheltered him from the outside world. Interestingly enough, this sheltering is what led to the young Siddhartha’s exploration of the world and to the discovery of the tree where he found peace. For the record, there is some debate regarding what tree Buddha rested under. Some accounts claim that it was a fig tree, others a banyan, but it is most commonly referred to as the bodhi.
Another interesting parallel is that while Buddha received enlightenment while sitting under a tree, Isaac Newton was also sitting under a tree when enlightened with the theory of gravity. What is the theory of gravity? What goes up must come down—up and down, much like a tree. We can see the macrocosm in the microcosm via the symbolic image of the tree. As above, so below.
A Japanese Folktale of the Sacred Willow
The following Japanese folktale expresses the sacredness of the willow tree. This tale has been taken from the book Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan written by Richard Gordon Smith and published in 1918. The tale itself is likely to have originated in or near the year of 1132 AD. There are many versions of the story and these are sometimes called “The Willow Wife” or “The Spirit of the Willow Tree.” Below is a summary.
Heitaro, a very poor man, had nothing but a willow tree growing near his home. He thought himself wealthy for having such a fine tree and often listened to the sound of the wind blowing through its leaves and branches. This willow kept him company year after year, and he loved it greatly. He felt a deep devotion to this tree and thought of it as his sacred temple.
Eventually the day came when others of the village sought to cut down the tree because they needed the wood to build a bridge. Heitaro pleaded with the people and offered to gather the necessary wood from the nearby forest for the creation of this bridge on the condition that his willow was left unharmed. It was agreed.
Later that evening while the moon was shining, Heitaro stood under the willow and gave thanks for the tree being unharmed when suddenly something moved nearby! He looked around and saw a beautiful woman. He believed she was waiting to meet her lover and apologized for intruding. She watched him as he departed.
The following evening, he saw her again, and the next as well. In time, he realized it was he that she had been anticipating. Indeed, she had been waiting to meet her lover. Soon they married and had a child.
Then one day the emperor decreed that a temple to the goddess Kwannon be built in the area, and for this the villagers demanded the wood from the willow. Heitaro was saddened, but his grief was lessened because he now had a wife and a daughter. As the tree was being cut, chopped, and axed, his wife began to cry that the world was growing dark. As she fell, she twisted her arms and covered her face, attempting to shield the cuts and blows. Heitaro could do nothing as he watched his wife die. Upon the final blow to the tree, he stood alone with his daughter.
The first time I read this story I was deeply moved. The irony and lesson found in this story is that Heitaro considered the willow as his temple, but eventually the tree was cut down to build, you guessed it, a temple. Do we really need to destroy nature to have a place of worship? Piety is found in the heart not in a building, and nature is the true temple. We can worship anywhere. Let faith be in our hearts and let us learn to see the divine and the sacredness within and all around us.
Yggdrasil—The Norse World Tree
The following summarized tale is a Norse story of creation. The Norse were a Germanic people that inhabited a region in Northern Europe known as Scandinavia.
In the beginning was the emptiness of chaos, and before anything existed there was only cold and heat. Eventually cold and heat collided and creation began to manifest. First was Ymir and then came Bor; the father of the god Odin. In time, Ymir was destroyed and transformed into the earth, sky, and sea by his progeny. This realm, halfway between the heat and the cold, was called Midgard. The realm where Odin and the twelve aesirs (one of two groups of gods in the Norse pantheon) dwelt was called Asgard.
Growing at the center of all realms, from the lowest to the highest, was the great ash tree called Yggdrasil (eeg-dra-sil), and each day the gods met beneath its branches. This tree would have perished if it had not been watered daily from the well of life. This great tree had nine branches that represented the nine worlds. Living amongst the leaves was Mimir, the god of knowledge, wisdom, and memory. An interesting note is that at one time, Odin, the father god, hung upon the tree for nine days and nights while his side was pierced and bleeding. From this sacrifice, he gained knowledge and power over all things.
In time, according to the legend, at the end of the first age, a battle was fought between good and evil and the tree shook. Eventually the tree was destroyed by fire, but from the ashes grew a man and a woman.
