Asacred tree orholy tree is atree which is considered to besacred, or worthy of spiritual respect or reverence. Such trees appear throughout world history in various cultures including the ancientHindu mythology,Greek,Celtic andGermanic mythologies. They also continue to hold profound meaning in contemporary culture in places like Japan (shinboku), Korea (dangsan namu), India (bodhi tree), and the Philippines, among others. Tree worship is core part of religions which include aspects ofanimism as core elements of their belief, which is the belief that trees, forests, rivers, mountains, etc. have a life force ('anime', i.e.,alive).
An example of the continued importance of sacred trees in contemporary urban culture is the 700-year oldcamphor growing in the middle ofKayashima Station. Locals protested against moving the tree when the railway station had to be expanded, so the station was built around it.[1] The sacredBanyan tree is thenational tree of India, and theBodhi Tree under which theBuddha is said to have meditated inBodh Gaya, is also revered as sacred.
Sacred trees are some times planted insacred groves, which may also have other types of trees too.[2]
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Trees in mythology are the trees that appear in the folklore genre of myth.
The sacred trees of Ireland were celebrated in early literature and could be found growing at inauguration sites. TheHewing or cutting down of an enemies sacred tree was considered as an act of war and symbolic conquest. References to sacred trees could be found in IrishAnnals up to the 12th century.[3]
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Thezapis is the sacred tree inSerbian Orthodoxtradition.
Many trees,groves andgardens are considered sacred inside Christianity. In Ireland sacred trees were associated ecclesiastical sites,holy wells and specific saints.[4] Many Christians adopted the practise of celebrating Evergreen trees for winter festivals in December. This was a common practice due to the belief that Evergreens have long lives and would be cut down and decorated. Eventually this practice became a part of the Christmas festival of Christianity.
Most notably theGethsemane, the location where Jesuswas betrayed byJudas Iscariot (agony in the Garden) according to the bible. The garden thereby became a commonpilgrimage site.[5] Saints associated with specific trees and locations also became pilgrimage sites inearly Christianity.[6][7]
In theIndian religions ofHinduism,Buddhism andJainism, the ecology, such as trees, rivers, fauna, and mountains, is sacred and revered objects of worship. There are numeroussacred groves of India. In Hindu belief, theKalpavriksha is awish granting tree. In addition to the Panchvati trees described below, other sacred trees include species such as theAkshayavat (sacred fig tree),Banana leaf,Kadamba,Parijata, andSandalwood. TheBodhi Tree (banyan) is specially revered, and there are numerouslarge banyan trees in India.Matsya Purana, aHindu text, has aSanskrit languageshloka (hymn), which explains the importance of reverence of ecology in Hinduism. It states, "Apond equals tenwells, a reservoir equals ten ponds, while a son equals ten reservoirs, and a tree equals ten sons."[8]Many parts of plants and trees are prescribed in the Vedic rituals. Some of the most significant trees referred to in the Vedic literature in the context of śrauta rituals are these: Banyan (Ficus benghalensis), Peepul (Ficus religiosa), Bastard teak (Butea monosperma - flame of the forest), Pikhan (Ficus infectoria - Plaksha), Cluster fig tree (Ficus Glomerata - Indian fig or Goolar), Prickly pear (Ficus indica), Bilwa or Bael (Aegle marmalose), Khejri (Prosopis spicigera - Spunge tree), Silk cotton (Salmalia malabarica), Cutch tree (Acacia catechu), Myrobalan (Terminalia Ballerica), White teak (Gmelina Arborea) and Indian plum (Flacourtia sapida - Kangoo).[9]
Triveni is a grove of 3 specific trees sacred to Indian-origin religions (Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism), which are the vata (Ficus benghalensis, banyan), ashvattha (ficus religiosa, Peepal) and Nimba (azadirachta indica, neem).
