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Trees are significant in many of the world's mythologies, and have been given deep and sacred meanings throughout the ages. Human beings, observing the growth and death of trees , and the annual death and revival of their foliage, [ 1 ] [ 2 ] have often seen them as powerful symbols of growth, death and rebirth.
Many types of trees found in the Celtic nations are considered to be sacred, whether as symbols, or due to medicinal properties, or because they are seen as the abode of particular nature spirits. Historically and in folklore, the respect given to trees varies in different parts of the Celtic world.
Kukunochi, Japanese tree spirit; Lauma, a woodland fae, goddess/spirit of trees, marsh and forest in Eastern Baltic mythology; Leshy, is a tutelary deity of the forests in pagan Slavic mythology along with his wife Leshachikha(or the Kikimora) and children (leshonki, leszonky). Meliae, the nymphs of the Fraxinus (Ash tree) in Greek mythology
Laurent d'Arvieux in 1660 counted 20 trees; [11] and Henry Maundrell in 1697 counted 16 trees of the “very old” type: Sunday, May 9 The noble (cedar] trees grow amongst the snow near the highest part of Lebanon; and are remarkable as well as for their own age and largeness, as for those frequent allusions made to them in the word of God.
Various folk cultures and traditions assign symbolic meanings to plants. Although these are no longer commonly understood by populations that are increasingly divorced from their rural traditions, some meanings survive. In addition, these meanings are alluded to in older pictures, songs and writings.
Sacred trees and groves are mentioned throughout the history of the ancient Germanic people, from their earliest attestations among Roman scribes to references made by medieval Christian monks. Notable examples of sacred trees and groves in the historical record among the ancient Germanic peoples include the following:
The General Grant Tree is the only living national shrine in the United States. Giant sequoias, the most massive trees on earth, are viewed as sacred symbols in America. [20] Promoted by John Muir using biblical language after their discovery in the 19th century, these trees helped inspire the creation of the national park system.
The Cedar Forest (𒄑𒂞𒄑𒌁 giš eren giš tir) is the glorious realm of the gods of Mesopotamian mythology. It is guarded by the demigod Humbaba and was once entered by the hero Gilgamesh who dared cut down trees from its virgin stands during his quest for fame. The Cedar Forest is described in Tablets 4–6 of the Epic of Gilgamesh. [1]