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Trees have been surrounding people for thousands of years. They give us food, shelter, materials, shade and many more. No surprise that tree is a sacred symbol of life in different cultural and religious teachings.

But there are different legends for different countries. Sometimes trees appear in funny, scary and interesting forms in tales throughout the world. Some species are mythical, but some are real, so you can consider planting them. To get more information about such a possibility we recommend contacting a professional arborist company in Texas City or your area.

We are continuing to tell about trees from legends and myths. This is the second part of the article, the first one was published earlier this week.

The Tree of Zaqqum

The tree of Zaqqum is described in the Quran. It says that this one grows in the very hell. It serves as a part of the punishment for sinners: when they beg for something to eat, they have no choice but trying the Zaqqum’s super-bitter fruits. It causes horrible suffering, their faces fall off. It sounds very creepy — you will not probably pick this species to decorate your yard with it.

The Whispering Oak of Dodona

This oak is a part of Greek mythology as it’s mentioned in many different tales. Myths say that Dodona was the first oracle of Zeus. Of course, it could not speak in human language, but some oracles could descript the sound of the foliage shaking on the wind. In Odyssey gods told Jason to use a branch from this oak in the construction of the ship, in Illiad Achilles came to the tree for advice before going to the war.

The Sky-High Tree

Many national legends around the globe have a version of a sky-high tree. In Hungarian tales there was a shepherd boy who found a trunk so high that it canopy was hidden in the clouds and decided to climb on it. He met the whole new world with fantastic buildings and landscapes. Another legend from peoples of Syberia tells about a tree that reaches heavens and holds the sky. Some versions also say that it holds up the sky — so try to imagine the difficulty of the tree removing job.

The Lotus Tree

Lotus winds up as a tree in numerous world legends and myths from the very ancient times. Versions may vary and there are sometimes wild descriptions. For example, in Greek myths there was a goddess named Lotus who turned herself into a tree willingly in order to protect herself from an unwanted marriage. As a continuation, there is the part of Homer’s tales when Odysseus and his crew ran into the land of the Lotus Eaters — the ate the fruits of lotus and it made them forget everything. This expression remains to other days as the naming of people who trade their lives for pleasures.

Jubokko

Possibly, the most creepy legend of both parts of the article is the Japanese myth about Jubokko. This species is described as a deceiving tree that looks normal from afar but can catch and soak blood from people passing by. Also, their base looks like human remains. The legend says that Jubokkos were normal once, but once upon a time there was a harsh war on their land which transformed them into carnivorous vampire trees.

 

So this was our chart of ten interesting legends involving trees. As we are a tree service company we are fond of our green friends and everything associated with them — not only practical matters but interesting stories, legends, and teachings about their magical power.