Evening star., 1899-01-02
WOOD OF THE TRUE CROSS.
Myths and Legends Appertafning to
the Sacred Tree.
From Household Words.

From Household Words.
The prevalence of relics purporting to be
the wood of the true cross has long afford
ed matter for cheap jesting. Such ifnposi-
tions are not likely to deceive any but the
most ignorant or the most credulous. The
fact is, that while the supply of genuine
relics is likely to be coeXstent with the de-
mand, we do not-really know of what wood
the cross consisted. There is an endless
store of myth and fable, dating from the
| earliest Christian ages. Symbolism has at
tempted to prove that the wood used was
of symbolic quality; and for one reason or
another, many different species of tree have
been elected to the position of honor. One
ancient legend, referred to in the apocry
phal book of Nicodemus, says that the
wood was taken from a tree which grew
from the grave of Adam. 1t is said that
the father of mankind. being one day sick.
sent his son Seth to the gates of the Gar
den of Eden, to pray its guardian angel
for a few drops of the oil of mercy, dis
titled from the tee of life. This was de-
MED by the angel, but a twig of the tree
was granted; and this, when planted on
the grave of Adam, grew into tree from
which the cross was afterward constructed.
There are many variations of this story.
Some say that David transplanted the tree
to the side of fountain in one of his gar
dens, and under its branches he composed
those magnificent outbursts of inspired de-
votion which are familiar to us as the
HSalmS. All tnlS is pOeCcal,
however mythic. But the general supersti-
ton that the cross consisted, not of
one tree, but of several; and the credit was
usually given to the palm, cedar, cypress
and olive. Certain of the fathers tell us
that the upright beam was of cedar, the
| cross beam of cypress, the tablet of olive
and the foot piece of palm. Various mean
ings were read into this The four woods
were taken to represent the four quarters
of the globe; and further special signfi-
canoe given to the choice of woods.
Cedar is symbolical of faith, palm of VIC
tory, olive of peace, cypress of mourning.
Some think the cross was formed of one of
these woods alone. But the privilege has
been given to other trees; in different coun-
tries and different ages we find differlns
beliefs. Many have believed that the cross
was of aspen. and that is why the aspen
still quvers perpetually 1t is thought that
the tree is still regretting the enforced part
that it had to play
One singular legend says that at the time
of the cruciixion all the trees quivered
with emotion except the aspen, and that
the doom of that tree has been to trembe
ever since. 1t is certainly true that the
aspen flourishes in Jerusalem. The gypsy
belief is that the cross was made of ash
wood. Perhaps this credit given to the
| mountain ash has led the Welsh to plant 1t
so frequently in their grave yards, though
more likely that practice derives from some
superstition earlier than the Christian era.
The elder tree also, which bears a very
contrar, distinction of being supposed the
tree on which Judas hanged himself, has
been believed to have supplied the cross.
We read in Notes and Queries that a
clergyman once ashed: Pray, sir, can
you tell me if there is any doubt of what
kind of wood our Lords cross made?
have always heard that it was made of
elder, and we look carefully into the fag-
gots before burning them, for fear there
should be any of this wood in them" 1t is
touching to think that poor people, how
ever short of fuel they might be, have re-
fused to burn the elder for this piouss
though superstitious, reason. Even super
stitious faith is better than none at ALL In
Scotland the elder is known as the bour
tree, and there is a popular rhyme as fol-
| lows:
Bour-tree, bour tree crooked rung,
Never straight and never strong,
Even bush and never tree,
Since our Lord was nailed on thee.
| So strong is this belief. or was, that the
| peasants thought the lightning would never
strike any one who stood under the elder
| tree. Other legends have attributed the
| cross to the oak, the pine. the fir, the box.
| The festival called the invention of the
cross held on May 3, celebrates the sup
posed discovery of the true cross by st.
Helena but it does not appear of what
wood it consisted.
Another festival connected with the wood
of the true cross is celebrated on the 1ith
of September called Holy Cross day." or
"Exaltation of the Cross, a festival which
| is said to have been instituted about the
year 622, under the following circum-
stances: Chosroes. King of Persia, having
plundered Jerusalem, took away a great
piece of the true cross which st. Helena,
the empress, had left there. Heraclius, the
Roman emperor, invaded the Persian king
| dom, in turn; defeated ChosroeS and re-
covered the cross The relic brought
back in triumph, and ever after its recov-
cry has been celebrated on the appointed