Cultus Arborum Part 7

"Boughs of oak with acorns were carried in marriage ceremonies, as emblems of fecundity. Sophocles, in the fragment of Rhizotomi, describes Hecates as crowned with oak leaves and serpents. Pliny relates of the oaks on the sh.o.r.es of the Cauchian Sea, that, undermined by the waves and propelled by the winds, they tore off with them vast ma.s.ses of earth on their interwoven roots, and occasioned the greatest terror to the Romans, whose fleets encountered these floating islands. Of the Hyrcynian forest he says, "These enormous oaks, unaffected by ages and coeval with the world by a destiny almost immortal, exceed all wonder. Omitting other circ.u.mstances that might not gain belief, it is well known that hills are raised up by the encounter of the jostling roots; or where the earth may not have followed, that arches, struggling with each other, and elevated to the very branches, are curved as it were into wide gateways, able to admit the pa.s.sage of whole troops of horse."

"This forest is described by Caesar as requiring sixty days to traverse it; and the remains of it are supposed by some to const.i.tute the forest on the mountains of the Hartz; and by others to be the Black Forest of the Tyrol.

The beautiful fiction of the Hamadryads is frequently referred to by the Greek poets. The Hamadryads were nymphs, each of whom was

'Doomed to a life coeval with her oak.'

Callimachus, in the Hymn to Delos, represents Melia as "sighing deeply for her parent oak;" and adds--

'Joy fills her breast when showers refresh the spray: Sadly she grieves when autumn's leaves decay.'

"In Appollonius Rhodius, Book II., we find one of the Hamadryads imploring a woodman to spare the oak to which her existence is attached:

"Loud through the air resounds the woodman's stroke, When lo! a voice breaks from the groaning oak.

'Spare, spare my life! a trembling virgin spare!

Oh, listen to the Hamadryad's prayer!

No longer let that fearful axe resound; Preserve the tree to which my life is bound!

See from the bark my blood in torrents flows, I faint, I sink, I perish from your blows.'"

"The oak, evidently, was an object of worship among the Celts and ancient Britons. The Celts worshipped their G.o.d Teut under the form of this tree; and the Britons regarded it as a symbol of their G.o.d Tarnawa, the G.o.d of thunder."

Just here we are reminded by Loudon and others of the Yule log and Yule festival, a most ancient British inst.i.tution, now known to our dwellers in towns only by historical report. Professor Burnet tells us the word yule comes from Hu, the Bacchus of the Druids; others derive it from Baal, Bal, or Yiaoul, the Celtic G.o.d of fire, and who was sometimes identified with the sun and worshipped under the form of an oak. Baal was considered the same as the Roman Saturn, and his festival (that of Yule) was kept at Christmas, which was the time of the Saturnalia. The Druids professed to maintain perpetual fire; and once every year all the fires belonging to the people were extinguished, and relighted from the sacred fire of the Druids. This was the origin of the Yule log, with which, even so lately as the commencement of the last century, the Christmas fire in some parts of the country was always kindled; a fresh log being thrown on and lighted, but taken off before it was consumed, and reserved to kindle the Christmas fire of the following year. The Yule log was always of oak; and as the ancient Britons considered that it was essential for their hearth fires to be renewed every year from the sacred fire of the Druids, so their descendants thought that some misfortune would befall them if any accident happened to the Yule log. (See Irving's "Bracebridge Hall.")

The worship of the Druids was generally performed under an oak; and a heap of stones was erected on which the sacred fire was kindled, which was called a cairn, as Professor Burnet says, from Kern an acorn.

The well-known chorus of "Hey derry down," according to this gentleman, was a druidic chant, signifying, literally, "In a circle the oaks move round."

Criminals were tried under an oak tree; the judge being placed under the tree, with the jury beside him, and the culprit placed in a circle made by the chief Druid's wand. The Saxons also held their national meetings under an oak, and the celebrated conference between the Saxons and the Britons, after the invasion of the former, was held under the oaks of Dartmoor.

The wood of the oak was appropriated to the most memorable uses: King Arthur's round table was made of it, as was the cradle of Edward III., who was born at Carnarvon Castle; this sacred wood being chosen in the hope of conciliating the feelings of the Welsh, who still retained the prejudices of their ancestors, the ancient Britons.

It was considered unlucky to cut down any celebrated tree; and Evelyn gravely relates a story of two men who cut down the Vicar's Oak, in Surrey; one losing his eye and the other breaking his leg soon after. (See Loudon's Arb. et Frut. Brit.)

The reverence with which the oak was regarded was by no means confined to the Celts. St. Boniface during his wanderings in Central Germany waged a sharp war against the heathen superst.i.tions connected with trees and wells. There was a Thor's Oak (the oak was in an especial manner dedicated to Thor) of enormous size in the country of the Hessians, greatly reverenced by the people, which, following the advice of some of the Christian converts, St. Boniface determined to cut down. Accordingly he began to hew at the gigantic trunk, whilst the heathen folk stood round about, prodigal of their curses, but not daring to interfere. The tree had not been half cut through, when, says Willibrord, the biographer of Boniface, who was himself present, a supernatural wind shook the great crown of its branches, and it fell with a mighty crash divided into four equal parts. The heathens, he continues, recognised the miracle, and most of them were converted on the spot. With the wood of the fallen tree St.

