Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is a motif found in religions around the world.

The tree of life is often planted at the center of the world, the Axis Mundu of that respective culture, often in a sacred garden and can be associated with immortality, sacred or mystical knowledge, life and death, or the source of life.

Main Features

The exact meaning and belief of the Tree of Life depends on the culture. Sometimes it is a sacred object guarded by supernatural beings, at other times it gives immortality. In other traditions it is regarded as the foundation of entire worlds, and all the beings in them — connecting the worlds together, and the beings that call them home.

In some traditions it is guarded by supernatural beings of some sort. In Norse Mythology their sacred tree Yggdrasil holds entire worlds of beings that make up the Earth, including supernatural beings.

In the Abrahamic Religions sacred trees grew in the Garden of Eden where humanity was born, but after being deported God set an Angel with a flaming sword to guard the Tree of Life.

The concept of a Tree of Life is related to the idea of a World Tree (such as Yggrasil).

The Tree of Life In Various Cultures

The idea of a Tree of Life features in mythology around the world.

In Ancient Sumerian and Akkadian Religion — the oldest religions of the world which endured in Mesopotamia for thousands of years — tell the story of a sacred tree that grows in the garden of Innana, in addition to other references.

The myths and legends of Sumer both influenced and were entwined with religions of the Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Zoroastrian, Zoroastrian, Vedic, and Norse in a way that we do not yet fully understanding — although the evidence is clear.

In Norse Mythology this idea of a sacred tree is embodied in the form of the World Tree, Yggdrasil. Located in the center of the Norse cosmos, essentially the literal axis of the Universe, the roots and branches of Yggdrasil are home to the Nine Worlds that make up the Norse conception of the world — and the home of the beings that live in those worlds, including humans.

Hel (Nifleheim), Jotunheim (the world of Jotnar) and Midgard (the world of humans) are located at the three roots of Yggdrasil while Asgard (the home of the Aesir gods) is located in the branches. Yggdrasil was also said to be the source of new life after the destruction of Ragnarok — associated the tree with life — and in another tale Odin hung himself from the tree to gain mystical knowledge (an event that the tree appears to be named after). The Norse also told a story of apples that granted immortality, grown on sacred trees tended by the goddess Idun in her garden. [1]

The symbol of a tree was also sacred in ancient Celtic Religion (at least according to what little we know). Secret ceremonies involving a sacred tree were mentioned by Julius Caesar. The Celts associated the symbolism of a sacred tree with their dead — a tree was preserved at the center of ancient Celtic settlements, said to be a doorway to the realm of the Otherworld. [1]

In Chinese Daoist mythology the pantao is a sacred peach that blossoms once every 3000 years. [1] The Pantao is said to be the food of the gods (like the ambrosia of the Greek Gods) and will grant immortality to whoever eats it.

In Hebrew and Christian Mythology, the Tree of Life features in Genesis, a sacred tree in the center of the Garden of Eden, in which also grew a Tree of Knowledge. The Tree of Knowledge granted knowledge, while the Tree of Knowledge bestowed everlasting life. Eve, tricked by a snake to eat of the Tree of Knowledge, convinced Adam to do the same and ” the eyes of them both were opened” (Genesis 3:7) — apparently to self-awareness, as they realized that they were naked.

Lord God returned and before they could eat of the Tree of Life, humanity was cursed forevermore and banished from the garden. He placed a fearsome angel armed with “a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24 NKJ)

In the Jewish Kaballa a central trunk with branches reaching to the left and right forming a numbered diagram is said to represent the “attributes and powers of God.” [1]

Modern Usage and Interpretations

Today the idea of the Tree of Life is used as a metaphor (but also very applicable imagery) for the connection of all forms of life on a genetic level. We can see how we are all genetically rooted in ever simpler organism, and as time progressed over hundreds of thousands and millions of years, species evolved, like the branches of a tree.

That common ancestor of life who lived an estimated 3.5 billion years ago reproduced over countless generations, its descendants genetically diverged in a process called speciation. These divergences are compared to branches on an evolutionary tree. [1][a]

This imagery is also useful in ancestry and genealogy, the idea of a “Family Tree” is an excellent way of visualizing branches of generations descending from a common source (which I believe to be one of the metaphors intended in a few ancient religions, mythologies, and folklore).

Notes

[a] Phylogenetics is the study of how different types of organisms are all related to one another. Genetic evidence and other sources are used to create diagrams that explains the complex evolutionary history of species, called phylogenetic trees (or phylogenies)

Resources

1. “Tree of Life”. Steven Eldridge. Encyclopedia Britannica. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/tree-of-life-religion>. Accessed 13 Aug 2024.