In Austronesian folklore, the fig/banyan tree is the one universal "sacred" tree. However, it's technically a tree of DEATH. Since it's regarded as a bridge to the spirit world, as well as the material form of the spiritual domains of some non-human spirits. This is due to the unique way fig trees grow. They start out as vines that choke another tree to death by wrapping around it. As it becomes a tree in its own right, the dead tree in the middle rot away, leaving a hollow, which is then regarded as the gateway to the other world. Other large trees (without hollows) are treated in the same way.
Sounds like the Banyan is the same (or at least similar) tree which is more commonly known as the Strangler Fig where I'm from (australia). They can get really impressive looking. I can see why they can cause such inspiration.
@@sharielane Yep, it is. The name "strangler fig" applies to several species with the same life history. "Banyan" is just a more familiar term for most westerners, so I used it instead. They're beautiful trees, but also scary-looking at times. Gigantic, a tangle of roots, hanging aerial roots, etc. Pretty sure the tree in Avatar is also based on them.
Here's a fun one! The Balete tree in Filipino folklore is somewhat terrifying - it's believed either that many mythic creatures live in its many strange hollows and branches, or that it's a doorway to another world. When you see a balete you immediately get a sense of eeriness since they're both huge and creepy - and many of them are even a result of fully grown strangler figs fully taking over an existing tree, so even from a scientific standpoint you're looking at something terrifying, the corpse of an old tree giving life to a new one.
- Similar to the Dryads there are also the Leshy, which are forest spirits form Slavic mythology - also there are said to be orchards that possess powerful fruits like the Peaches of Immortality (which the Monkey King once ate) or Apples that exist in both Greek (1 of the 12 labors that Heracles had to get), Norse mythology (which are taken care of by Iduna), or of course there is the fruit of knowledge from the Garden of Eden which is depicted as an apple
The tree of knowledge is only an apple in modern days due to a translation error, the original Hebrew calls is a fruit, and in older versions of English apple was the generic word for fruit (hance pineapple looking nothing like an apple) Jews really don't care much for apples, theologists say a better base for the fruit would be a fig, but since the type of fruit is never specified it might just be unlike any known fruit
I recall a heartbreaking story from my childhood about a woman who wanted children, so she was told to pick some fruit from a tree and leave the basket in her house overnight. Her house was filled with children and she was happy until the day she yelled at them. "No wonder you are good for nothing. You are all children of a tree!" And all the children grew silent and left. She returned to the tree and tried to pick more fruit, but the skin on each fruit peeled away to show the face of a crying child until she returned home empty-handed
That can be seen as cautionary tale for parents to not drive their children away by saying something cruel out of anger without thinking of the gravity of their words. It takes mere seconds to severe that bond, and years to repair it, sometimes it'll never be the same. The children might just leave one day, and never come back.
Your story reminds me of the Guaraná, in Brazilian (native) folklore. Basically it tells the story of a couple who tried, but could not have children. They cried for Tupã (main deity) to help them, so he blessed their home and eventually they had a child, a boy they cherished greatly. But one day, I don't remember the exact story, the boy was injured gravely by a jaguar. The mother was so distressed she wished she could revive her dead son. Tupã then told her to take the eyes of her dead son and plant them in the soil. She did so, and then the Guaraná tree grew. Its fruit looks like eyes and it serves as a great energy source
@@leonardowrobleski2784 interesting! In Taiwan there's a tree called the longan (dragon eye) tree. For a wedding, the husband's family must give the bride two of the fruits to eat so that he'd have eyes for no other
I've always adored trees. One of my earliest memories is SOBBING because the road commission chopped down the huge gorgeous tree that was at the end of my road.
Love, love, love this! Like you, I grew up in the woods in an old farmhouse on 80 acres of land of which half was not cleared. I used to climb up an old oak tree, lay on it’s humongous branch and read myths and fables. My ancestors were Scots-Irish pagans And I honor them all the time by dancing to the Mummers’ Dance and growing trees, every chance I get. I don’t buy cut trees at Christmas. I buy live ones and plant them after the season is over. I love this segment! It has two of my favorite subjects - trees and mythology. We should worship them every chance we get! Love you and love this show!❤❤❤
I tend to think of myself as a "desert creature," most of my formative years were spent in western Texas where it's flat and dry and trees are R A R E So there was always a real sense of wonder for me about them, even when I wasn't in the desert anymore. I remember exclaiming to my mother when we first moved to the Southeast that the world was a different color at night. Desert nights have a very specific look, and it's utterly unlike the way night looks when there are trees EVERYWHERE. It's not just that the sun seems to set earlier, or that the temperature is different, or that the air is saturated with water. It's all those things but it's also more, and for me it always felt like it was the trees themselves that were key to that feeling. And anyone who's been in a forest at night with no light source to help guide them probably knows how dangerous they can become. Just from my own personal experiences with trees I find it absolutely unremarkable that every culture has so many myths and legends surrounding the trees. Some of them make me wrinkle my brow a bit, I have to think hard to "get it," but that's solely because I'm unfamiliar with the contexts. The idea of a tree that makes woman shaped fruit really ISN'T that weird when you think about - oh just for instance - banana trees. Or avocadoes, or even something like a mimosa tree. Add in some of the other stuff one finds - oak galls look SUPER weird, and some of the fungus that grows only on the bark of living trees are just as weird (or more so, and I'm looking at you, "wood ears") - I mean, come on, these are features of our natural world that seem like FAR more than just a shrubbery or a backdrop!
I live in a temperate rainforest, massive spruce, alder, maple and cedar that are often covered in thick layers of moss on all sides. The ground and the the trees are choked by the moss and vegetation, even the summers the forest is just a little damp. There are 80-90 inches of rain a year and not far away some places get over 100, urbanization and logging have caused much of it to be lost but the few patched of old growth forest left are quite frankly eerie at night. The environment is like no other forest type I've seen and reminds me of a fairytale, the nights are pitch black and the air is cool and wet. Where I live 100 foot trees are common and most lawns are choked by moss. The weather is wet but mild, the winters never stray much below 20 at night and the summers rarely over 85 so both extremes of temperature are essentially absent. The summers are pleasant with occasional rain, the fall is the driest and cold, the winter rains heavily, and the early spring is when snow usually falls. In fact I saw the first snowy Christmas in 10 years last year and it was gone by noon. A forest is one thing, but a rainforest is a whole other thing whether it is tropical or temperate, the temperate rainforest is the least appreciated type of forest and to me is the most beautiful. I grew up here and because of that open places feel wrong, the dry air and lack of cover just feels deeply wrong to me because I grew up in a wet, soggy, mossy, tree covered landscape. I am not sure how I would even exist in a desert, like I am used to the ground just always being damp and the many nearby rivers being clear and ice cold. The desert sounds horrible, but I guess here its common for people to develop seasonal depression here since the winters are so dark and the rain never stops.
