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Almost all the nations of the world once worshiped trees. it worship arose long before it appeared on earth major world religions.
In ancient times, people used wood to make weapons, housing construction and as fuel. From leaves and tree bark they made shoes and clothes for themselves. No wonder that our distant the ancestors considered the tree a symbol of life and a pillar of the universe, since it combined the lower (underground), middle and upper worlds. At trees people asked for health for themselves and their loved ones, the birth of children and a good harvest …
Over time, the external manifestations of this cult changed, however, today many believe in the mind and power of the green giants, living next door to us …
Trees can punish
In some countries, caring and respectful attitude of people towards the trees showed itself in a very cruel way. For example, the ancient the Germans practiced this custom: a person who was stripped from a living tree bark, put to painful death. Unhappy ripped up belly and twisted intestines on the trunk of the same tree.
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Fortunately, such executions were very rare. People believed that trees themselves could punish their offenders and the whole their kind. For a damaged trunk, broken branches and even foul language sounded near the shrine, the criminal overtook the punishment. Sometimes punishment occurred instantly. For example, last century in Gurzuf grew more than a thousand years turpentine tree, considered sacred. Once some not in the measurer drunk reveler went up to the trunk of “green methuselah” and began scold. Nearby people witnessed how the foul language immediately lost their tongue and legs.
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In ancient times, it was believed that, even felled and turned into boards or something else, trees retain their strength. Therefore their the disturbed spirits were pacified in every way so that man could fearlessly use the resulting wood. Here and there the custom has survived to the present day. So, the inhabitants of the Indonesian island Celebes (Sulawesi) and today sacrifice to spirits. Putting wooden house, they kill a goat or another sacrificial animal and they smear his blood with his home. On the island of Kalimantan (Borneo) the owners of a new wooden structure do not go for a whole year hunting in the forest – such is their repentance for felled trees.
In general, it can be recognized that tree worship remains for humanity in the past. Although from this our green brethren are by no means have not lost their strength …
Sacred tree malaysia
This story happened relatively recently in southern Malaysia, in Johor state. Builders paved the way – and on their way it turned out to be an old temple with a sacred tree growing inside. Disturbed the temple was quickly dismantled, but the tree did not want to give up. initially the crane with which they planned to uproot it collapsed, unable to cope with task. The next morning, the crane operator refused to continue uprooting. It turned out that he had a nightmare in which he ran away from snakes. The master told the crane operator not to make a fuss and get busy business. He dumbly trudged to his crane – and after a few the cobra stung the man for a second.
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The construction management decided to blow up the tree, however the truck itself, carrying dynamite, exploded. Rumors of these tragedies quickly spread around the district, and to find willing it simply became impossible to fight the sacred tree. By time, pilgrims reached him from all sides, and the leadership construction sites began to charge them to at least a little compensate for the forced shutdown of the project. How did you feel about this the sacred tree is still unknown, since the confrontation has not yet finished…
Trees as healers
Of course, forcing trees to force such actions is unacceptable. aggressive behavior of people. In “peaceful conditions” green giants use their power to give us joy and healing. Medicine has long been using everything that is so generously shared with man plants however pundits understand the nature of many miracles not yet able. Thus, some of us try logically explain amazing phenomena, others prefer to deny “uncomfortable facts”, while others simply believe in life-giving properties trees and by their faith receive healing.
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People come to the suburbs of New Delhi, where the sacred Mahuah tree grows. thousands of people. But until recently, no one suspected unusual the properties of this wonderful tree. They appeared when Mahua in serious danger. Deciding to cut down an old tree, the gardener approached him with an ax and already dealt the first blow … At that moment he heard a voice telling him to stop, and froze. Gardener saw how dark red leaked from a damaged barrel liquid. Throwing the ax, the man fled in horror. Soon many are already they knew that mahua could cure patients with polyarthritis, tropical fever, as well as suffering from heart ailments. IN the local press reported a woman who lost in her early childhood speechless. What doctors have unsuccessfully sought for many years, the sacred tree succeeded in a few minutes …
Trees as shelters for souls
Some peoples have beliefs that trees are these are not only shelters for the spirits of the forest, but also temporary shelters for human souls. Koreans believed that they contained the souls of people, who died of the plague, women who died in childbirth, and travelers. And if the tree creaks, it means that the soul is locked in it the sinner. Such a creak is the only way for the soul to turn to alive and ask to pray for her. It is also said that if a man after prayer will fall asleep under a creaky tree, to him in a dream the deceased will appear and tell his sad story.
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And today, many believe that trees are homes for souls. our ancestors. It is no coincidence that the custom to plant them on graves. According to legend, such a tree can help a person in solving various everyday tasks.
Sakura blooming on the sixteenth day
It turns out that if you want, you can put it in a tree … your own soul. This is described in a beautiful Japanese legend. IN Iyo province grows Yu-Roku-Sakure, which means “tree blooming on the sixteenth day. “It is noteworthy in that it blooms much earlier than their brothers and, moreover, always in the same day. The Japanese believe that the soul lives in this cherry tree brave samurai, but because it had the right to choose the term of his flowering.
According to legend, before sakura bloomed with the rest trees growing in the garden of one venerable samurai. Master had special feelings for her, as sakura “remembered” a few generations of his family. She was also the only joy an old man who outlived his children.
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Once in the spring, the tree did not dress in its delicate pink outfit – it is withered. To console the samurai, the neighbors planted for him young sakura. However, she was never able to replace the old woman with the deceased. cherries. Once a thought occurred to him how to revive his darling. Stepping into the garden on the sixteenth day of the first moon, samurai said to sakura: “I beg you, fulfill my request, start again to bloom. Instead of you, I will die. “By spreading a white veil under by a tree, an old samurai committed hara-kiri. Dead at the same hour Sakura has blossomed. Since then, it blooms annually in the first sixteenth day of the first lunar month …
Of course, it is difficult for us Europeans to understand beliefs and traditions. its eastern neighbors however this piercing love story a person to a tree makes you recall the values of long forgotten in our pragmatic time. And it doesn’t really matter if souls live in trees or not – people should respect everything, what surrounds them.
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Giants Island Plant Time
