tree worship in pagan Europe
The Minoan culture was an ancient culture that predated the ancient Greek civilization and survived on the island of Crete for almost 2000 years until about 1450 BC. Minoan women danced around a sacred tree as a part of their worship and a world tree seems to have been part of their religion, too.
There are many examples of potted trees in Minoan Art, and these were used in tree shaking initiation ceremonies where initiates were required to gnaw on the tree with their hands behind their backs.
In ancient Greece, there were many sacred groves, including Plane tree groves at Olympia and Lerna,Ash trees groves in Ionia and a sacred grove at Lycosura which featured an olive-tree and an evergreen oak growing from the same root.
The oak tree was sacred to Pan and Zeus (the rustling of its leaves was heard as his voice).The myrtle-tree was sacred to Aphrodite and the olive tree was sacred to the goddess Athena.
In Greek mythology, women and men are frequently transformed into trees -- for instance, Atys became a Pine tree, Smilax a Yew tree and Daphne a Laurel tree, sacred to Apollo -- and the spirit of trees is typically personified in female form. The Alseids were grove nymphs, the Dryads were forest nymphs guarding the trees, and the Hamadryads were nymphs forming anintegral part of the trees themselves.
In Ancient Rome, a sacred Fig tree associated with Romulus grew near the Forum, and a sacred Cornel tree grew of the slope of the Palatine Hill.
Pillars similar to those built by Asoka, the Buddhist emperor of India (268 - 232 BC) representing the Cosmic Tree were erected on hilltops by some German tribes. Made of tree trunks, not stone, these pillars (called Irmensul) represented the 'tree of the universe'.
A particularly venerated Irmensul in the Westphalia area was chopped down in 772 AD by Charlemagne in accordance with forced Christian conversions and,to remove the sacred powers or energies of pagan tree cult sites, a church was often built on the same site. The most famous church on these 'converted sites' is the medieval Gothic cathedral of Chartres.
The religious faith of the ancient Celtic inhabitants of Gaul and the British Isles was Druidism and it flourished until Christianity wiped it out. The Druids believed in the immortality of the soul, passing upon death into the body of a new-born child, and they believed themselves to be descended from a Supreme Being.
Learned in astrology, magic, and the magic powers of plants and animals, the Celts believed trees to be the source of sacred wisdom. The Yew tree was a symbol of immortality, the Hazel tree was associated with wisdom, and the Druids venerated the Oak tree (particularly if it had mistletoe growing on it, believing it meant the tree had been struck by lightning and was the tree of life). All Druid rituals were performed in oak forests because they believed that spirits lived within the interior of the oak tree.
Certain names of Celtic Gaul tribes reflect the veneration of trees, for instance the Euburones (the Yew tribe), and the Lemovices (the people of the Elm).
The Christmas tree is an interesting phenomenon because the idea came from Martin Luther, b. 1483, the leader of the Reformation in Germany. He taught that the fir tree is a symbol of the promise of Christ, decorated it with fruit representing the tree of life and,although not intentional, revived a Pagan reverence for trees!
At the same time, the Puritans in England and Wales were tearing down hundreds of village maypoles and banning the practice of maypole dancing with its sinister associations with tree worship. Despite their attempts to remove the maypoles, several prevailed and the tallest, said to measure 30 metres, still stands at Barwick in Elmet, Yorkshire and maypole dancing resumed with the restoration of Charles II in 1660.
The Celts divided their year by four seasons and all celebrated with great festivals. Samhain, signifying the arrival of winter and the New Year was first, and it was celebrated on 1st November. Imbolc was next, on 1st February, followed by Beltane on 1st May and Lugnasdh on 1st August.
Some people believe that May Day celebrations are associated with Beltane and the tree worship of the Druids -- and possibly are associated with the spring festivals of ancient Egypt and India. Others believe May Day, as it is celebrated today, owes more to an ancient Roman festivity honoring Flora, the goddess of flowers and springtime.
As the largest plant, rooted in the earth and reaching skyward, trees were the earliest focus of religious life for many peoples around the world and it should not surprise anyone that so many rites are similar.