@@Exquailibur Temperate rainforests really DO look so magical and amazing. You're right that they're under-appreciated! And I think it makes perfect sense that a desert seems awful to you, haha! We get comfortable with where we grow, you know? There's great beauty there but it's certainly not for everyone or even most critters. Deserts demand a high level of specialization. Where I lived, we might get six inches of rain in a whole year, and that counted winter snow. Summers there get over 100F now, but winters still get into the negatives I think, certainly they did in the 1980s when I was still there! Water was the magical thing, for the plants and animals as much as the people, but trees were just Mythical Beings in terms of native ones. I never knew if any of the trees in the city proper were actually native species, but I know the ones in my grandmother's yard were NOT; Russian olive and some kind of elm. Cottonwoods do grow in the drier parts of the state of Texas, but to my dismay I wouldn't have known what a cottonwood looked like back then :( This world has SO many amazing things for us, and when you're able to be open to that wonder, there are legends everywhere!
@@Beryllahawk It is a little known fact that deserts are actually quite biodiverse, while the total biomass pales in comparison to a rainforest they often have almost as many species even if they live at far lower densities. Deserts are harsh and harsh environments make for tough plants and animals, many desert plants are in contention for being the oldest living things. But yeah a desert is awful for me, surprisingly there is one just across the mountains. Oddly the same mountains that allow for the existence of a rainforest also create a mix of deserts and prairies on the other side. Climate is complicated and ever fascinating.
My sanctuary is The Arkansas Ozarks. My Mother and I moved there in 1968-69 and she met and married Dad who's family had been on their property since the late 1800's. We were welcomed into the family and I have always felt a greater connection to my adopted family and the glorious hills. I am at such peace when going and heartbroken to leave. I miss The Dogwoods behind the house...The Hickories in front, the Branch and Creek and the magnificent Sycamore that shines out when you cross the creek...about a quarter of a mile away. I seem to seek out tree imagery in my art.🤔 Thank you so much for today's post!❤️😍
Never could get lost in the woods. At 6 I was living on the edge of 160 acres of Georgia Pacific tree stock. Cutting through to visit the neighbors - never took the same path twice. Armed with 22 and best squirrel dog - still happy that we never got one! (Miss you Pepper!) But the trees... Never had any fear or bad time out among them! Always felt safe and if anything, comfort, because I had a forest to watch me and for me to entertain!
I love trees, I always feel sad when an old tree has to be cut down or, worse, doesn't have to be, but still is. When I moved into my house two years ago, there was one large tree in the small backyard and I heard one of my neighbours wants it gone. Luckily, it's nowhere near her garden, so she has nothing to do with it and I will not remove it unless I absolutely have to for safety. I also planted two willows, as well as a cherry and plum tree, all of which I'll have to keep small, but I still love them and hope they provide me with shade and fruits, while I make sure they have water and nutrients.
I know, right? There used to be a strip of trees bordering the fence around my apartment complex, with a field on the other side...One of them was so close to the fence, that it would rub up against it, and make a creaking sound...I called it my 'squeaky tree.' XD But then...a couple years ago, they were all torn out to make room for more apartments...which are still being built (though nearing completion now). I was SO. MAD. Heh. I'm still a bit bitter about it, but I've come to accept it. Not much else I can do, as I'm just a renter. :/
This sounds interesting! I imagine it has to do with trees being seen as a symbol of fertility and also the seasonal cycles (life, death, and rebirth).
Trees are just a blessing ❤ It just breaks my heart when the trees in my area are in constant danger of being cut down, simply because they’re seen as an intrusion and nobody ever stands up for them or volunteer to look after them. I want to speak for them but I’m already targeted by people who choose to fight me 😢 It just really sucks because also many of these people are ignorant to climate change, and that’s actually encouraged by the elders. I sometimes hate the people I live with because of how much they obstruct nature, it really breaks my heart 😭, the feeling of fighting a losing battle
Traditional Javanese people believe that trees (especially the big ones) are homes for ghostly beings. Chopping down a tree without any ritual will make them angry.
I keep thinking of how Filipinos regard balete trees. Pre-colonial Filipinos see them as their sacred tree. In the modern day, they're seen as being filled with ghosts and spirits. Also, given that I'm Catholic, the trees in the Garden of Eden come to mind. Obviously. I have to wonder if they took inspiration from surrounding areas.
@MyIGisLoveExplores Love Baurile Mainland Southeast Asia, which adopted Buddhism. Island Southeast Asia were mostly animistic. The fig tree isn't the "abode of evil spirits", it's the home of spirits. Period. And a gateway to the spirit world in Austronesian beliefs.
@MyIGisLoveExplores Love Baurile Almost all of Island Southeast Asia, most of Micronesia, Island Melanesia, most of Polynesia, Madagascar. The Atayal revere red cypresses, as they are the largest trees in their territories. Banyans don't grow in their native lands in the northern highlands. The Banyan is significant only to tribes with territories where banyans grow. Notably the Paiwan, the Puyuma, and the Rukai (probably more, but they're the only ones I can find sources on). The Rukai and Paiwan build swings on Banyans which they view as a ladder for ancestor spirits to come down and join a wedding ritual. The Puyuma and the Paiwan both believe in an ancient gigantic Banyan tree that grows on mainland Taiwan, and whose roots extend to nearby islands, functioning like a bridge. In the Puyuma, these roots were used by a folk hero Patiaku to steal rice cakes from his neighbors. The neighbors stranded him on an island by cutting the roots in vengeance, but the gods heard his cries and sent a whale to rescue him. Interestingly enough, the Hakka (Hokkien) who may have ancient Austronesian ancestry prior to being Sinicized, also view banyans as sacred, and the homes of the spirits of their ancestors. There are numerous sacred banyans in Hakka temples. Like the Tongliang Tree of the Penghu Islands. The Hakka may be partial descendants of the Dapenkeng culture, the Neolithic pre-Austronesians who lived in what is now their territory (later the Bai Yue of the Han Chinese records).
