The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-10-04
ga, LoRE or TREES.
plan. ana Trse worship I'm Eurcpes1

Plant ana Tree worship Ia
Countries.
Among many primitive nations there
was widespread belief in the person
alitv of plants, and superstitious. fear
of these spirit-haunted trees. Inc
Ohiibways believed that the trees naa
souls. and even fancied they could near
their wailings when mutilated' ana .ne
same idea is often met with IN tne
mythology Of Greece and hone. Ia an :
old Swedish legend we are told tnat q
inniper tree said to the woodInan
about 20 fell it: Friend, do not new
me- and when this command was ois,
REGARDED. blood flowed from the WOUND
made by the ak. According to urlinn,
modern folklore still tells us thsls
when the slasr feels tho woodlands
na It bleeds, weepe and dies
In sncienA Germany the elder Tree
was held In great esteem, rs IL WIS
thought to be the home of the "Mother
of the Elves A belief akin to this is
to be found in English folklore, where
the oal, was thought to be the home OF
wood spirits, and holes in the trees
were the doors where they went IN aai
out It was considered an act OF sacri.
lcce to mutilnte or cut down one o.
these trees. In India the people POM
ont the holes in oak trees as the splr-
it's pathway. The Westphallan peas
ants also believed in these troe Spirits
and whenever any member OF the lam
ilv died were accustomed to announce
the death of the nearest oak. They
have also a curious bel:,:s that when
the Wandering Jew" shall INN Two
oaks growing in the form OF cross ne
may rest.
Traces Of plant and tree worship may
still be found in som. parts on Europe
and many Of the old belieTs nave
crossed the sen and co:uo down to our
oy;, times. An old wuDlun once showed
me twig Of mountain ash that she al
ways carried in her pocket to keep OH
the witches l did not then kno"
that our mountain ash is but another
name for the poets Rowan tree, nor
the popular belief that Witches have
no power where there is Rowan-tree
wood" There is an Aryan tradition
that this tree sprang from the light
ming, and hence it's mystic properties.
In some parts OF England this tree Is
planted near dwellings to- protect from
witches and the evil eye" For the
same reason an ash twig is used to
drive cattle, and in Scandinavia the
branches are put over the stable door
to protect the cattle from the same
balcful influence
Among some sailors there Is belief
that if Rowan-trce wood is used about
ship 1t will surely sinl, unless the
evil spell IS countcractod by having
juniper on board On the other hand,
there is an Icclandic superstition that
| if the two woods are In the same house
it will barn down. The Eo:van-tree is
not the only one feared by witches. IN
some parts OF England it is thought
that branches of the plum tree nailed
above the doors will insure the safety
of the inmates. and in India an olive
branch which has been blessed Is used
for the same purpose.
Trees play an important part i'll the
Biblical fol;s-lorc OF plants. and one
writer on this subject says: The cross
of our blessed Lord may be said to
fling it's shadow over the whole vege-
table world 1t has long been dis
putcd question as to what tree shall be
ascribed the doubtful honor Of furnish
ing wood for the cross. Sir John Mandc-
vile says it was made of cedar. cypress
Dalm and olive, while I'ette gives us
pine and box in place of the two lattor
The gipsies think it was OF ash. and a
very general superstition is. that 1t was
made from the aspen, whose leaves
have since that time tremblcd with
shame and sorrow. Others say Il was
made from the fig tree that the Saviour
cursed. There is also legend That
cedar wns cut by Solomon and buried
in The pool of nsthosla This w'as
found 6o&siag In She watos sod taken
by the Jews ~ foSsa the cross.
| Among Biblical folk teles 1e have
one that tells US that the otler vas the
tree on which Judas in despair hanged
himself, and for this reason IL is be-
licvoa to have special attraction for
suicides. liz Swabia. Cnrist's crown is
said to hare berl nude from a black
thorn. AM Il ,.r1,.,!' h legend says that
/ the ,twart .,:rc.i ..,rl,,aa.t The ro.l with
! which h ri sc'n."yed.
J During ihc ti,::;t into Egypt the pine
protectc. the 'Ioly !'aln!ly from ll:rod's
soldiers. a hazel from tho lightning,
and juniper :sa lie IL shelter. Pop1-
llr belief maze, iii wild ,;lco0 he tree
Oh which loan he Baptist fed when
''ns IA ~ Vas ':,l.tsand wild honey"
The pnucgral;-w was long rcvcrenced
among the Pers.air, and Jews as the
tree bearing the .rbidden fri: given
b; Eve to A,lai.l. n.ll there is ;.!.a, a tra-
dil'on tia. ;;.,r the expulsion from
Egypt they clothed themselves IN The
leaves of the bAnyiin tree. une might
study tEcs. lcgcan., in,ieinitclv, for in
tisc whole vcgct;.j,..r kingdom there is
scarce tree that IA, not some super
stition attached thereto.-Journal of
| Education.
On the Smoker,
Although she had evidently tried hard
to conceal the fact, she was really a
woman. From the tip of her square