The above tale was a brief version, but again we see numbers in play. The number twelve seems to be dominant in many sacred myths concerning trees and the divine, and once more we find a tree representing the lower, middle, and upper worlds. This symbol reappears over and over throughout history and is not limited to any culture or civilization. I find it fascinating to yet again discover parallels with this story and the Bible. Jesus, while hanging on the cross, was pierced in the side and three days later rose from the dead, victorious over death. Odin hung on the tree for nine days and nights with his side pierced as well. Both in this tale and the verses in the Bible, the Sacred Tree was watered from a river or well of life. The tale also mentions the end of an age with a tree at the center, and in the tree, there can be found knowledge and wisdom. There are many other similarities with this tale and the stories of Genesis such as the creation, a battle between good and evil, the recreation of the earth, and the first man and woman.
The Mayan World Tree
Numerous depictions of a great Sacred Tree, or World Tree, representing the union of the lower, middle, and higher realms have been discovered in the art and surviving texts of the ancient Maya and their predecessors.
One such piece, a stone carving found in the ancient Mesoamerican site of Izapa (stela 5) located in southern Mexico close to the modern border of Guatemala, predating the Maya, depicts a great tree of creation and has been dated a century or two prior to the birth of Christ. It is possible that this visual depiction, as well as many others found throughout Mesoamerica, is the same tree written about in one of the very few surviving books of the Maya called the Popol Vuh. Interestingly, upon a very close examination, one can see twelve human or intelligent beings and possibly twelve animals and birds as well. This stone carving has been called the Tree of Life Stone.
In the Popol Vuh is found the tale of a life-giving tree. It is the story of a champion hero named One Hunahpu.
One Hunahpu spent much time with his brother playing an ancient ball game, but eventually the game became so loud that it upset the lords of the underworld. Two of the chief lords, lord of death one and lord of death seven, were so disturbed by the ruckus that they became determined to destroy the two brothers and so consequently sent them to the underworld where they would endure many trials. One Hunahpu was then beheaded and his white skull was placed upon the branches of a dead tree. Instantaneously the tree was regenerated with life and the tree sprouted white flowers resembling his skull.
The renewed life of the tree so threatened the lords of the underworld that all were forbidden to approach it. But the story spread throughout the lands below and above, and in time a young woman, a daughter of the lords of death, learned of the tree and made a journey to obtain a fruit from the tree. After a great search, she found the tree, and while reaching up to pick the fruit, the skull of One Hunahpu warned her against doing so unless she was sure of her desire and intention. She convinced One Hunahpu that she was indeed certain, but as she reached to take the fruit, One Hunahpu spat into her hand and she became pregnant. Because of this immaculate conception, life would be restored, never to be lost again. She climbed the tree up to the world of the living and gave birth to two sons who in time defeated the lords of death and resurrected the bones of their father One Hunahpu.
Again, we encounter an ancient myth of a tree representing the unification of the upper, middle, and lower realms, as well as a tree that gives life. Much like the stories in the Bible, it is a woman who picks the fruit from a forbidden tree and a man who hangs upon the tree as a sacrifice, granting victory over death, and is later resurrected. It is interesting to note that Adam and Eve also gave birth to two sons.
Additionally, this tale may suggest the unity of all peoples—that is: under the skin, everyone’s bones are white and all of us will share the same fate. In literature and sacred texts throughout the ages, the color white, which is a combination of all colors (just shine a white light through a prism), has been used as a symbolic representation of the divine, purity, hope, life, and innocence. We all have red blood, we all shall die, and underneath our layers of human flesh, pride, and ego, our bones and blood are the same colors. We are all equal!
What is going on here? Why do we keep finding the same tales and stories being retold again and again throughout various ancient cultures, religions, and sacred texts across the world and throughout history? Before these questions can be answered, and I’m not sure they can, we must yet examine a few more. I will say that the symbolic meanings of the tree can be found not only in nature, not only in mythology, not only in all cultures and times, but can be found within our own heart and spirit.
As previously stated, and before we draw a conclusion (one that is ultimately left for you to ponder), there are other accounts of the Sacred Tree to be examined.
The Sacred Tree of the Book of Mormon
The reason for jumping ahead through history to examine the use of the tree as sacred in the Book of Mormon is directly due to the associations of the Mormon faith with those of the Mayan World Tree. This is about to get interesting.