Indigenous Taiwanese peoples, also Austronesians, have many stories regarding sacred trees. One of the most common motif regarding the creation of humans is that the first man and woman were born out of a giant tree wrapped around a giant rock, and one came out from the tree, the other came out from the rock. The Tsou creation myth has a god shake a word true, and the leaves that fell to the ground became the first people.
This is a fantastic episode! It's very well-written, and Dr. McTier presented it all perfectly. I love the attention given to cultures all around the world, and all the functions that mythological trees can have. Also, the little smile Dr. McTier gives after saying Yggsdrasil as an ash tree is "hotly debated" made me laugh.
Also in Norse myth, the first two humans are created from trees! The man is named Askr, meaning ash tree. The woman is named Embla, which some say means elm tree, but that etymology much more contentious.
>Bit of a Druid [The Oak-Knowers] >Lives in Haudenosaunee lands [The Great Peace Tree] >Aspiring Buddhist [awakening under a tree] I'm pumped for the tree episode
In Jamaica, we have stories about the spirits of enslaved people living under cotton trees (silk cotton tree). The trees were also used by the native Tainos to make their dugout canoes. It was a revered tree when I was growing up. Not sure when the cultural change happened but Cotton Trees no longer seem respected. And in honour of the Banyan tree, we have a folk song that goes like this: Moonshine Tonight, come me wi dance and sing Yuh deh rock so Mi deh rock so unda the Banyan tree Yuh deh rock so Mi deh rock so Unda the Banyan Tree
During my childhood, I lived at my kampung in Kuching, Sarawak. The name of the kampung is Kampung Sagah, and the area is called Singai. I fondly remember the sounds of the rainforest. There were flora and fauna all over, with neighbours a couple of meters away from my house.
Kalpaveriksha is a wish fulfilling tree that arose from the cosmic ocean during the churning of the ocean by both gods or devas and demons or asuras . It is not a battle but a cooperative act to harness the treasures that lay in the depth of the cosmic ocean . The supreme god Vishnu instructed them to combine forces of both gods and demons to harness the treasures. The story is called AMRIT MANTHANA.
Enjoyed this video! I was waiting for you to mention the Bodhi Tree, but you didn't, The story is that Buddha sat in meditation under the shelter of this tree on the night of his enlightenment. The original Bodhi tree is no longer living, (after 2500 years) but the tree at the temple in Bodhgaya, is said to be a descendant of the original tree planted from seeds from the original at the same location. In Buddhist art, the Bodhi Tree is a common theme. The relationship between Buddhism and communing with nature, particularly trees, is still a thing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_Tree
Love how you explored the well rooted lore. Went out on a limb to watch this one to see if it piqued my interest, and I’m glad I did. Okay, I’m done- I’ll see myself out and leaf now. 🌳 ~_~
the Buddha is said to have meditated beneath a sacred fig, commonly called a bodhi tree, and although the original tree isn't found anymore, it's descendant is located in the Mahabodhi Temple in India. Samples of the bodhi tree are planted in other parts of the world by devout Buddhists
I love just looking at Ceiba trees here. Most of them are so old & have been around since the time of Tainos. It's really sad when one dies or gets cut down because you feel like a part of living history has been lost.
Odins sacrifice by hanging in the world tree is a separate event from his sacrifice of his eye. The latter was to the Well of Wisdom, not the World Tree. While both were to gain knowledge/wisdom, they are not the same.
I knew something was off in the story when they mentioned losing his eye as well but couldn't remember it exactly. Also, didn't he hang from the tree so he could learn the secrets of the Runes?
@@Clipperson You are right, altho, there are scholars who think there was more to the hanging. Such as it being a shamanistic ritual, where he spiritually traveled to a different realm where the runes were kept. One of the reasons of this interpretation is the name Yggdrasil. Ygg is one of the many names Odin uses for himself, while 'drasil' simply means horse. So the three becomes his horse on the sacrificial journey.
Your love and connection to earth and the the mythology of Gaia from this video and another one past warms my heart. Myths and history hold so much power to our present still ❤lovely tattoo by the way!
I would also think that some of the myths of trees could come from the appearance of faces, animals or demons in the wood grain. Since I was a kid, I would see these things in doors and other places.
Finnic mythology also know a kind of a myth about the world tree, which has been preserved in some form in old folk runes. In those stories, the tree is usually a birch, an oak or a rowan tree, and it is born and grows from, for example, a piece of Sampo or a beer that was spilled on the ground. But the tree grows so big that it prevents the sun and the moon from giving their light and warmth to the people, so they start looking for a woodcutter, who, depending on the version, is either the searcher's brother or a thumb-sized man who rose from the sea and cuts down the tree. However, in the runes about the search for the sun and the moon, the wicked witch or some other reason has hidden the celestial lights and then, when they are finally found, for example, inside a mountain or a fish, the sun and the moon are hung on the branches of the world tree; first too low, when it's too hot (or they give light only to the rich), then too high (or they give light only to the poor), when it's too dark, and finally in the middle of the tree, when it's suitable for everyone. According to some scholars, the two myths are originally related and have common roots, but have developed separately in oral folklore.
Science is getting up to date: We now know that trees have an intimate relationship with their environment. There literally is an underground network of trees, plants and fungi, helping each other to thrive and defend their community against common threats. They are comparable to colonies of bees, ants and termites, maybe even organisms like humans, as we each are actually a community of species, instead of just one.
My dream is to own my own house one day, since I inadvertently bought five tropical plants that are actually trees and I don’t want to prune them to keep to them in pots. I want them to spread out and grow and thrive, for as many years as it takes I want to give them safe harbor.
So many greek myths warn that picking a flower or felling a tree are the worst things you can do. A king was cursed with an insatiable appetite after felling a tree sacred to Demeter because she sent Famine to him. He sold all his possessions, all his titles and his kingdom to buy food. He even sold his only daughter multiple times (luckily she had the protection of Poseidon so she transformed and fled each time, only to be sold again). This continued until, at long last, he was too hungry to wait and ate himself
They are made of air. As someone who studied tree biology, I can confidently say Pratchett was right: just cuz you know how it's done doesn't mean it stops being magic. With one addendum in this case; "have a hint of a clue pf how they do it".
