Table 1 Reasons for sanctification of trees Numbers indicate the percentage of informants in each ethnic group that gave a certain reason.
From: On the typology and the worship status of sacred trees with a special reference to the Middle East
Reason | Druze | Arab | Bedouin | References from Palestine | Other regions (selected references). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Tree is the abode of a Welli's/saint's spirit. | 0 | 58.3 | 52.0 | [60:303,331;55:91; 57:264; 56:152; 106:89] | [Iraq (107:92); Iran (87,I:375;108:317); Turkey (65:41)] |
2. A saint is buried near/under the tree. | 2.6 | 52.7 | 21.7 | [55:93, 61:27, 62:242] | [Morocco (59:67; Turkey (58:227); Algeria (109:311); Turkey (110:215)] |
3. Religious and social meetings take place under the tree; well-known figures are associated with the tree. | 71.0 | 44.4 | 30.4 | [56:71; 111:36] | [Ancient Assyria (112:42); Iran (92:142); Morocco (59:68); India (73:19–28)] |
4. The tree is dedicated to a prophet. | 47.3 | 22.2 | 34.7 | [56:65] | Â |
5. The species is religiously blessed. | 26.3 | 19.4 | 17.3 | [31] | Â |
6. The tree/forest commemorates events in the lives of saints, heroes, kings, in the tribe's history etc.. | 36.8 | 41.6 | 26.0 | [106:51; 55:93; 113:95] | [Assyria (112:42); Ancient Britain (26:44,104); Ireland (35, 19, 21, 25, 33, 35:29, 32, 36); England (118:184); Morocco (114:27); Mozambique (103:229); Uganda (115:37); Ghana (38:225–232;120:366; 121:41); Iran (87, I: 372, 92:142); India (116:26); Nepal; (119:248; 122:335); Okinawa (96:57); New Zealand (117:220)] |
7. The tree shows the way to a sacred place. | 92.0 | 0 | 0 | Â | Â |
8. The tree sprouted from saints' staffs. | 7.8 | 11.1 | 4.3 | [56:27; 124:407; 125:378–379] | [England (26:21); Ireland (35:35, 38, 40); Poland (6:55); Morocco (59:68); Iran (125:41); India (126 (127:287 in 21:27); New Zealand (128:68)] |
9. Tree provides shade in the desert | 0 | 0 | 17.3 | Â | [Ancient Egypt (129:121); Iran (87,I:373); India (130:43)] |
10. The Tree Grows/is planted over the grave of the saint. | 2.6 | 2.7 | 0 | [106:89] | [Ancient Celts (5:202); Egypt (66:56); Morocco (63:80); Zanzibar (131:36); Mongolia (79:2830] |
11. The tree is sacred because of the tree's size, age, shape; being evergreen or having a strange form. | 0 | 5.5 | 0 | Â | [Ancient Greece (76:26; 34:10); Ancient Rome (3, 12.2.3.; 132:67); Pagan Europe (74:38; 132:67); Russia (133, I:194); Siberia (141:58); Armenia (135:320); East Africa (78:4); Kenya (139:151); Cameroon (140:100); Sierra Leone (136:47); Iran (92:142); Inner Mongolia (80:279,283); India (137:239); China (138:759); Taiwan (134:5,III,1)] |
12. The tree has healing powers. | 0 | 0 | 0 |  | [Britain (26:44); Uganda (143, II: 832); China (142:412–413)] |
13. The tree is the abode of supernatural beings: tree spirits, djinns, demons, deities, goddess, angels, divine beings, dragon, monsters, etc., | 0 | 2.7 | 0 | Â | Ancient Egypt (151:89; 70:40); Minoan (152:141); Ancient Greece (34:10, 16, 20); Ancient Celts (5:198); Old Scandinavia (6:52); Teutonic mythology (8,I:71); East Africa (78:4); Uganda (115:37); Zimbabwe (101:6); India (98:9,15; 137:240,242); Ethiopia (154:3); Zanzibar (131:35); Mozambique, 103:229); Sierra Leone (156:102); Nigeria (157:292); West Africa (158:44); East Africa (78:4); Central Africa (159:317); Siberia (155:117); Iran (144:125); Inner Mongolia (80:277); Nepal (150:334); India (137:242; 40:280; 43:1578; 153:47); Thailand (147:330,147:66); China (138:759;161:131); Japan (145:34,35; 60:176); Indonesia (148:317);Okinawa (96:46,57,63;149:177);Micronesia (102:9); Papua (162:72)] |
14. All the individual trees of the species are religiously sacred. | 0 | 0 | 0 | Â | [Dahomey (172:54); India (165); Armenia (166:5); Tibet (168:325); China (138:759); Micronesia (167:13); Kiribati Pacific Islands (102:46); Chile (169:146); American Indians (164:121)] |
15. To commemorate miracles occurred near the tree or related to a saint. | 0 | 0 | 0 | [(56:70] | [Ireland (35:37,43); Egypt (90:17); ]Morocco (59:67,259); Iran (108:317); India (137:243); Tibet (171:276); Taiwan (134:5,III,1); China (172:133)] |
16. Tree is abode of ancestors' souls. | 0 | 0 | 0 | Â | [Old Celts (5:103); Mozambique (103:231); Ghana (121:41); Madagascar (176:19,20, 177:61); Zimbabwe(101:6,9;126, :378); Sierra Leone (136:47); S. Rhodesia, (178:102); Ghana (120:366; 179:149, 18:35); Kenya (180:135; French Guinea (181:14); Inner Mongolia (80:277,280); India (137:242; 173:332; 38:593); Laos (174:4; 182:7); Indonesia (175:310,318); Papua (162:72); Australia (183:163)] |
17. The tree is located near holy water source. | 0 | 0 | 0 |  | [Ancient Greece (34:20,25,34); Ancient Syria (82:115); Ireland (35:40–42; 83:30); Egypt (90:17); Algeria (184:72); Tanganyika (185:39); Turkey (110:215); China (138:759)] |
18. Tree/grove is grown/planted in sacred places, burial sites, graveyards, temple worship sites. | 0 | 0 | 0 | Â | [Ireland (35:29,44); East Africa (189:414,415,); Ghana (120:366;121:41); Kenya (180:134); Madagascar (191:83); Central Asia (190:99); Sri-lanka (150:176); Nepal (151:270,334); India (137:242; 32:293; 188:105;192:433; 193:237); Japan (186:180, 185:133) ; Taiwan (134:5, III, 1); China (161:131; 194:704)] |
19. The tree is useful. | 0 | 0 | 0 | Sinai (195:184) | [Ancient Assyria (112:42); Europe (5:199; 6:149); Ethiopia (154:4); Nigeria (157:292); S. Rhodesia (178:126–127); India (137:252, 196:157, 196:400; 73:21); Himalaya (38:58)] |
20. Tree creates a religious atmosphere | 0 | 0 | 0 | Â | [Ancient Rome (196:IV, 12, 3: 6:52); India (201:67; 199:153, 1981:281)] |
21. The tree attracts lightning | 0 | 0 | 0 | Â | [Europe (202:676; 203:79; 6:161); India (137:239); American Indians (204:15)] |
22. God is transformed into a tree. | 0 | 0 | 0 | Â | [Ancient Egypt (205: 15.16; 14:191); Russia (100:700)] |
23. The grove/forest declared sacred to insure the community resources/water catchments | 0 | 0 | 0 | Â | [Uganda(115:38);Mozambique (207:12);India ([206:8); China (163:131)] |
24. Planting a tree in high places as an abode for gods | 0 | 0 | 0 | Â | Mongolia [79:282]. |