Panchavati, are groves of five trees sacred to Indian-origin religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Panchavati has five types of sacred trees, however there are more than five types of trees which are considered sacred and form the part of panchavati. Sacred trees used in panchavati are the Vata (ficus benghalensis, Banyan), Ashvattha (ficus religiosa, Peepal), Bilva (aegle marmelos, Bengal Quince), Amalaki (phyllanthus emblica, Indian Gooseberry, Amla), Ashoka (Saraca asoca, Ashok), Udumbara (ficus racemosa, Cluster Fig, Gular), Nimba (Azadirachta indica, Neem) and Shami (prosopis spicigera, Indian Mesquite).[10][11]
Forests Department, Haryana has initiated a state-wide program to plant panchavati groves in each village, which will be planted along thetemples,ponds, and common land. From 2021, land was identified in villages for planting these groves which will be looked after by the villagers. Within each grove, peepal will be planted in the east, banyan in the north, bel in the centre, amla in the west and ashoka tree in the south.[11]
The sacred fruits and plants include theBael,Kusha grass,Tulasi (seeTulasi chaura andTulasi Vivaha), flowers such asLotus,Champaka,coconut,paan (betal leaf),banana leaf, etc. are also sacred. Tulsi in India is cultivated for religious and traditional medicinal purposes, and also for itsessential oil. It is widely used as aherbal tea, commonly used inAyurveda, and has a place within theVaishnava tradition ofHinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving holy basil plants or leaves. The sacred flowers include theLotus,Champaka andMarigold.
There are a number of trees considered sacred inSikhism. Many of the sacred trees are associated with miraculoussakhis or historical events.[12] The Dukh Bhanjani Ber (meaning "the tree which removes sorrows") is ajujube tree located within theHarmandir Sahib complex inAmritsar. Sikhs believe a leper, who was the husband of Bibi Rajani, was cured after bathing in the small body of water near this tree and that the tree was named asDukh Bhanjani byGuru Ram Das. The tree is commonly used as a prayer site for saying petitionary prayers toGod, such as ones asking God for cures regarding severe, unknown, and untreatable diseases and infertility. The small body of water that once existed near the tree was believed to have existed since ancient times.[13] Another jujuba tree associated withGuru Nanak is at Gurdwara Ber Sahib inSultanpur Lodhi. Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak revealed theMul Mantar near the tree.[14]
Sacred trees, calledshinboku, are a deeply ingrained part of a Japanese culture that has historically viewed itself as being united with nature, rather than separate from nature; thus, recognizing the sacredness of trees, stones, mountains, forests, and the elements has been a relatively constant theme in Japanese culture for thousands of years.[15][13] In the present day Japan, shinboku are trees inhabited bykami (spirits or deities) and can readily be found in many of the 100,000Shinto shrines existing in throughout the country.[16] Although any tree can technically become a shinboku through aShinto ritual process of inviting akami to inhabit it, most shinboku are particularly large or aesthetically interesting examples of endemic species such ascamphor,ginkgo, orJapanese cedar. The oldest shinboku are estimated to be several thousands years in age. Because shinboku are viewed as being literal sanctuaries, inhabited bykami, they are protected as a physical and spiritual embodiment of the divine nature. In most cases, Shinboku can be easily identified by the straw or hemp rope called ashimenawa which is typically wrapped around the tree; the rope acts as both a sign of the tree's sacredness, and also as a protective barrier between the spirit world and the human world.[17]
In addition to individual shinboku, shrines and Buddhist temples are often surrounded by sacred forests calledChinju no Mori, which are considered sacred forests where kami, including spirits of ancestors, dwell.[13]
In Korea, species such asZelkova serrata,Pinus koraiensis, andGinkgo biloba, have been considered a symbol of protection for villages since ancient times, and can still be found planted at central points in cities, towns and villages around the country.[18] The trees, referred to asdangsan namu (god tree) often stand next to small pavilions, serving both as shaded informal gathering points, and spaces for traditional rituals and ceremonies involving prayer and offerings to the tree.[19] The oldest of these trees are estimated to be in excess of 1,000 years in age, and are protected as natural monuments by Korean law.[20]
In 2013, the Korea Forest Research Institute announced a project to clone the sacred zelkova,pine, andginkgo trees that are identified as natural monuments, so their lineage will not be lost in case of disaster or death due to age.[21]
Indigenous Philippine folk religions practiced inpre-colonial Philippines, are a group of similar indigenous faiths which centers on the community, nature, and the spirits, ancestors, and deities, collectively calledanito.Indigenous Philippine shrines and sacred grounds host the sacred trees.
Giant sequoias, the most massive trees on earth, are viewed as sacred symbols in America.[22] Promoted byJohn Muir using biblical language after their discovery in the 19th century, these trees helped inspire the creation of thenational park system.[23][24] TheGeneral Grant Tree was named the nations'christmas tree byCalvin Coolidge and later declared a national shrine byDwight Eisenhower. It the only living national shrine in theUnited States.[25]
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Do behold the King in his glory, King Sequoia! Behold! Behold! seems all I can say. Some time ago I left all for Sequoia and have been and am at his feet, fasting and praying for light, for is he not the greatest light in the woods, in the world? Where are such columns of sunshine, tangible, accessible, terrestrialized?