They saying "knock on wood" actually comes from mythology. In anchient times, people used to go knock a tree to get the tree's spirit to their side and make their wishes come true or give aid in diffucult situtations.
Also in India, Tree marriage is a form of symbolic marriage between a human and a tree that is said to be infused with supernatural life. It can be a form of proxy marriage in which a bachelor marries a tree and becomes treated as a widower when the tree is felled, a status required in some cultures to allow him to marry a widow.
You forgot the Rowan/Mountain Ash in Wicca UK/American culture and the many species of Japanese/Chinese Wisteria. These two trees I mention protect you from evil.
I went for a hike and saw clear-cutting practices while I know it was pines planted for paper products I couldn't help but feel that we are destroying what gives us life.
Every year when we were in growing up in school during our stay we would have them hand out pine tree saplings to us and unlike we should be going to either a nursery. Or planting them in designated area because most of the kids didn't own their own home and what do they do with the tablet they threw in the garbage or give him back.
Its because trees are cool, like bro they are huge and old and kinda intimidating. Like seriously I live in a house made of them and I learned they can communicate with each other with fungus networks, I live in a house made of tree bones or something. They dont have eyes either so I just dont know if I can trust them, cant tell what they are plotting.
There is a tree on the route my family has traditionally taken to get to vacations on the coast that is COVERED in shoes. We don't know why, or what it's history is, it's just always been a fun thing to look for on the route. There's also a smaller 'bra tree' near the 'shoe tree' that was only discovered (by us) more recently. XD Sounds like they'd fit the model of a wishing tree, but I dunno.
Since trees are big, tough, can be seen from afar and are found almost everywhere outside of deserts where humans are few, it just makes sense. Mountains are cool and all, but they're a bit too unchanging ^^
Love the oak tree tattoo 😍 I have the image of a forest with geometric patterns on my left forearm as a symbol of the mythical forest. Loved the video as well, although I'm a bit disappointed you didn't mention Finnic mythology in an episode about trees 😄 Although now that I think about it, our mythology does concern itself more with the forest rather than singular trees.
Fascinatingly, a recent discovery in Ténochtitlan's Templo Mayor Ruins is that of a hallowed tree next to a shrine, though not much is known since research is ongoing, by the way, is there any truth to the legend of St. Boniface cutting a sacred tree of Thor being the basis for christmas tree?
For anyone learning Spanish. "Ceiba" should be stressed on "Ce" not on the "i". And what's more, those sounds ("ce" and "i") shouldn't be so separated. Ceibas are one of my favorite trees. 😅
First of all, Thank you for this video, I think it’s the inspiration I need for my own storytelling. Secondly, do you have any opinions on Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy? I’m sure a lot of people relate to that character, even while considering Thor as depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In Amazons cosmovision, there was a tree so big and powerful, who we're wordship by th humans living in Venezuela, Brasil and Colombia. The gods were so kind that they cut one of them to create amazonian and tepuyes.
Old trees in Indonesia are thought to have "penunggu" or spirit/djinn that dwells in it. Some trees are notorious for having penunggu, such as beringin (Ficus benjamina, some people may call bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) as beringin too) and mango. Bamboo and banana pants that grew very close together also tought to have penunggu sometimes. As most Indonesians are Muslims, we believe that there's a tree in the highest Heaven called Sidrat Al-Muntaha where our prophet Muhammad (pbuh) received the command to pray 5 times a day 😊 Sidr is in the family of Zizyphus tree, and its leaves and dried fruits are used in traditional medicine.
Wow you really grew up in a log cabin😂 You're parents were either hippies or your from the Kentucky Appalachian area. Your house reminds me of the area my grandparents house was in. A super small country town that had moonshiner rigs set up in the woods😂 I definitely have a deeper admiration of trees now
For those interested in the secret life of trees, I recommend "The Overstory" by Richard Powers, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. You will never think of trees the same way again.
“Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth.”― Herman Hesse
"I speak for the trees!" --The Lorax ...Sorry, I couldn't resist.
In Austronesian folklore, the fig/banyan tree is the one universal "sacred" tree. However, it's technically a tree of DEATH. Since it's regarded as a bridge to the spirit world, as well as the material form of the spiritual domains of some non-human spirits. This is due to the unique way fig trees grow. They start out as vines that choke another tree to death by wrapping around it. As it becomes a tree in its own right, the dead tree in the middle rot away, leaving a hollow, which is then regarded as the gateway to the other world. Other large trees (without hollows) are treated in the same way.
Za pobyedu.
@@heb2024 Russia is a terrorist state.
Sounds like the Banyan is the same (or at least similar) tree which is more commonly known as the Strangler Fig where I'm from (australia). They can get really impressive looking. I can see why they can cause such inspiration.
@@sharielane Yep, it is. The name "strangler fig" applies to several species with the same life history. "Banyan" is just a more familiar term for most westerners, so I used it instead. They're beautiful trees, but also scary-looking at times. Gigantic, a tangle of roots, hanging aerial roots, etc. Pretty sure the tree in Avatar is also based on them.
the bunyan tree can also grant wishes apparently
Here's a fun one! The Balete tree in Filipino folklore is somewhat terrifying - it's believed either that many mythic creatures live in its many strange hollows and branches, or that it's a doorway to another world. When you see a balete you immediately get a sense of eeriness since they're both huge and creepy - and many of them are even a result of fully grown strangler figs fully taking over an existing tree, so even from a scientific standpoint you're looking at something terrifying, the corpse of an old tree giving life to a new one.
- Similar to the Dryads there are also the Leshy, which are forest spirits form Slavic mythology
- also there are said to be orchards that possess powerful fruits like the Peaches of Immortality (which the Monkey King once ate) or Apples that exist in both Greek (1 of the 12 labors that Heracles had to get), Norse mythology (which are taken care of by Iduna), or of course there is the fruit of knowledge from the Garden of Eden which is depicted as an apple
The tree of knowledge is only an apple in modern days due to a translation error, the original Hebrew calls is a fruit, and in older versions of English apple was the generic word for fruit (hance pineapple looking nothing like an apple)
Jews really don't care much for apples, theologists say a better base for the fruit would be a fig, but since the type of fruit is never specified it might just be unlike any known fruit
Came here to mention something like the above. The Bible doesn’t specify what the fruit of the knowledge of good & evil was… just that it was a fruit.