The Mormon faith is a branch of Christianity that not only reveres the Bible but also an additional book of scriptures called the Book of Mormon. This book is based on the golden tablets supposedly discovered in the Americas and is an account of the teachings of Jesus after his death and resurrection to the native peoples of ancient America.
According to Mormon doctrine, Jesus came to the Americas and not only revealed his status as the messiah, but also taught the people about the history of the Jews, such as the stories of creation and the Tower of Babel. These “latter-day” teachings of Jesus are said to have been inscribed upon golden tablets and hidden or buried upon a hill. In time, a glorified resurrected being, often referred to as an angel, appeared to a man named Joseph Smith and revealed to him the location of the golden tablets on the fall equinox of 1823. The equinox happens to be the balance of light and dark.
Many Mormons are fascinated by the art and widespread stories of the Mayan World Tree. Remember, the surviving accounts of this tale revealed the death and resurrection of a man upon a tree, a tree that bore white flowers. In the Book of Mormon can be found the following scriptures:
1 Nephi 8:10 –13—“And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit. And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.”
1 Nephi 15:21–22—“And it came to pass that they did speak unto me again, saying: What meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream? What meaneth the tree which he saw? And I said unto them: It was a representation of the tree of life.”
The similarities between the above verses in the Book of Mormon and the story of the sacred tree found in the Popol Vuh are obvious, but I doubt these are one and the same. If Jesus visited the Americas, the tablets found at Izapa predate the birth of Jesus, which would make it impossible. There are also many similarities between the verses in the Book of Mormon and those found in the creation story of the Bible as well as those of other ancient cultures. Yet again we encounter a tree representing life, death, and rebirth, a tree that stands as the axis of all worlds, and a tree of knowledge that is watered by a sacred river of life. Let us now move on, or perhaps I should say move back, to another Mayan myth.
Mayan folktale of the Cacao Tree
This is a brief summary of the Mayan tale of the sacred chocolate tree, the cacao. It is where we get the name cocoa. Kukulkán was a highly venerated god of the Mayan people and was also worshipped by the Aztecs and their predecessors known as the Toltecs; however, the Aztecs and the Toltecs knew him by the name of Quetzalcoatl. Kukulkán was not only a god but is also believed to have ruled as a king in physical form and was depicted as being dressed in snake skins and bright colorful feathers like the tropical bird known as the quetzal. The Mayan people worshipped this god/king and in the ancient city of Chichén Itzá, they built a temple in his honor. This temple was a pyramid with many steep steps that rose to the sky like a ladder and it faced the morning star. It is said to have been the dwelling place of Kukulkán on earth. For the record, the morning star was a reference to the planet Venus.
Each morning, Kukulkán would descend from the realm of the gods to guide and watch over his people. Many mornings he was greeted with numerous offerings such as fruits, vegetables, and crafts. He thought that the Mayan people should in turn be given a very special gift. He decided to ascend back to the realm of gods where they enjoyed a very special drink called chocolatl (hot chocolate). The gods sweetened the beverage with honey and added chili powder to make it taste just right. This drink was made from the seeds of the cacao tree, but the tree did not grow on the earth, so Kukulkán decided to steal a small cacao tree from paradise and bring it to the Mayan people. According to the legend, many of the gods were very angered by this and so they banished him from paradise forever. Today the cacao tree is considered very sacred to the Mayans and the world now enjoys the gift of chocolate.
How fascinating! Once again, we see a tree as not only sacred but also as a bridge between the worlds. It is also interesting to note that both Jesus and Satan of the Bible have been called the bright morning star. It is now time to examine the sacred and divine correspondences of trees in other cultures.