There are many examples of potted trees in Minoan Art, and these were used in tree shaking initiation ceremonies where initiates were required to gnaw on the tree with their hands behind their backs.
In ancient Greece, there were many sacred groves, including Plane tree groves at Olympia and Lerna,Ash trees groves in Ionia and a sacred grove at Lycosura which featured an olive-tree and an evergreen oak growing from the same root.
The oak tree was sacred to Pan and Zeus (the rustling of its leaves was heard as his voice).The myrtle-tree was sacred to Aphrodite and the olive tree was sacred to the goddess Athena.
In Greek mythology, women and men are frequently transformed into trees -- for instance, Atys became a Pine tree, Smilax a Yew tree and Daphne a Laurel tree, sacred to Apollo -- and the spirit of trees is typically personified in female form. The Alseids were grove nymphs, the Dryads were forest nymphs guarding the trees, and the Hamadryads were nymphs forming anintegral part of the trees themselves.
In Ancient Rome, a sacred Fig tree associated with Romulus grew near the Forum, and a sacred Cornel tree grew of the slope of the Palatine Hill.
Pillars similar to those built by Asoka, the Buddhist emperor of India (268 - 232 BC) representing the Cosmic Tree were erected on hilltops by some German tribes. Made of tree trunks, not stone, these pillars (called Irmensul) represented the 'tree of the universe'.
A particularly venerated Irmensul in the Westphalia area was chopped down in 772 AD by Charlemagne in accordance with forced Christian conversions and,to remove the sacred powers or energies of pagan tree cult sites, a church was often built on the same site. The most famous church on these 'converted sites' is the medieval Gothic cathedral of Chartres.
The religious faith of the ancient Celtic inhabitants of Gaul and the British Isles was Druidism and it flourished until Christianity wiped it out. The Druids believed in the immortality of the soul, passing upon death into the body of a new-born child, and they believed themselves to be descended from a Supreme Being.
Learned in astrology, magic, and the magic powers of plants and animals, the Celts believed trees to be the source of sacred wisdom. The Yew tree was a symbol of immortality, the Hazel tree was associated with wisdom, and the Druids venerated the Oak tree (particularly if it had mistletoe growing on it, believing it meant the tree had been struck by lightning and was the tree of life). All Druid rituals were performed in oak forests because they believed that spirits lived within the interior of the oak tree.
Certain names of Celtic Gaul tribes reflect the veneration of trees, for instance the Euburones (the Yew tribe), and the Lemovices (the people of the Elm).
The Christmas tree is an interesting phenomenon because the idea came from Martin Luther, b. 1483, the leader of the Reformation in Germany. He taught that the fir tree is a symbol of the promise of Christ, decorated it with fruit representing the tree of life and,although not intentional, revived a Pagan reverence for trees!
At the same time, the Puritans in England and Wales were tearing down hundreds of village maypoles and banning the practice of maypole dancing with its sinister associations with tree worship. Despite their attempts to remove the maypoles, several prevailed and the tallest, said to measure 30 metres, still stands at Barwick in Elmet, Yorkshire and maypole dancing resumed with the restoration of Charles II in 1660.
The Celts divided their year by four seasons and all celebrated with great festivals. Samhain, signifying the arrival of winter and the New Year was first, and it was celebrated on 1st November. Imbolc was next, on 1st February, followed by Beltane on 1st May and Lugnasdh on 1st August.
Some people believe that May Day celebrations are associated with Beltane and the tree worship of the Druids -- and possibly are associated with the spring festivals of ancient Egypt and India. Others believe May Day, as it is celebrated today, owes more to an ancient Roman festivity honoring Flora, the goddess of flowers and springtime.
As the largest plant, rooted in the earth and reaching skyward, trees were the earliest focus of religious life for many peoples around the world and it should not surprise anyone that so many rites are similar.
Labels: celts, christmas tree, cornel, cosmic tree, crete, druids, elm, europe, fig, greek mythology, irmensul, maypole, minoan, mistletoe, nymphs, oak, pagan, tree worship, yew
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