I recall a heartbreaking story from my childhood about a woman who wanted children, so she was told to pick some fruit from a tree and leave the basket in her house overnight. Her house was filled with children and she was happy until the day she yelled at them. "No wonder you are good for nothing. You are all children of a tree!" And all the children grew silent and left. She returned to the tree and tried to pick more fruit, but the skin on each fruit peeled away to show the face of a crying child until she returned home empty-handed
That can be seen as cautionary tale for parents to not drive their children away by saying something cruel out of anger without thinking of the gravity of their words. It takes mere seconds to severe that bond, and years to repair it, sometimes it'll never be the same. The children might just leave one day, and never come back.
Your story reminds me of the Guaraná, in Brazilian (native) folklore.
Basically it tells the story of a couple who tried, but could not have children. They cried for Tupã (main deity) to help them, so he blessed their home and eventually they had a child, a boy they cherished greatly. But one day, I don't remember the exact story, the boy was injured gravely by a jaguar. The mother was so distressed she wished she could revive her dead son. Tupã then told her to take the eyes of her dead son and plant them in the soil. She did so, and then the Guaraná tree grew. Its fruit looks like eyes and it serves as a great energy source
@@leonardowrobleski2784 interesting! In Taiwan there's a tree called the longan (dragon eye) tree. For a wedding, the husband's family must give the bride two of the fruits to eat so that he'd have eyes for no other
It is the story of Calabash children from Africa
@@haridevmohan5154 thanks!
I've always adored trees. One of my earliest memories is SOBBING because the road commission chopped down the huge gorgeous tree that was at the end of my road.
Love, love, love this! Like you, I grew up in the woods in an old farmhouse on 80 acres of land of which half was not cleared. I used to climb up an old oak tree, lay on it’s humongous branch and read myths and fables. My ancestors were Scots-Irish pagans And I honor them all the time by dancing to the Mummers’ Dance and growing trees, every chance I get. I don’t buy cut trees at Christmas. I buy live ones and plant them after the season is over. I love this segment! It has two of my favorite subjects - trees and mythology. We should worship them every chance we get! Love you and love this show!❤❤❤
after seeing a ceiba tree in real life i completely understand why they're so sacred. they look almost magical
I tend to think of myself as a "desert creature," most of my formative years were spent in western Texas where it's flat and dry and trees are R A R E
So there was always a real sense of wonder for me about them, even when I wasn't in the desert anymore. I remember exclaiming to my mother when we first moved to the Southeast that the world was a different color at night. Desert nights have a very specific look, and it's utterly unlike the way night looks when there are trees EVERYWHERE. It's not just that the sun seems to set earlier, or that the temperature is different, or that the air is saturated with water. It's all those things but it's also more, and for me it always felt like it was the trees themselves that were key to that feeling. And anyone who's been in a forest at night with no light source to help guide them probably knows how dangerous they can become. Just from my own personal experiences with trees I find it absolutely unremarkable that every culture has so many myths and legends surrounding the trees. Some of them make me wrinkle my brow a bit, I have to think hard to "get it," but that's solely because I'm unfamiliar with the contexts. The idea of a tree that makes woman shaped fruit really ISN'T that weird when you think about - oh just for instance - banana trees. Or avocadoes, or even something like a mimosa tree. Add in some of the other stuff one finds - oak galls look SUPER weird, and some of the fungus that grows only on the bark of living trees are just as weird (or more so, and I'm looking at you, "wood ears") - I mean, come on, these are features of our natural world that seem like FAR more than just a shrubbery or a backdrop!
I live in a temperate rainforest, massive spruce, alder, maple and cedar that are often covered in thick layers of moss on all sides. The ground and the the trees are choked by the moss and vegetation, even the summers the forest is just a little damp. There are 80-90 inches of rain a year and not far away some places get over 100, urbanization and logging have caused much of it to be lost but the few patched of old growth forest left are quite frankly eerie at night. The environment is like no other forest type I've seen and reminds me of a fairytale, the nights are pitch black and the air is cool and wet. Where I live 100 foot trees are common and most lawns are choked by moss. The weather is wet but mild, the winters never stray much below 20 at night and the summers rarely over 85 so both extremes of temperature are essentially absent. The summers are pleasant with occasional rain, the fall is the driest and cold, the winter rains heavily, and the early spring is when snow usually falls. In fact I saw the first snowy Christmas in 10 years last year and it was gone by noon.
A forest is one thing, but a rainforest is a whole other thing whether it is tropical or temperate, the temperate rainforest is the least appreciated type of forest and to me is the most beautiful. I grew up here and because of that open places feel wrong, the dry air and lack of cover just feels deeply wrong to me because I grew up in a wet, soggy, mossy, tree covered landscape.
I am not sure how I would even exist in a desert, like I am used to the ground just always being damp and the many nearby rivers being clear and ice cold. The desert sounds horrible, but I guess here its common for people to develop seasonal depression here since the winters are so dark and the rain never stops.
@@Exquailibur Temperate rainforests really DO look so magical and amazing. You're right that they're under-appreciated! And I think it makes perfect sense that a desert seems awful to you, haha! We get comfortable with where we grow, you know? There's great beauty there but it's certainly not for everyone or even most critters. Deserts demand a high level of specialization. Where I lived, we might get six inches of rain in a whole year, and that counted winter snow. Summers there get over 100F now, but winters still get into the negatives I think, certainly they did in the 1980s when I was still there! Water was the magical thing, for the plants and animals as much as the people, but trees were just Mythical Beings in terms of native ones. I never knew if any of the trees in the city proper were actually native species, but I know the ones in my grandmother's yard were NOT; Russian olive and some kind of elm. Cottonwoods do grow in the drier parts of the state of Texas, but to my dismay I wouldn't have known what a cottonwood looked like back then :(
This world has SO many amazing things for us, and when you're able to be open to that wonder, there are legends everywhere!
@@Beryllahawk It is a little known fact that deserts are actually quite biodiverse, while the total biomass pales in comparison to a rainforest they often have almost as many species even if they live at far lower densities. Deserts are harsh and harsh environments make for tough plants and animals, many desert plants are in contention for being the oldest living things.