Sacred Trees of the Ancient Greeks
Concerning Greek mythology regarding the sacredness of trees, there are far too many tales to present here, so rather than giving accounts of each, below are some correspondences, divine associations, and sacred trees related to the Greek pantheon:
• Adonis—laurel, vine
• Aphrodite—myrtle, apple, birch, apricot, cherry, elder, linden, pine, cypress, hazel, myrrh, pomegranate
• Apollo—ash, laurel, plane tree (sycamore), cedar, olive, date palm, cypress, vine
• Ares—oak, cherry
• Artemis—cypress, cedar, palm, hazel, willow, laurel, fir, walnut, oak, myrtle, chestnut, cherry, yew
• Astarte—pine, alder, cypress, juniper, cinnamon
• Athena—cedar, cypress, oak, olive, and possibly mulberry
• Cronus/Kronos—yew, beech, cypress
• Daphne—laurel
• Demeter—fig, oak, elm, pear, apple, alder, cottonwood, and
pomegranate
• Dionysus—vine, fig, pomegranate, apple, pine
• Gaia—all trees and especially fruit trees
• Ganymede—olive, coconut
• Hades—oak, yew
• Hecate—yew, willow, cypress, myrrh, alder
• Helios—laurel
• Hephaestus—laurel
• Hera—apple, pear, hawthorn, willow
• Hercules—Cypress (as a symbol of rebirth), aspen, oak
• Hermes—palm, aspen, willow, hazel
• Leuce (Poseidon’s daughter) after death became the poplar tree
• Nymphs—poplar, pine, and all trees
• Orpheus—elm, willow
• Pan—oak, pine, lilac, and many others
• Persephone—pomegranate, willow, alder, cedar
• Poseidon—ash, olive, pine, cedar
• Rhea—oak, myrrh
• Zeus—oak, plane tree (and sycamore), cedar, juniper, chestnut, olive, apple, black walnut, linden, aspen, poplar, fig
In Greek mythology, it is interesting to note that there are twelve Olympian gods, though the lineup changes from time to time and a total of fourteen are presented in all, ten of whom are consistent. Once more the number twelve enters the picture, and each god and goddess has one or more trees associated with them.
It is also important to mention that in several Greek myths, as well as those of various other cultures, men and women have been transformed into trees, such as the transformation of Atys to pine, Smilax to yew, Dryope to lotus, and Daphne to the laurel tree. Much like in the Bible and tales of Native Americans, we once again encounter tales of the personification of trees.
The Sacred Hawthorn of British Legend
This is the summary of a tale of the infamous mythological figure known as Merlin, or Myrddin. It is not known for certain whether Merlin was an actual person or mythical figure only.
When Merlin was well-aged (no one knew exactly how old he became), a young, desirable woman came to visit the court of King Arthur. This woman was said to be a maiden of the Goddess who had emerged from the lake to give Arthur the infamous sword known as Excalibur. Though she was beautiful beyond words, none could discern the nature of her heart and true intentions. Her name was Vivien and she watched the court of the king piously. In time, she grew jealous of Merlin’s wisdom and power and set out to learn as much as she could from him by charming him with flattery and sex appeal. She was so beautiful that, in time, Merlin succumbed to her and revealed many secrets, some that he should not have. For Vivien, however, this was not enough. She desired more.
Knowing that some mysteries are too powerful to be revealed, Merlin fled across the sea and into a sacred forest, fearing that he would not be able to resist her charm any longer. But Vivian followed. She cried and pleaded that her heart was broken because he had not trusted her. Once again Merlin yielded and revealed a most precious secret: how to transform and imprison a man within a tree. Immediately after learning this sacred knowledge, she turned against him and the great wise magician became imprisoned forevermore as the hawthorn tree.
Again, we encounter a tale of the personification of the tree. In this myth, it is possible to once more view the tree as a symbolic vessel of hidden/concealed wisdom. It is no coincidence that the hawthorn, per Druidic tree lore, is a symbol of hardship and times of trial much like the Tower and Death cards of the tarot. Following a hardship or trial, one that will not last long, the hawthorn tree represents a new beginning or awakening.
Contemporary American Tale of the Giving Tree
In 1964 the well-known American writer and author of many children’s books, Shel Silverstein, wrote a story called The Giving Tree. This story is a tale of the life-long relationship between a boy and a tree.
While very young, the boy forged a bond with an apple tree and they loved each other greatly. The tree gave the boy everything that he needed and wanted such as fruit to eat, shade from the hot summer sun, branches to climb and swing on, and companionship, and they played many games together. The tree loved him very much.
As the boy grew into a young adult, he visited the tree less and less until years had passed. This greatly saddened the tree.