Boniface built an oratory, which he dedicated in honour of St. Peter.[27]

The destruction of this oak has been considered a wise step, as it was evidently a matter of tremendous difficulty, in spite of innumerable decrees and canons condemnatory of heathen ceremonies in connection with trees, to get rid of the idolatry while the object of it remained.

Sometimes the tree was, as it is called, re-appropriated by the saint of the district; then the evils resulting seemed as bad as ever. There was St. Colman's oak, for instance, any fragment of which, kept in the mouth, was believed would effectually ward off death by hanging. There was also St. Columba's oak at Kenmare which, when blown down in a storm, no one dared to touch, or to apply the wood of it to ordinary purposes, except a certain tanner, who used the bark for curing leather. With the leather he made himself a pair of shoes; but the first time he put them on he was struck with leprosy, and remained a leper all his life.

It has for ages, in England, been thought that the oak was specially and mysteriously protected. Aubrey in his history of Surrey says:--"A strange noise proceeds from a falling oak, so loud as to be heard at half-a-mile distant, as if it were the genius of the oak lamenting. It has not been unusually observed that to cut oak-wood is unfortunate. There was at Norwood one oak that had mistletoe, a timber tree, which was felled about 1657. Some persons cut this mistletoe for some apothecaries in London, and sold them a quant.i.ty for ten shillings each time, and left only one branch remaining for more to sprout out. One fell lame shortly after; soon after each of the others lost an eye; and he that felled the tree, though warned of these misfortunes of the other men, would, notwithstanding, adventure to do it, and shortly after broke his leg; as if the Hamadryades had resolved to take an ample revenge for the injury done to their venerable oak. I cannot here omit taking notice of the great misfortunes in the family of the Earl of Winchelsea, who, at Eastwell in Kent, felled down a most curious grove of oaks, near his own n.o.ble seat, and gave the first blow with his own hands. Shortly after his countess died in her bed suddenly; and his eldest son, the Lord Maidstone, was killed at sea by a cannon bullet."

Grimm points out many superst.i.tions connected with the oak in Germany. It is believed in India that holes in trees are doors through which the special spirits of those trees pa.s.s, and this is found in Germany in the idea that the holes in the oaks are pathways for elves; and that certain troubles, especially of hand or foot, may be cured by contact with these holes. Near Gundalskol stood an oak popularly regarded as the habitation of a "Bjarmand," but he was driven away by the church bells. It is said that a farmer was engaged to an elf-girl, but instead of a bride he embraced an oak sapling. In a churchyard at Heddinge, Seeland, are the remains of an oak wood declared to be the soldiers of the Erl-King, a.s.suming the forms of armed men at night. In Westphalia, it is the custom to announce formally to the nearest oak any death that has occurred in a family. The process of healing rupture, once common in England, with the ash, is performed in Germany with the oak.

"The Christmas-tree has become a prevailing fashion in England at this season, and is by most persons supposed to be derived from Germany; such however is not the fact; the Christmas-tree is from Egypt, and its origin dates from a period long antecedent to the Christian era. The palm-tree is known to put forth a shoot every month, and a spray of this tree, with twelve shoots on it, was used in Egypt at the time of the winter solstice, as a symbol of the year completed. Egyptian a.s.sociations of a very early date still mingle with the tradition and custom of the Christmas-tree; there are as many pyramids as trees used in Germany, in the celebration of Christmas, by those whose means do not admit of their purchasing trees and their concomitant tapers. These pyramids consist of slight erections of slips of wood, arranged like a pyramidal _epergne_, covered with green paper, and decorated with festoons of paper-chain work, which flutters in the wind and const.i.tutes a make-believe foliage. This latter, however, is an innovation of modern days."[28]

CHAPTER VII.

_Icelandic customs--The Sacred Ash--The Prose Edda and Tree Worship--Icelandic Mythology of the Ash--The Norns--The Czeremissa of the Wolga--The Jakuhti--Sacred Trees of Livonia--Phallic Tree Worship and objects in Bavaria._

In his "Northern Antiquities," M. Mallet says: "We have seen that the Icelandic mythology reckons up twelve G.o.ddesses, including Frigga, the spouse of Odin, and the chief of them all. Their names and respective functions will be found in the Prose Edda. Besides these twelve G.o.ddesses there are numerous virgins in Valhalla, or the paradise of the heroes.