But yeah a desert is awful for me, surprisingly there is one just across the mountains. Oddly the same mountains that allow for the existence of a rainforest also create a mix of deserts and prairies on the other side. Climate is complicated and ever fascinating.
My sanctuary is The Arkansas Ozarks. My Mother and I moved there in 1968-69 and she met and married Dad who's family had been on their property since the late 1800's. We were welcomed into the family and I have always felt a greater connection to my adopted family and the glorious hills. I am at such peace when going and heartbroken to leave. I miss The Dogwoods behind the house...The Hickories in front, the Branch and Creek and the magnificent Sycamore that shines out when you cross the creek...about a quarter of a mile away. I seem to seek out tree imagery in my art.🤔
Thank you so much for today's post!❤️😍
Never could get lost in the woods. At 6 I was living on the edge of 160 acres of Georgia Pacific tree stock. Cutting through to visit the neighbors - never took the same path twice. Armed with 22 and best squirrel dog - still happy that we never got one! (Miss you Pepper!) But the trees... Never had any fear or bad time out among them! Always felt safe and if anything, comfort, because I had a forest to watch me and for me to entertain!
my parents planted a tree when i was born, the people who own our old house now know which tree it is and promised not to cut it down :)
I love trees, I always feel sad when an old tree has to be cut down or, worse, doesn't have to be, but still is.
When I moved into my house two years ago, there was one large tree in the small backyard and I heard one of my neighbours wants it gone. Luckily, it's nowhere near her garden, so she has nothing to do with it and I will not remove it unless I absolutely have to for safety.
I also planted two willows, as well as a cherry and plum tree, all of which I'll have to keep small, but I still love them and hope they provide me with shade and fruits, while I make sure they have water and nutrients.
I know, right? There used to be a strip of trees bordering the fence around my apartment complex, with a field on the other side...One of them was so close to the fence, that it would rub up against it, and make a creaking sound...I called it my 'squeaky tree.' XD But then...a couple years ago, they were all torn out to make room for more apartments...which are still being built (though nearing completion now). I was SO. MAD. Heh. I'm still a bit bitter about it, but I've come to accept it. Not much else I can do, as I'm just a renter. :/
This sounds interesting! I imagine it has to do with trees being seen as a symbol of fertility and also the seasonal cycles (life, death, and rebirth).
Trees are just a blessing ❤
It just breaks my heart when the trees in my area are in constant danger of being cut down, simply because they’re seen as an intrusion and nobody ever stands up for them or volunteer to look after them. I want to speak for them but I’m already targeted by people who choose to fight me 😢
It just really sucks because also many of these people are ignorant to climate change, and that’s actually encouraged by the elders. I sometimes hate the people I live with because of how much they obstruct nature, it really breaks my heart 😭, the feeling of fighting a losing battle
Traditional Javanese people believe that trees (especially the big ones) are homes for ghostly beings. Chopping down a tree without any ritual will make them angry.
I keep thinking of how Filipinos regard balete trees. Pre-colonial Filipinos see them as their sacred tree. In the modern day, they're seen as being filled with ghosts and spirits.
Also, given that I'm Catholic, the trees in the Garden of Eden come to mind. Obviously. I have to wonder if they took inspiration from surrounding areas.
@MyIGisLoveExplores Love Baurile
Mainland Southeast Asia, which adopted Buddhism.
Island Southeast Asia were mostly animistic. The fig tree isn't the "abode of evil spirits", it's the home of spirits. Period. And a gateway to the spirit world in Austronesian beliefs.
@MyIGisLoveExplores Love Baurile Almost all of Island Southeast Asia, most of Micronesia, Island Melanesia, most of Polynesia, Madagascar.
The Atayal revere red cypresses, as they are the largest trees in their territories. Banyans don't grow in their native lands in the northern highlands.
The Banyan is significant only to tribes with territories where banyans grow. Notably the Paiwan, the Puyuma, and the Rukai (probably more, but they're the only ones I can find sources on).
The Rukai and Paiwan build swings on Banyans which they view as a ladder for ancestor spirits to come down and join a wedding ritual.
The Puyuma and the Paiwan both believe in an ancient gigantic Banyan tree that grows on mainland Taiwan, and whose roots extend to nearby islands, functioning like a bridge. In the Puyuma, these roots were used by a folk hero Patiaku to steal rice cakes from his neighbors. The neighbors stranded him on an island by cutting the roots in vengeance, but the gods heard his cries and sent a whale to rescue him.
Interestingly enough, the Hakka (Hokkien) who may have ancient Austronesian ancestry prior to being Sinicized, also view banyans as sacred, and the homes of the spirits of their ancestors. There are numerous sacred banyans in Hakka temples. Like the Tongliang Tree of the Penghu Islands. The Hakka may be partial descendants of the Dapenkeng culture, the Neolithic pre-Austronesians who lived in what is now their territory (later the Bai Yue of the Han Chinese records).
@MyIGisLoveExplores Love Baurile
Banyan trees dont necessarily house evil spirits
Indigenous Taiwanese peoples, also Austronesians, have many stories regarding sacred trees. One of the most common motif regarding the creation of humans is that the first man and woman were born out of a giant tree wrapped around a giant rock, and one came out from the tree, the other came out from the rock. The Tsou creation myth has a god shake a word true, and the leaves that fell to the ground became the first people.
This is a fantastic episode! It's very well-written, and Dr. McTier presented it all perfectly. I love the attention given to cultures all around the world, and all the functions that mythological trees can have. Also, the little smile Dr. McTier gives after saying Yggsdrasil as an ash tree is "hotly debated" made me laugh.
Also in Norse myth, the first two humans are created from trees! The man is named Askr, meaning ash tree. The woman is named Embla, which some say means elm tree, but that etymology much more contentious.
I love this series so much. Thank you, Storied.
“I hate trees, the remind me of elves.”
- A great Dwarf Philosopher.
>Bit of a Druid [The Oak-Knowers]
>Lives in Haudenosaunee lands [The Great Peace Tree]
>Aspiring Buddhist [awakening under a tree]
I'm pumped for the tree episode
In Jamaica, we have stories about the spirits of enslaved people living under cotton trees (silk cotton tree). The trees were also used by the native Tainos to make their dugout canoes. It was a revered tree when I was growing up. Not sure when the cultural change happened but Cotton Trees no longer seem respected.
