Sacred tree

{{short description|Tree which a community deems to hold religious significance}}

File:Buddha Meditating Under the Bodhi Tree, 800 C.E.jpg meditating under the Maha Bodhi Tree of Bodh Gaya, India]]

A sacred tree or holy tree is a tree which is considered to be sacred, or worthy of spiritual respect or reverence. Such trees appear throughout world history in various cultures including the ancient Hindu mythology, Greek, Celtic and Germanic mythologies and is central to the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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 of animism as core elements of their belief, which is the belief that trees, forests, rivers, mountains, etc. have a life force ('anime', i.e., alive).

File:Nagano-Tsukise-no-Osugi.jpg is a 1,800-year-old sacred tree in Japan's Nagano Prefecture.]]

An example of the continued importance of sacred trees in contemporary urban culture is the 700-year old camphor growing in the middle of Kayashima Station. Locals protested against moving the tree when the railway station had to be expanded, so the station was built around it.{{Cite web|url=https://mymodernmet.com/kayashima-station-camphor-tree/|title = Japanese Train Station Protectively Built Around a 700-Year-Old Tree|date = 27 January 2017}} The sacred Banyan tree is the national tree of India, and the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha is said to have meditated in Bodh Gaya, is also revered as sacred.

Sacred trees are some times planted in sacred groves, which may also have other types of trees too.{{harvnb|Cusack|2011|pp=171–172}}.

File:Traditional remedy for barren tree in Igbo culture.jpg

Sacred trees in mythology

Trees in mythology are the trees that appear in the folklore genre of myth.

Sacred trees and plants by religion and regions

=European pagan religions=

==Celtic==

The sacred trees of Ireland were celebrated in early literature and could be found growing at inauguration sites. The Hewing 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 Irish Annals up to the 12th century.{{cite book |last=De Breffny |first=Brian |author-link= |date=1983 |title=Ireland: A Cultural Encyclopedia |url= |location=London |publisher=Thames and Hudson |page=209|isbn=}}

==Germanic==

{{See|Sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology}}

==Serbian==

The zapis is the sacred tree in Serbian Orthodox tradition.

=Christian religions=

Many trees, groves and gardens are considered sacred inside Christianity. In Ireland sacred trees were associated ecclesiastical sites, holy wells and specific saints.De Breffny, pg. 209. 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 the Gethsemane, the location where Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot (agony in the Garden) according to the bible. The garden thereby became a common pilgrimage site.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/19167156|title=CONTESTED HERITAGE: MULTI-LAYERED POLITICS AND THE FORMATION OF THE SACRED SPACE – THE CHURCH OF GETHSEMANE AS A CASE-STUDY|first=Masha|last=Halevi|date=November 10, 2015|journal=The Historical Journal|volume=58|issue=4|pages=1031–1058|doi=10.1017/S0018246X14000776 |s2cid=157552007 |via=www.academia.edu}} Saints associated with specific trees and locations also became pilgrimage sites in early Christianity.{{Cite book|url=https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230524316_3|title=Charms and Charming in Europe|first=David Elton|last=Gay|editor-first=Jonathan|editor-last=Roper|date=November 10, 2004|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK|pages=32–46|via=Springer Link|doi=10.1057/9780230524316_3}}{{Cite journal|url=https://brill.com/view/journals/nu/57/3-4/article-p284_2.xml|title=What Do Reliquaries Do for Relics?|first=Cynthia|last=Hahn|date=January 1, 2010|journal=Numen|volume=57|issue=3–4|pages=284–316|via=brill.com|doi=10.1163/156852710X501324|url-access=subscription}}

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi and his son Nephi described a vision concerning a sacred tree bearing fruit that reflects God's love for His children: "Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things{{Cite web |title=1 Nephi 11 |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/11?lang=eng |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org |language=en}}

=Indic religions=

{{anchor | Indic | Indic religions | Indian religions | Indian-origin religions | Hindu | Buddhist | Jain }}

File:Maha Bodhi tree 2.jpg

File:Pipal tree temple of Bodh Gaya depicted in Sanchi Stupa 1 Eastern Gateway.jpg in India, around the sacred Bodhi tree.]]

In the Indian religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, the ecology, such as trees, rivers, fauna, and mountains, is sacred and revered objects of worship. There are numerous sacred groves of India. In Hindu belief, the Kalpavriksha is a wish granting tree. In addition to the Panchvati trees described below, other sacred trees include species such as the Akshayavat (sacred fig tree), Banana leaf, Kadamba, Parijata, and Sandalwood. The Bodhi Tree (banyan) is specially revered, and there are numerous large banyan trees in India. Matsya Purana, a Hindu text, has a Sanskrit language shloka (hymn), which explains the importance of reverence of ecology in Hinduism. It states, "A pond equals ten wells, a reservoir equals ten ponds, while a son equals ten reservoirs, and a tree equals ten sons."[https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/haryana-mulls-giving-marks-to-class-12-students-for-planting-trees-101627242568655.html Haryana mulls giving marks to class 12 students for planting trees], Hindustan Times, 26 July 2021.

