Let's talk about trees: Sacred Trees in (Ingvaeonic) Heathenry
Trees are integral parts of nature and well respected in Heathenry. However, certain trees were especially venerated by our ancestors. Traces of such customs are still found in the world around us.
We can infer, from various sources, nine sacred trees in (Ingvaeonic) Heathenry. These are:
Oak
Ash
Elm
Lime
Birch
Yew
Willow
Hazel
Rowan
Some are more obvious, such as the oak, ash, elm and yew. Some are perhaps a bit more surprising, such as the willow, lime and hazel.
In the upcoming few months, I will dedicate a short post to each tree, arguing from historical, mythical and ecological viewpoints.
Disclaimer: The topic of sacred trees is quite subjective depending on your locality and tribal background. I am arguing primarily from a Northwest European viewpoint, specifically relevant to Ingvaeonic regions. Not all tree species are universally present in the Germanic world, so these trees cannot be seen as universally sacred to all Germanic peoples since they were/are simply not present in all the homelands of the Germanic peoples. I believe there is, for most trees, enough evidence to treat them as universally sacred to Germanic Heathenry, but for some trees there simply isn't. Keep this in mind when considering my arguments.
Coming soon, I'll start with the most favourite, popular and well known tree: the almighty Oak.
