When Alfred Banze invited me to participate in his Banyan Project, I knew little about the Banyan Tree. I took my mind to what it reminded me of. First my thought went to the checked sash. You could call them Tree bandannas as well. When I travelled in Indonesia, or to be more precise in Bali, I recognised trees because they were wrapped with such a cloth. A cloth from black and white checked fabric.
These checked trees somehow they looked so meaningful. Were the clothes a gesture of respect, protection or devotion?
Hinduism is the common religion in Bali leading me to presume that there is a religious ritual meaning. I was never given an explanation to confirm my presumption.
Are there holy trees in our culture, in Germany? ....
There have been.... I did a research of trees, that had such meaning. I could find some and they all have different and special meaning and classification in the Germanic mythology. The forest in general is very important in the old germanic mythologie. The woods have been seen as the origin of life and they have been sacred to the people.
First there is
the birch.
This is a typical
tree of the northern
hemisphere. Because
of it's white
bark it is related
to the symbolism
of light and is
dedicated to the
Germanic Goddess
Ostara.
Branches of the
birch are used
for magic and
hygienic purposes,
like in the Nordic
sauna.
To heal a fractured
bone of a child
the birch tree
was held open
by driving a strong
wedge through
the tree that
the naked child
would be passed
through three
times. The crack
would then be
bound tight and
if the tree grew
back together
the fractured
bone of the child
was healed.
Another interesting
purpose of the
birch was found:
Using the sap
of a chopped birch
is good for brewing
beer.
Second the ash:
The ash is unique
for its straight
and high stature
what gives it
a relationship
to the world axis.
Ash trees grow
close to water
a prime element
of life, what
also confers a
certain speciality
to this tree.
The ash is dedicated
to Odin, also
called Wodan the
highest God in
Germanic mythology.
Further on the
ash is also a
symbol of our
origin. Askr is
another word for
ash and the word
for man in the
book of Germanic
myth, the Edda.
The apple is the only fruit that is found growing naturally up to the northern hemisphere of Scandinavia.
The apple is a symbol of life, fertility and knowledge.
The Goddess Idun is the gardener for the holy apple tree that gives constant youth to the Gods.
A branch of the apple tree contains healing properties and guards against sleeplessness.
All parts of the yew tree are poisonous. It is evergreen and the berries are red, the colour of life. which is why the yew tree is the symbol for life and death.
The smell has a stimulating effect on the spirit.
That's why it is also classified as an Odintree.
For the Rituals of death the yew tree played an important role and it was also said to give shelter against lightning and demons.
Today you can find it often on graveyards.
With its nutritious nuts, the hazelnut tree represents the power of life. It has different ritual meanings one of which to cleanse energy of a place for ritual intent. Hazelnut branches were said to help people practising their skills in the art.
The elastic branches have been used as divining rod for thousands of years. The wood is said to be an excellent energy conductor.
A hazelnut bush next to a house acts as protection against lightening and negative energy from the ground.
In Celtic legend, the hazel tree drops its nuts into the well below, where they are consumed by the salmon. While cooking one of these salmon, Fionn accidentally tastes it, instantly gaining all knowledge. As such, the hazelnut has come to symbolize wisdom in a nutshell.
6 The beech.
The beech was
the most popular
and common tree
in our region.
It is a vital
tree that drives
out easily other
plants at the
same place. Because
it is so widespread
many places, villages,
cities are named
by the beech.
(Buchholz, Buchenwald,
Buchdenlohe...)
It is said to
have a calmative
effect, gives
emotional energy
and takes bad
energy from people.
In the Nordic
Mythology the
beech is dedicated
to Freyja, the
goddess of love
and marriage.
The smooth and
grey bark was
perfect for the
fabrication of
the so called
rune sticks.
Runes are the
eldest germanic
characters . Like
this you could
say the oldest
book of the Germanics
was a stick from
the beech.
The origin to
the german word
'Buchstaben' is
derived from the
habit of making
the runes from
the beech. In
german language
Buche means beech
and stabe character.
Writing in English
means originally
scratching. Also
today you find
a lot of sratchings
in the bark of
a beech, those
writings are a
link to history,
since the barks
keeps this signs
once they are
scratched into
the bark.
7. The oak:
The oak is the
most important
holy tree, with
its strength,
dimension, solidity,
high age, beauty
and complex form
of the bark.
In Germanic mythology
the oak tree was
dedicated to the
God Thor, also
known as Donor.
The leaves of
the oak tree were
said to have healing
powers, the acorns
once eaten by
druids to prepare
themselves for
prophecy. Nowadays
wild pigs and
deers are feed
with acorns in
wintertime.
Our ancestors
gathered under
the oaktree for
meetings to discuss
and speak of justice.
An oak tree dedicated
to the godess
Donar in the village
of Geismar became
famous. It was
chopped down(723
) by the German
monk Bonifatius,
who was in charges
of King Karl to
spread Christianity
to all parts of
Germany in the
8th Century, against
the resistance
and protest of
the people. From
the wood of this
Donar oak, a church
was build.
This oak became
the symbol of
the demise of
Germanic mythology
and the end for
honour of such
trees. Following
this example,
all other holy
trees were chopped
down or their
symbolismwas integrated
into the Christian
myth.
This form of worship is much safer as modern folk are saved from the long and dangerous journey on foot to the forests and have the opportunity to worship and honour the trees in form of this little futile, kitschy things.
But coming back
to the checked
trunks in Bali
and the decorated
Banyan trees found
in Asia
Tree decorating ritual in Germany is opposite to Asia, where people make offerings and give presents to the trees.
The day after trees have been decorated in Germany people gather around the decorated tree in awe of the many parcels and presents that have mysteriously been placed under the tree.
After four month in darkness and cold the people have enough of looking at the grey and naked branches. Before the first of the spring leaves begin to bloom people help themselves by fixing painted eggs, paper birds and colourful bows at the naked nature.
It is a huge bare trunk. You don't find it in the forest but in the centre of the villages.
It has a big round crown. n May the villagers gather around the tree to drink and later on they also sing. This is the so called May tree.
When I go through
the woods, I can
see such trees
decorated with
little ribbons
of red, yellow.
What king of mysterious,
strange ritual
might be behind
these decorative
signs?
No hints what-so-ever for any ritual activity or worshipping.
The banderoles give a threatening sentence of death.
It was explained to me that the growing of the trunks is measured at regular time intervals and when the trunk has got to the desired diameter, it and its coeval companions are felled.
Does this remind to you of the brother's Grimm fairy tale 'Hänsel and Gretel'where the children are locked in a stable by a witch and fed. By showing their fingers through a lattice the witch knew when they were fat enough for eating.
With the black and white checked cloth, I have little in common. For that reason I did choose another material for my sash.
My sash is a six to two meter plastic scarf.
A band for all the Banyan trees Alfred Banze could meet on his trip along the vegetation zone of the banyan trees.
I have choosen the red white and blue woven plastic material.
It must have an important meaning and be very popular.
It is used as shelter against rain and even houses are made of this plastic.
This material is connected with travelling and trade.
I could have also chosen a bag made out of this plastic for the trees, hanging it at the trunk, but a striped sash did fit better.
Trees do not travel that much.
top