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). {{cite web |last1=Sundareswaran NK |title=Trees and Plants in the Vedic Literature |url=https://www.academia.edu/125649162/Trees_and_Plants_in_the_Vedic_Literature |website=academia.edu |access-date=23 November 2024}}

==Triveni groves==

{{anchor | Triveni | Triveni trees | Triveni Trees | Triveni plants | Triveni Plants }}

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 groves==

{{anchor | Panchavati | Panchavati trees | Panchavati Trees | Panchavati plants | Panchavati Plants }}

File:Vat Purnima image by Raju Kasambe DSCN6393 07.jpg festival married women tying threads around a banyan tree.]]

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).[https://greenmesg.org/nature/trees/sacred/panchavati_trees.php Panchvati trees], greenmesg.org, accessed 26 July 2021.

Forests Department, Haryana has initiated a state-wide program to plant panchavati groves in each village, which will be planted along the temples, 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.[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/peepal-for-east-amla-for-west-193-villages-set-to-get-panchvati-trees/articleshow/84741664.cms Peepal for east amla for west], Times of India, 26 July 2021.

==Sacred plants==

The sacred fruits and plants include the Bael, Kusha grass, Tulasi (see Tulasi chaura and Tulasi Vivaha), flowers such as Lotus, 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 its essential oil. It is widely used as a herbal tea, commonly used in Ayurveda, and has a place within the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving holy basil plants or leaves. The sacred flowers include the Lotus, Champaka and Marigold.

== Sikhism ==

There are a number of trees considered sacred in Sikhism. Many of the sacred trees are associated with miraculous sakhis or historical events.{{Cite book |last=Prill |first=Susan E. |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |date=27 March 2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780191004117 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Pashaura |pages=223–234 |chapter=19. Ecotheology |editor-last2=Fenech |editor-first2=Louis E.}} The Dukh Bhanjani Ber (meaning "the tree which removes sorrows") is a jujube tree located within the Harmandir Sahib complex in Amritsar. 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 as Dukh Bhanjani by Guru Ram Das. The tree is commonly used as a prayer site for saying petitionary prayers to God, 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. Another jujuba tree associated with Guru Nanak is at Gurdwara Ber Sahib in Sultanpur Lodhi. Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak revealed the Mul Mantar near the tree.https://www.museumoftrees.org/ber-tree-sultanpur-lodhi/

=Japan=

File:Shinboku at kasukabe hachiman jinja.jpg

Sacred trees, called shinboku, 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.{{Cite book|last=Picken|first=Stuart D. B.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/6355590|title=Shinto : Japan's spiritual roots|date=1980|publisher=Kodansha International Ltd.|others=Edwin O. Reischauer|isbn=0-87011-410-7|edition=First|location=Tokyo|oclc=6355590}}{{Cite journal|last=Senda|first=M.|date=1992|title=Japan's Traditional View of Nature and Interpretation of Landscape|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41145343|journal=GeoJournal|volume=26|issue=2|pages=129–134|doi=10.1007/BF00241206|jstor=41145343|s2cid=140180161|issn=0343-2521|url-access=subscription}} In the present day Japan, shinboku are trees inhabited by kami (spirits or deities) and can readily be found in many of the 100,000 Shinto shrines existing in throughout the country.{{Cite journal|last=Sato|first=Akira|title=Rural Landscape in Japan|date=1964|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43614121|journal=Ekistics|volume=18|issue=109|pages=460–461|jstor=43614121|issn=0013-2942}} Although any tree can technically become a shinboku through a Shinto ritual process of inviting a kami to inhabit it, most shinboku are particularly large or aesthetically interesting examples of endemic species such as camphor, ginkgo, or Japanese cedar. The oldest shinboku are estimated to be several thousands years in age. Because shinboku are viewed as being literal sanctuaries, inhabited by kami, 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 a shimenawa 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.{{Cite journal|date=1966|title=Shinto Symbols (Continued)|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/30232989|journal=Contemporary Religions in Japan|volume=7|issue=2|pages=89–142|jstor=30232989|issn=0010-7557}}

In addition to individual shinboku, shrines and Buddhist temples are often surrounded by sacred forests called Chinju no Mori, which are considered sacred forests where kami, including spirits of ancestors, dwell.

