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Trees have played an important role in many of the world's mythologies and religions. They have come in a variety of different forms and seem to have many different meanings. Examples are Yggdrasil and the modern tradition of the Christmas Tree in Germanic mythology, the Tree of Knowledge of Judaism and Christianity, and the Bodhi tree in Buddhism. In some religions, such as Hinduism, trees are said to be the homes of tree spirits.

Contents 1 Examples 1.1 Trees of cosmic significance 1.2 Mythical creatures (or deities) relating to trees 1.3 Miscellaneous 2 Resources 3 Fictional trees inspired by myth

[edit] Examples

[edit] Trees of cosmic significance

• Tree of Life (Abrahamic Mythology, Cabala/Jewish mysticism)
• Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Abrahamic Mythology)
• Yggdrasil (Norse mythology)
• Austras Koks (Latvian mythology)
• Bodhi Tree (Buddhist mythology)

Deciduous Trees Falling off or shed at a specific season or stage of growth

• Many trees of life are considered to be deciduous.
  • The Norse world tree Yggdrasil is an ash tree.
  • In Chinese mythology, there is a peach tree which grows one fruit every three thousand years. Eating of the peach grants immortality.
• Other mythologies contain other references to deciduous trees.
  • In Greek mythology, Eros makes Apollo fall in love with a nymph Daphne (Greek: Δάφνη, meaning "laurel"), who hates him. As she runs away from him, she runs to the river and tells it to turn her into a tree. She becomes a bay tree, which is deciduous.
  • In Norse mythology, Loki abducts Idun and her golden apples of youth.
  • The first humans in Norse mythology were made from an ash and an elm--both deciduous.

[edit] Mythical creatures (or deities) relating to trees

• Dryad or Forest Nymph (Greek mythology)
  • Hamadryad or Tree Nymph (Greek mythology)
    • Maliad or Fruit Tree Nymph (Greek mythology)
      • Ampelos or Grape Vine Nymph (Greek mythology)
      • Balanos or Acorn/Oak Tree Nymph (Greek mythology)
      • Cariad or Walnut Tree Nymph (Greek mythology)
      • Cranae or Cherry Tree Nymph (Greek mythology)
      • Morea or Mulberry Bush Nymph (Greek mythology)
      • Syke or Fig Tree Nymph (Greek mythology)
    • Meliad or Ash Tree Nymph (Greek mythology)
• Leshy (Slavic folklore)
• Woodwose (Various mythologies)
• Kodama (Japanese folklore)
• Green Man (Various mythologies)
• Kalpavriksha (Hinduism), wish-granting tree

[edit] Miscellaneous

• Christmas tree (Christian mythology)
• Glastonbury Thorn (Christian mythology)
• Oracular trees (Various mythologies)
  • Oak tree (Norse & Celtic Mythology)
  • Rowan tree (Roman mysticism & Stregheria)
• Talking trees (Various mythologies)
• Yule log (Norse mythology)
• Cursed fig tree (New Testament)

[edit] Resources

• The Norse Myths (Introduced and Retold by Kevin Crossley-Holland)

[edit] Fictional trees inspired by myth

A number of fictional "tree-beings" were also inspired by folklore and mythology, or taken directly from them. Some examples are:

• Telperion & Laurelin (Tolkien's Middle-earth)
• Ent (The Lord of the Rings)
• Treant (Dungeons & Dragons)
• Unnamed Talking Trees (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
• The Great Deku Tree (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)
• Justin Tree (Piers Anthony's Xanth)