And in honour of the Banyan tree, we have a folk song that goes like this:
Moonshine Tonight, come me wi dance and sing
Yuh deh rock so
Mi deh rock so
unda the Banyan tree
Yuh deh rock so
Mi deh rock so
Unda the Banyan Tree
During my childhood, I lived at my kampung in Kuching, Sarawak. The name of the kampung is Kampung Sagah, and the area is called Singai. I fondly remember the sounds of the rainforest. There were flora and fauna all over, with neighbours a couple of meters away from my house.
I was wondering about this within the past month or so!! Excited to watch and see what's revealed
Kalpaveriksha is a wish fulfilling tree that arose from the cosmic ocean during the churning of the ocean by both gods or devas and demons or asuras . It is not a battle but a cooperative act to harness the treasures that lay in the depth of the cosmic ocean . The supreme god Vishnu instructed them to combine forces of both gods and demons to harness the treasures. The story is called AMRIT MANTHANA.
That story at the very beginning was beautiful 😊
Enjoyed this video! I was waiting for you to mention the Bodhi Tree, but you didn't, The story is that Buddha sat in meditation under the shelter of this tree on the night of his enlightenment. The original Bodhi tree is no longer living, (after 2500 years) but the tree at the temple in Bodhgaya, is said to be a descendant of the original tree planted from seeds from the original at the same location. In Buddhist art, the Bodhi Tree is a common theme. The relationship between Buddhism and communing with nature, particularly trees, is still a thing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_Tree
Love how you explored the well rooted lore.
Went out on a limb to watch this one to see if it piqued my interest, and I’m glad I did.
Okay, I’m done- I’ll see myself out and leaf now.
🌳
~_~
Ohhhh, I loved this episode!! 🥰 So cool to hear about varying culture's tree lore
the Buddha is said to have meditated beneath a sacred fig, commonly called a bodhi tree, and although the original tree isn't found anymore, it's descendant is located in the Mahabodhi Temple in India. Samples of the bodhi tree are planted in other parts of the world by devout Buddhists
Can't forget the myth about the naming of the city of Athens, where Athena was made the patron god because of the gift of the olive tree.
I love just looking at Ceiba trees here. Most of them are so old & have been around since the time of Tainos. It's really sad when one dies or gets cut down because you feel like a part of living history has been lost.
Just a correction, it's 'kalpavriksha', not 'kalpavrishka'. Vriksha means tree in Sanskrit.
Even more accurately, it is kalpavrksha. Since the r sound is supposed to be a vowel with nothing else playing the vowel role.
Thank you for the clarification. Hindi is my third language, and my vocabulary is still very limited.
Odins sacrifice by hanging in the world tree is a separate event from his sacrifice of his eye. The latter was to the Well of Wisdom, not the World Tree. While both were to gain knowledge/wisdom, they are not the same.
I'm so happy to see someone else caught that.
I knew something was off in the story when they mentioned losing his eye as well but couldn't remember it exactly. Also, didn't he hang from the tree so he could learn the secrets of the Runes?
@@Clipperson yep he hung until the runes appeared to him and he understood them.
@@Clipperson You are right, altho, there are scholars who think there was more to the hanging. Such as it being a shamanistic ritual, where he spiritually traveled to a different realm where the runes were kept. One of the reasons of this interpretation is the name Yggdrasil. Ygg is one of the many names Odin uses for himself, while 'drasil' simply means horse. So the three becomes his horse on the sacrificial journey.
Your love and connection to earth and the the mythology of Gaia from this video and another one past warms my heart. Myths and history hold so much power to our present still ❤lovely tattoo by the way!
Thank you! I’ve been waiting on a video like this to help with my own personal research about this topic to better understand it
I would also think that some of the myths of trees could come from the appearance of faces, animals or demons in the wood grain. Since I was a kid, I would see these things in doors and other places.
If sitting under a shady tree in perfect summer weather isn't a borderline religious experience for you, then you don't know anything
Your intro and the beginning were beautifully written!
I just discovered Fate and Fabled, I quite enjoy it.
Oaks trees are also sacred on Basque culture and are part of Basque folklore.
Finnic mythology also know a kind of a myth about the world tree, which has been preserved in some form in old folk runes.
In those stories, the tree is usually a birch, an oak or a rowan tree, and it is born and grows from, for example, a piece of Sampo or a beer that was spilled on the ground. But the tree grows so big that it prevents the sun and the moon from giving their light and warmth to the people, so they start looking for a woodcutter, who, depending on the version, is either the searcher's brother or a thumb-sized man who rose from the sea and cuts down the tree.
However, in the runes about the search for the sun and the moon, the wicked witch or some other reason has hidden the celestial lights and then, when they are finally found, for example, inside a mountain or a fish, the sun and the moon are hung on the branches of the world tree; first too low, when it's too hot (or they give light only to the rich), then too high (or they give light only to the poor), when it's too dark, and finally in the middle of the tree, when it's suitable for everyone.
According to some scholars, the two myths are originally related and have common roots, but have developed separately in oral folklore.
You are never alone if there are trees. Whether that is a threat or not is entirely up to the trees.
Such a sweet story at the beginning
interesting personal touch. inspiration comes in many forms.
My favourite is the banyan tree which can be expansive in nature. Also, I like aspen trees for the aesthetic.
This is so cool, my name is in this! I didn't even know and just learned something new. Just made my day ❤ Thank you guys for this. 2:10
I love this youtube channel. Do you have a citation page? Id love to read more about this kind of stuff.
Science is getting up to date: We now know that trees have an intimate relationship with their environment. There literally is an underground network of trees, plants and fungi, helping each other to thrive and defend their community against common threats. They are comparable to colonies of bees, ants and termites, maybe even organisms like humans, as we each are actually a community of species, instead of just one.
0:24 “Some provided food; others, syrup; and they all…”
🥄😠 HEY! Whaddayamean syrup isn’t a food?!
Unless… is syrup a beverage? 😀🥃
Depends on the syrup! Some tree sap can taste slightly sweet and yet be quite toxic! Too, sometimes you use tree syrups for non-people food!
@@deadfr0g😅
My dream is to own my own house one day, since I inadvertently bought five tropical plants that are actually trees and I don’t want to prune them to keep to them in pots. I want them to spread out and grow and thrive, for as many years as it takes I want to give them safe harbor.
