When I walk into an old grove, I am quieted by the presence of trees. The deep silence they create speaks of patience, endurance and of the sacred mystery of life. Legends from around the world echo the universal regard in which trees are held. But the stories lead us even further. They tell of how intimately humans and trees are linked. In story, trees are our teachers, ancestors, guardians, and messengers of our fate.
In those lands where trees are prominent, they are given an important place in the creation mythology. Some legends say that the people themselves are the descendents of trees. The Ainu of Japan credit the willow with forming the first person’s backbone, while the Scandinavians say man was created from an Ash and women from an Elm. The Dumuriya clan of India claim ancestry from the Fig, the Maya from the tree they call Tzite, while, in the southern Sudan the original ancestor descended from heaven by way of a Nyout tree. In other creation myths, a wonderful tree forms the axis for the entire world. This ‘World Tree’, perhaps more aptly named ‘Mother Tree’ appears in Scandinavian, Russian, Sumerian, Indian, Iroquois, Aztec and Amazonian myths, to name only a few. It is a widely expressed metaphor for the permeating spirit that winds through all things.
Stories about world trees are often richly poetic. The span of the giant Ash, Yggdraisil, from Scandinavian mythology reads like a Tolkien primer. One root establishes the land of Midgard, where the spring of wisdom wells. Another emerges from serpent-guarded Niflheim, while in blessed Asgard, the third root drinks from the Fountain of Destiny where the swans of Urd swim. Up and down the trunk and among the wide branches where four stags browse, runs Ratatosk, the squirrel, spreading strife and mischief. And at the top of this Ash, high above the Gods, a falcon perched twixt the eyes of a mighty eagle watches all. The fierce and beautiful creation myth of the Yakuts of Northern Siberia tells how first man, the White Youth, was nurtured and given direction by a heavenly Pine tree. This ‘Mother Tree’ rained down a life sustaining nectar upon all creatures and, in the form of a long-tressed woman, suckled the youth and blessed him.
Along with the archetypal trees found in creation mythology, individual tree spirits abound in world folktales. Influenced by the Shinto religious view that everything
in nature is informed by the divine energy, Kami, Japan’s folk legends are a rich source of these types of stories. Sometimes Kami shines through a particular tree in such a way that it becomes clear that one of the gods is manifest there. Near such a tree, shrines and stories will always be found. Many Japanese legends of love, folly or revenge come to pass because a human has failed to recognize or respect the presence of a divine tree-spirit. In Celtic lore and culture this theme is repeated. In ancient British folklore there are stories of woods which are dangerous to all but the pure in heart and cautionary tales about what can come to pass when trees are not treated respectfully. In one folkloric tale from Somerset, a farmer cautions his three sons to always bring flowers up the hill to their three trees on Midsummer Eve. Unfortunately, after the farmer’s death, only the youngest son remembers his father’s wishes. The other sons cut down two of the trees, bringing terrible misfortune into their own lives. Those living in the town say that since that time there has been a sad green lady dancing alone on the hill on moonlit nights.
The collecting and telling of nature myths has helped me to keep my sensibilities alive to nature – in this specific instance to trees. The stories point to possibilities that stretch both my imagination and my perceptions. Time after time the respectful telling of these tales has led me to a place where wonder can exist again. At my seasonal storytelling events, I strive to bring others to this place. There, trees are not viewed as commodities or resources, but as marvelous beings inhabiting the world with us. It takes the development of a poetic sensibility to apprehend the world in this way. But with ancient myths as intermediaries, it is possible to liberate ourselves from a deadening pragmatic outlook and breathe in this source of meaning once more.
Bibliography:
There are an amazing variety of tree legends. For those interested in exploring further, I suggest looking into the source books mentioned in the following bibliography for an overview; and then searching for variants of a particular tale in which you might be interested. I’ve also included a more recent book on the life of trees and how they communicate with each other. Truly fascinating reading….
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel and How they Communicate: Peter Wohlleben
Hidden Stories in Plants by Anne Pellowski, c 1990 Macmillan Publishing Company; ISBN 0-02-770611-7
Sacred Trees by Nathaniel Altman, c 1994, A Sierra Club Book, ISBN 0-87156-470-X
The Solstice Evergreen by Sheryl Ann Karas, c 1991, Aslan Publishing, ISBN 0-944031-26-9
Maypoles and Wood Demons; the meaning of trees by Elizabeth S. Helfman, c 1972, New York Seabury Press. ISBN 0-81643085-3
Diane’s storytelling has been featured several times on NPR’s “Living On Earth” Program!