Tree worship. Tree worship (dendrolatry) refers to the tendency of many societies throughout history to worship or otherwise mythologize trees.
Trees have played an important role in many of the world's mythologies and religions, and have been given deep and sacred meanings throughout the ages. Human beings, observing the growth and death of trees, the elasticity of their branches, the sensitivity and the annual decay and revival of their foliage, see them as powerful symbols of growth, decay and resurrection. The most ancient cross-cultural symbolic representation of the universe's construction is the world tree. The image of the Tree of life is also a favourite in many mythologies.
Various forms of trees of life also appear in folklore, culture and fiction, often relating to immortality or fertility. Trees are a necessary attribute of the archetypical locus amoenus in all cultures. Wishing trees[edit] World tree[edit] Religion and folklore[edit] Often the tree is famous for oracles. Sacred trees[edit] The Jersey Devil. Without a doubt, New Jersey’s oldest, most enduring, and important pieces of folklore is the tale of the infamous Jersey Devil.
For close to three hundred years now, Jerseyans have told tales of this mythical beast that stalks the Pine Barrens and terrorizes local residents. The recurring nature of this story begs a few questions: Why have New Jerseyans embraced this legend so steadfastly, and above all others? Is there actually some sort of creature roaming the Pine Barrens of Southern NJ, and if so, what in God’s name is it? Legend has it that in 1735, a Pines resident known as Mother Leeds found herself pregnant for the thirteenth time. Greek Mythology. List of tree deities. Yakshi under a stylized ashoka tree.
Railing figure at Bharhut Stupa, 2nd century BC, India. The Nine Muses of the Greek Mythology. DRYADS & OREADS : Nymphs of Trees & Mountains. THE DRYADES & OREIADES were the beautiful Nymphs of the trees, groves, woods and mountain forests.
They were the ladies of the oaks and pines, poplar and ash, apple and laurel. For those known as Hamadryades, trees sprung up from the earth at their birth, trees to which their lives were closely tied. While the tree flourished, so did its resident nymph, but when it died she passed away with it. There were several classes of Dryades associated with a particular types of tree: Ancient history. Sumerians. National Geograhic. By Richard A.
Lovett and Scot Hoffman Crystal skulls are not uncommon or terribly mysterious. Thousands are produced every year in Brazil, China, and Germany. But there are a handful of these rather macabre objects that have fueled intense interest and controversy among archaeologists, scientists, spiritualists, and museum officials for more than a century. There are perhaps a dozen of these rare crystal skulls in private and public collections.
Many believe these skulls were carved thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago by an ancient Mesoamerican civilization. Supernatural Fascination Stories about the skulls focus heavily on their perceived supernatural powers. Lost Civilizations: Atlantis. Why Vampires Never Die. IRISH LITERATURE, MYTHOLOGY, FOLKLORE, AND DRAMA. Irish Writers OnlineIrish PlayographyStudy Ireland: Poetry - BBCIrish Women Writers - M.
OckerbloomIreland Literature GuidePoetry Ireland / Éigse ÉireannEarly Irish Lyric Poetry - Kuno MeyerSonnets from Ireland - E. BlomquistColum's Anthology of Irish Verse - Bartleby.comBREAC - Digital Journal of Irish Studies Medieval Celtic ManuscriptsThe Book of KellsCarmina GadelicaCELT Irish Electronic Texts Irish Writers OnlineIreland Literature ExchangeBibliography of 19th-c. Irish Literature - J.M. Jonathan SwiftJonathan Swift ArchiveJonathan Swift Biography - IncompetechGulliver's Travels - U. Bram StokerDraculaBram Stoker Biography - Classic Literature LibraryBram Stoker's Dracula - Carstens smith Oscar WildeThe Official Home Page of Oscar WildeWilde Biography - BBCOscar Wilde OnlineCELT: Oscar WildePoetry of Oscar Wilde - Bartleby.com George Bernard ShawShaw Biography - C. William Butler YeatsYeats Biography - Poetry FoundationCollected Poems - W. Aztec Mythology: Gods and Myth. The first sun, the watery sun, was carried off by the flood.
All that lived in the world became fish. The second sun was devoured by tigers. The third was demolished by a fiery rain that set people ablaze. Mystery of Oak Island, Nova Scotia. By Marshall Brain | May 5, 2010 You Asked: Why can’t they solve the mystery of Oak Island off the coast of Nova Scotia?
— Chad, DesMoines, Iowa Marshall Brain Answers: Let’s start by reviewing the mystery of Oak Island, also known as the Money Pit – a mystery that people have been trying to solve since 1795. What Happened On Easter Island — A New (Even Scarier) Scenario : Krulwich Won... We all know the story, or think we do.
Let me tell it the old way, then the new way. See which worries you most. Robert Krulwich/NPR First version: Easter Island is a small 63-square-mile patch of land — more than a thousand miles from the next inhabited spot in the Pacific Ocean. In A.D. 1200 (or thereabouts), a small group of Polynesians — it might have been a single family — made their way there, settled in and began to farm. The Ultimate Online Resource for Norse Mythology and Religion.
Ancient Viking code deciphered for the first time. An ancient Norse code which has been puzzling experts for years has been cracked by a Norwegian runologist - to discover the Viking equivalent of playful text messages.
10 Creatures in Scandinavian Folklore. Creepy The Scandinavian Folklore consists of a huge variety of creatures, good or evil, which have frightened people for centuries. They were often meant to scare children, but even today they are essential and important to the modern northern society. In the 1890s, something changed in the way common Scandinavians saw themselves and their culture. They looked back in time to rediscover their old myths and legends; folklore which had been forgotten because of the coming of Christianity. It was a time when people feared nature, because we were becoming more industrialized. Huldra (or called Tallemaja in Swedish) is a troll-like woman living in the woods.
These beings are actually still very important in the modern society. Runes. An 11th century runestone from Lingsberg, Sweden, featuring an inscription in the Younger Futhark (photo by Berig) This page is the first part of a five-part article on the runes. Mythology. Some (recent) approaches have rejected a conflict between the value of myth and rational thought, often viewing myths, rather than being merely inaccurate historical accounts, as expressions for understanding general psychological, cultural or societal truths. Etymology[edit] The English term mythology predates the word myth by centuries.[5] It appeared in the 15th century,[7] borrowed whole from Middle French mythologie. The word mythology "exposition of myths" comes from Middle French mythologie, from Late Latin mythologia, from Greek μυθολογία mythologia "legendary lore, a telling of mythic legends; a legend, story, tale," from μῦθος mythos "myth" and -λογία -logia "study.
"[8][9] Both terms translated the subject of Fulgentius's 5th-century Mythologiæ, which was concerned with the explication of Greek and Roman stories about their gods. Terminology[edit] Origins[edit] Euhemerism[edit] Allegory[edit] Some theories propose that myths began as allegories. Personification[edit] See also[edit] Encyclopedia Mythica: mythology, folklore, and religion. Creation Myths. Many of you are probably familiar with the Creation stories in the Bible. Even so, I suggest you reread the first three chapters of Genesis to refresh your recollection. If you want to read more, you can find it on the Electronic Bible Page or you may have a copy at home. After reviewing this myth, which is important in Jewish and Christian culture, read some myths from other cultures.
Mythological Creatures.