Their business is to wait upon them and they are called Valkyrior. Odin also employs them to choose in battles those who are to perish, and to make the victory incline to whatever side he pleases. The court of the G.o.ds is ordinarily kept under a great ash tree and there they distribute justice. This ash is the greatest of all trees; its branches cover the surface of the earth, its top reaches to the highest heaven, it is supported by three vast roots, one of which extends to the ninth world. An eagle, whose piercing eye discovers all things, perches upon its branches.

A squirrel is continually running up and down it to bring news; while a parcel of serpents, fastened to the trunk, endeavour to destroy him. From under one of the roots runs a fountain wherein wisdom lies concealed. From a neighbouring spring (the fountain of past things) three virgins are continually drawing a precious water, with which they water the ash tree: this water keeps up the beauty of its foliage, and, after having refreshed its leaves, falls back again to the earth, where it forms the dew of which the bees make their honey. These three virgins always keep under the ash, and it is they who dispense the days and ages of men."

"In the 'Prose Edda' just alluded to, a piece of ancient Norse literature commonly ascribed to Snorri Sturluson, we get a good deal respecting the veneration and regard paid by the people to this tree.

"'Where,' asked Gangler, 'is the chief or holiest seat of the G.o.ds?'

"'It is under the ash Yggdrasill,' replied Har, 'where the G.o.ds a.s.semble every day in council.'

"'What is there remarkable in regard to that place?' said Gangler.

"'That ash,' answered Jafnhar, 'is the greatest and best of all trees. Its branches spread over the whole world, and even reach above heaven. It has three roots very wide asunder. One of them extends to the aesir, another to the Frost-giants in that very place where was formerly Ginnungagap, and the third stands over Niflheim, and under this root, which is constantly gnawed by Nidhogg, is Huergelmir. But under the root that stretches out towards the Frost-giants there is Mimir's Well, in which wisdom and wit lie hidden. The owner of this well is called Mirmir. He is full of wisdom, because he drinks the waters of the well from the horn Gjoll every morning. One day All-Father came and begged a draught of this water, which he obtained, but was obliged to leave one of his eyes as a pledge for it.

As it is said in the Voluspa--

'All know I, Odin!

How thou hiddest thine eye In Mimir's well-spring Of limpid water.

Mead quaffs Mimir Each morn from the pledge Valfadir left him.

Conceive ye this or not?'

"'The third root of the ash is in heaven, and under it is the holy Urdar-fount. 'Tis here that the G.o.ds sit in judgment. Every day they ride up hither on horseback over Bifrost, which is called the aesir Bridge.

These are the names of the horses of the aesir: Sleipner is the best of them; he has eight legs and belongs to Odin. The others are Gladyr, Gyllir, Glaer, Skeidbrimir, Silfrintoppr, Synir, Gils, Falhofnir, Gulltoppr and Lettfeti. Baldur's horse was burnt with his master's body.

As for Thor, he goes on foot, and is obliged every day to wade the rivers called Kormt and rmt, and two others called Kerlaung.'

"'Through these shall Thor wade every day, as he fares to the doomstead under Yggdrasill's ash, else the aesir Bridge would be in flames and boiling hot would become the holy waters.'

"'But tell me,' said Gangler, 'does fire burn over Bifrost?'

"'That,' replied Har, 'which thou seest red in the bow, is burning fire; for the Frost-giants and the Mountain-giants would go up to heaven by that bridge if it were easy for everyone to walk over it. There are in heaven many goodly homesteads, and none without a celestial ward. Near the fountain, which is under the ash, stands a very beauteous dwelling, out of which go three maidens, named Und, Verdaudi, and Skuld. These maidens fix the life-time of all men and are called Norns. But there are indeed many other Norns, for when a man is born there is a Norn to determine his fate.

Some are known to be of heavenly origin, but others belong to the races of the elves and dwarfs; as it is said--

"'Methinks the Norns were born far asunder, for they are not of the same race. Some belong to the aesir, some to the elves, and some are Dvalin's daughters.'

"'But if these Norns dispense the destinies of men,' said Gangler, 'they are, methinks, very unequal in their distribution; for some men are fortunate and wealthy, others acquire neither riches nor honour; some live to a good old age, while others are cut off in their prime.'

"'The Norns,' replied Har, 'Who are of good origin, are good themselves, and dispense good destinies. But those men to whom misfortunes happen ought to ascribe them to the evil Norns.'

"'What more wonders hast thou to tell me,' said Gangler, 'concerning the ash?'

"'What I have further to say respecting it,' replied Har, 'is that there is an eagle perched upon its branches who knows many things; between his eyes sits the hawk called Vedurfolnir. The squirrel named Ratatosk runs up and down the ash, and seeks to cause strife between the eagle and Nidhogg.

Four harts run across the branches of the tree and bite the buds. They are called Dainn, Dvalinn, Duneyr, and Durathror. But there are so many snakes with Nidhogg in Hvergelmir that no tongue can recount them. As is said--

'Yggdrasill's ash More hardship bears Than men imagine; The hart bites above, At the sides it rots, Below gnaws Nidhogg.'

"And again--