So many greek myths warn that picking a flower or felling a tree are the worst things you can do. A king was cursed with an insatiable appetite after felling a tree sacred to Demeter because she sent Famine to him. He sold all his possessions, all his titles and his kingdom to buy food. He even sold his only daughter multiple times (luckily she had the protection of Poseidon so she transformed and fled each time, only to be sold again). This continued until, at long last, he was too hungry to wait and ate himself
I didn't know about that trees, thanks,, I learn something new
They are made of air.
As someone who studied tree biology, I can confidently say Pratchett was right: just cuz you know how it's done doesn't mean it stops being magic.
With one addendum in this case; "have a hint of a clue pf how they do it".
They saying "knock on wood" actually comes from mythology. In anchient times, people used to go knock a tree to get the tree's spirit to their side and make their wishes come true or give aid in diffucult situtations.
In the Caribbean they say spirits live in silk cotton trees which can grow to be quite large and old as well.🇬🇩🇬🇩🇬🇩🇬🇩
Also in India, Tree marriage is a form of symbolic marriage between a human and a tree that is said to be infused with supernatural life. It can be a form of proxy marriage in which a bachelor marries a tree and becomes treated as a widower when the tree is felled, a status required in some cultures to allow him to marry a widow.
Your childhood home looks cozy on the outside!
I have to use the Jubokko in a story someday.
You forgot the Rowan/Mountain Ash in Wicca UK/American culture and the many species of Japanese/Chinese Wisteria. These two trees I mention protect you from evil.
Fun fact! There's a direct etymological connection between Dryads and Druids- the root *drus,* oak, is also the forerunner for the word tree!
Great video!
I went for a hike and saw clear-cutting practices while I know it was pines planted for paper products I couldn't help but feel that we are destroying what gives us life.
Beautifully done! I'd watch infinity of this info.
Trees are great! I'm glad other people feel the same way.
Every year when we were in growing up in school during our stay we would have them hand out pine tree saplings to us and unlike we should be going to either a nursery. Or planting them in designated area because most of the kids didn't own their own home and what do they do with the tablet they threw in the garbage or give him back.
I love Storied content
They're the habitat we come up among, the womb that bore us forth.
Its because trees are cool, like bro they are huge and old and kinda intimidating. Like seriously I live in a house made of them and I learned they can communicate with each other with fungus networks, I live in a house made of tree bones or something. They dont have eyes either so I just dont know if I can trust them, cant tell what they are plotting.
Great video as always. Just wanted to give an FYI that the Nariphon is read as Na-ree-pown (the last word is a long o basically)
There is a tree on the route my family has traditionally taken to get to vacations on the coast that is COVERED in shoes. We don't know why, or what it's history is, it's just always been a fun thing to look for on the route. There's also a smaller 'bra tree' near the 'shoe tree' that was only discovered (by us) more recently. XD Sounds like they'd fit the model of a wishing tree, but I dunno.
The shoes could be mourning for loved ones or hoping for children.
Since trees are big, tough, can be seen from afar and are found almost everywhere outside of deserts where humans are few, it just makes sense. Mountains are cool and all, but they're a bit too unchanging ^^
Love the oak tree tattoo 😍 I have the image of a forest with geometric patterns on my left forearm as a symbol of the mythical forest.
Loved the video as well, although I'm a bit disappointed you didn't mention Finnic mythology in an episode about trees 😄 Although now that I think about it, our mythology does concern itself more with the forest rather than singular trees.
Trees are misunderstood sentient beings that hold a lot of power and great energy
I love trees🌲🌳🌴
Fascinatingly, a recent discovery in Ténochtitlan's Templo Mayor Ruins is that of a hallowed tree next to a shrine, though not much is known since research is ongoing, by the way, is there any truth to the legend of St. Boniface cutting a sacred tree of Thor being the basis for christmas tree?
This coming out shortly after the RWBY Volume 9 finale where an ancientTree plays a major role is a testament to trees’ prominence for humans.
For anyone learning Spanish.
"Ceiba" should be stressed on "Ce" not on the "i". And what's more, those sounds ("ce" and "i") shouldn't be so separated.
Ceibas are one of my favorite trees. 😅
First of all, Thank you for this video, I think it’s the inspiration I need for my own storytelling.
Secondly, do you have any opinions on Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy? I’m sure a lot of people relate to that character, even while considering Thor as depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world." ~John Muir
I think its because trees just kind of exists. They're big and old and seems very patient, if you were to give them human like quality.
In Amazons cosmovision, there was a tree so big and powerful, who we're wordship by th humans living in Venezuela, Brasil and Colombia. The gods were so kind that they cut one of them to create amazonian and tepuyes.
Can you please do a TAINO mythology PLEASE 🙏🙏🙏
Although extensively rooted within stodgy ground, trees effectively migrate and largely grow from thin air.
Trees are wondrous things, I understand how so many would have myth and story of them and their importance.
Thank you.
Figures oak trees are sacred to thunder gods, they do get struck by lightning a lot.
Old trees in Indonesia are thought to have "penunggu" or spirit/djinn that dwells in it. Some trees are notorious for having penunggu, such as beringin (Ficus benjamina, some people may call bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) as beringin too) and mango. Bamboo and banana pants that grew very close together also tought to have penunggu sometimes.
As most Indonesians are Muslims, we believe that there's a tree in the highest Heaven called Sidrat Al-Muntaha where our prophet Muhammad (pbuh) received the command to pray 5 times a day 😊 Sidr is in the family of Zizyphus tree, and its leaves and dried fruits are used in traditional medicine.
You forgot to mention the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden.
Wow you really grew up in a log cabin😂 You're parents were either hippies or your from the Kentucky Appalachian area. Your house reminds me of the area my grandparents house was in. A super small country town that had moonshiner rigs set up in the woods😂 I definitely have a deeper admiration of trees now
A bit more modern, but I always liked Robert Jordan's Ogier - The Treebrothers.
Cuz they’re everywhere and they’re fkn amazing
How lucky you were to grow up like that! Beautiful! I also used to pretend I would morph into a tree spirit or animal.
Beautiful ❤❤❤
That was cool thanks
NH white mtns here I love the woods❤
Trees are fundamental to our existence. Its like why so many have fertility or water deities
For those interested in the secret life of trees, I recommend "The Overstory" by Richard Powers, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. You will never think of trees the same way again.