=Korea=

File:Dangsan-namu-suhan-village-korea PML9647.jpg

In Korea, species such as Zelkova serrata, Pinus koraiensis, and Ginkgo 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.{{Cite web|title=천연기념물 대전 괴곡동 느티나무 (大田槐谷洞 느티나무) : 국가문화유산포털 - 문화재청|url=https://www.heritage.go.kr/heri/cul/culSelectDetail.do?pageNo=5_1_1_0&ccbaKdcd=16&ccbaAsno=05450000&ccbaCtcd=25&ccbaCpno=1362505450000|access-date=2021-08-14|website=Heritage Portal : CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION|language=ko}} The trees, referred to as dangsan 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.{{Cite web|title=느티나무 - 한국민족문화대백과사전|url=http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Index?contents_id=E0013309|access-date=2021-08-14|website=Encyclopedia of Korean Culture}} 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.{{Cite web|title=천연기념물 삼척 도계리 긴잎느티나무 (三陟道溪里 긴잎느티나무) : 국가문화유산포털 - 문화재청|url=https://www.heritage.go.kr/heri/cul/culSelectDetail.do?pageNo=5_1_1_0&ccbaKdcd=16&ccbaAsno=00950000&ccbaCtcd=32&ccbaCpno=1363200950000|access-date=2021-08-14|website=Heritage Portal : CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION|language=ko}}

In 2013, the Korea Forest Research Institute announced a project to clone the sacred zelkova, pine, and ginkgo trees that are identified as natural monuments, so their lineage will not be lost in case of disaster or death due to age.{{Cite web|last=Service (KOCIS)|first=Korean Culture and Information|title=Ancient trees to be cloned : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea|url=https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Sci-Tech/view?articleId=118187|access-date=2021-08-14|website=www.korea.net}}

=Philippines=

{{See|Philippine mythology|Indigenous religious beliefs of the Tagalog people|Philippine Registry of Cultural Property}}

Indigenous Philippine folk religions practiced in pre-colonial Philippines, are a group of similar indigenous faiths which centers on the community, nature, and the spirits, ancestors, and deities, collectively called anito. Indigenous Philippine shrines and sacred grounds host the sacred trees.

=United States=

File:General Grant tree.jpg Giant sequoias, the most massive trees on earth, are viewed as sacred symbols in America.{{cite web |last=St. George |first=Zach |title=How California’s Giant Sequoias Tell the Story of Americans’ Conflicted Relationship With Nature |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-california-giant-sequoia-tell-story-americans-conflicted-relationship-nature-180968389/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |website=Smithsonian Magazine |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |date=April 2018 |access-date=December 13, 2024}} Promoted by John Muir using biblical language after their discovery in the 19th century, these trees helped inspire the creation of the national park system.{{cite book|last1=Muir|first1=John|editor1-first=Terry|editor1-last=Gifford|title=John Muir: His Life and Letters and Other Writings|date=November 1996|publisher=Mountaineers Books|isbn=0-89886-463-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/johnmuirhislifel0000muir/page/139 139–140]|url=https://archive.org/details/johnmuirhislifel0000muir/page/139|quote="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?"}}{{cite book |last=Tweed |first=William C. |title=King Sequoia: The Tree That Inspired a Nation, Created Our National Park System, and Changed the Way We Think about Nature |publisher=Heyday Books |year=2016 |isbn=978-1597143516}} The General Grant Tree was named the nations' christmas tree by Calvin Coolidge and later declared a national shrine by Dwight Eisenhower. It the only living national shrine in the United States.{{cite web |url=http://www.sequoia.national-park.com/info.htm |title=Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Information Page |author=National Park Service |access-date=2007-03-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070328195728/http://www.sequoia.national-park.com/info.htm#bea |archive-date=2007-03-28 }}

Gallery

File:Bodhgaya 3639641913 f4c5f73689 t.jpg|The Mahabodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Temple complex in Bodh Gaya

File:Kayashima shrine - panoramio (1).jpg|alt=A sacred camphor tree with a shrine at the base at Kayashima Station in Japan|A train station was built around the sacred camphor tree at Kayashima Station in Japan

File:Sacred Tree of Bouddha - Jami al-Tawarikh - Folio 36 Verso.png|A painting by Rab-i-Rashidi dating to 1314 CE, depicting the sacred tree of Buddha

File:ChandodSacredGrove.jpg|A 1782 drawing of "The Sacred Hindoo Grove near Chandod on the Banks of the Nerbudda" in Bombay, India

File:Cinnamomum camphora 20100601 (Kawazu) (B).jpg|A sacred camphor tree in Kawazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

File:Photinia serrulata in front of office of Miyajidake Shrine.JPG|Sacred Photinia serrulata tree at Miyajidake Shrine in Fukutsu, Fukuoka, Japan

File:Mount Miyajidake and Michelia compressa in front of Haiden of Miyajidake Shrine.JPG|Sacred forest at Miyajidake Shrine in Fukuoka, Japan

File:Niu-Sakadono-Shrine-01.jpg|A sacred ginkgo at Nyusakado Shrine in Wakayama, Japan

File:Yuki Shrine - giant Sugi.jpg|A sacred Sugi tree at the Yūki Shrine in Tsu, Mie, Japan

File:Banyans Yogis.jpeg|Indian men performing yoga asana under a Banyan tree (1688)