In time, the young man came back to visit. The tree invited him to climb and swing again from its branches like he did as a child, but the young man said he was too big for that now. He told the tree that what he needed now was money, and so the tree offered its apples so that he could take them to the market to sell. They agreed, and the tree was happy again.
Many additional years passed until once again the boy, now a grown man, came to visit his tree friend. This made the tree very happy. He told the tree that now he needed a house, and the tree told him it could not give him a house because its house was in nature but offered its branches so that he could build one. He accepted, and both were happy.
After much more time, he came back again to visit his old friend and he told the tree that what he wanted now was a boat to sail away from all the stresses of society. The tree in turn offered its trunk to make a boat and so he cut it down. Both were happy.
Eventually, as a very old man, he returned one last time to his childhood tree companion, now nothing but a stump. The tree told him that it could not offer anything else, but all he wanted now was a place to rest and so the tree invited him to sit down on its stump and relax. He did, and both were happy.
What a wonderful tale! This story is both sad and comforting. It describes the most vital give-and-take relationship humans have with trees and all of nature. Can we live without them? We use trees for nourishment, wood, shade, oxygen, paper, to build bridges, houses, and boats that cross water—yet another symbol of our journey into the next life and our yearning to rejoin spirit. This anecdote raises many questions. Do we take too much from nature or does nature gladly provide us our greedy needs selflessly? Must we cut down trees to build temples or is nature our temple? Is the tree passively or actively giving? Can mankind learn to find a balance and love for our environment? Is the true temple within our hearts? What questions does this story inspire for you?
Other Important Mentions and Associations
It is worthwhile to point out other representations of the sacred symbolism and lore of trees throughout history.
• The Chinese Tree of Life is called Kien-Luen, the Moslem Lote tree, and stands as a boundary between humanity and the divine.
• The Japanese sakaki tree represents the central axis of the universe, or the pillar between all worlds.
• The Japanese deity Uku-No-Chi is said to live in the trunks of trees, and the tree god Hamori protects the leaves.
• Ancient Pagan Germanic tribes once created pillars resembling tree trunks, and these are thought to represent the “Tree of the Universe” but the true purpose of these pillars has been debated by scholars for centuries. These were called the Irminsul, or “giant columns.” Many of these were destroyed in the conversion of Paganism to Christianity beginning in the year 772 under Charlemagne.
• Many Greek and Roman columns, well known today in the field of architecture, were also based on the model of a tree trunk.
• The Tibetan tree Tarayana grows near the side of a great river and divides the worlds.
• Sacred to the Hawaiian goddess Pele is the Ohia Lehua tree. Ohia was a handsome warrior and Pele desired to marry him. However, Ohia had already promised himself in marriage to his lover Lehua. Pele became so furious and jealous that she turned him into a tree. Lehua was deeply heartbroken by this and legend says that the gods took pity on her and turned her into the flowers that grow upon the tree so that the two lovers could always be together. It is an evergreen tree in the myrtle family.
• The bodhi tree is also sacred to Vishnu in Hindu.
• The Scandinavian “elder mothers” are tree spirits believed to reside within the elder tree and possess very powerful magick. These tree spirits, however, were thought to be malicious. I suspect that the myth arose from the fact that the elder tree is toxic and can cause sickness when burned or if the berries are consumed when unripe.
• The Scottish myth of the tree spirit Ghillie Dhu, sometimes called GilleDubh, is thought to be a guardian spirit of trees and takes residence in the birch tree. He loves children (innocence and imagination) and is likely a twist upon the Green Man.
• The Hindu god Soma is both a god and a plant and is a bridge between heaven and earth.
• Yaxche is the name of the Mayan Tree of Life and was believed to hold up the heavens on its branches while penetrating the underworld (or the subconscious) by its roots and balancing all the realms from our physical perspective in the trunk. In other words, the Mayan Tree of Life was seen a bridge and a connection to the divine.
Before drawing a conclusion, in Chapter 5 we will be looking at other divine tree associations throughout history, the Druidic tree ogham and calendar, and the Qabalistic Tree of Life. Until then, let us take a moment to examine the sacredness of the tree as can be found in contemporary society.