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Table 4 Punishments on the violation of sacred trees.

From: The supernatural characters and powers of sacred trees in the Holy Land

Punishment

Druze (n = 20)

Arab (n = 31)

Bedouin (n = 44)

References from the Middle East

References from other regions

1. Divine punishment, serious illness, disaster, accidents, bad luck, madness, curse

50.0

25.7

15.8

[Egypt (132:17); Turkey (116:175)]

[Greece (37:335); Britain (65:21); Ireland (20:21,33,47); Estonia (18:23), (212:3); Zanzibar (213:36); Mongolia (77:281); Siberia (216:117); Zimbabwe (83:6); Kenya (189:28); East Africa (48:432–433); Tanzania (198:27, 45); Zimbabwe (215:365); Nepal (192:248); (217:335); India (27:68–69), (30:73), (153:8),(154:201), (139:67); Sri Lanka 165:177); China (50:168), (214:746), (195:332); Japan (25:36)]

2. Paralysis (especially of the hand/limb fracture)

35.0

35.4

27.2

[Syria (112:16); Arabia (74:496)]

[Britain (65:22,191); Ireland (20:37,47); Lithuania (218:31)]

3. Damage to property, fire, death of a domestic animal

35.0

12.9

40.1

[Syria (112:16); Egypt (132:17); Palestine (111:44), (126:20); Sinai (110:185); Turkey (15;215]

[Ghana (160:259); Nepal (217:335); Estonia (18;23); India (100:240)]

4. Death, murder

12.0

35.4

9.0

Palestine (87:66); Syria (112:16); [Transjordan (74, I:77, 365); Arabia (91:330): Iran (219:118), (220:3); Kurdistan (15:216)]

[Ancient Greece (204:38,60, (50:61); Ireland (20:29,47); Britain (65:191); Lithuania (50:25); Estonia (18:23); Dalmatia (22:64); Siberia (216:117); Mongolia (77:281)] Cameroon (170:82); Ghana (161:159); Zanzibar (213:36); Nigeria (221:272); India (31:97), (55:277), (100:240), (153:8), (222:316); Indonesia (223:3, 4); Japan (25:36), (136:46)]

5. Death/illness of a family member

20.0

12.9

20.4

[Palestine (87:66); Arabia (74:496); Egypt (46:56); Iran (224:124); Turkey (15:215)]

[India (197:295); Nepal (217:335)]

6. Barrenness

15.0

6.4

2.2

 

[India (88:54)]

7. Blindness

15.0

0

0

  

8. Fine, ransom, sacrifice, special gift

0

0

0

[Palestine [40]:35,36]

Ancient Greece (37:335); Rome (50: 67); Siberia (225:47); Ghana (160:159); Kenya (189:28); Nigeria (221:205); Africa (Bantu, 205:41); India (90:221), (138:107), (226:570)]

9. Collective punishment for the whole community

0

0

0

 

[India (156:21,83,96); China (152:131), (211:145); Vietnam (147:113); Laos (148:84)]