Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-24
o. I'LL

sansm 1t was the preV4>fIlfg custom
among the ancientS to worship a tree, so
during the winter solstice. which was
for all alike the chief festival season OF
the year, they invariably set up tree
for this purpose and illuminated it to
symbolic its holiness.
The Egyptians made use of the palm
The Romans chose the fir. Twelve light
ed tapers Illuminated the Roman tree,
I'm representation OF each month. They
tipped the tree with a representation of
the sun and beneath it placed images of
pasturing sheep, in honor OF Apollo, the
god Of the sun.
one OF the earliest accounts of the in
stitution of the tree at Christmas comes
from ancient Scandinavia. An early mis-
sionary 10 Norway. ST. Winfred finding
the inhabitants worshiping trees. after
the manner of the Druids set about to
prove that their trees We're not gods.
Christmas eve, accordingly, he felled a
great oak before a large assembly, and
thereupon miracle took place.
''A- the bright blade clrcIed around
Winfred's head" 50 the legend reads,
and the fakes Of wood few from the
deepening cash in the body of the tree
whiriing wind passed over the forest. IT
crippled the oak from It's foundations
Backward il fell like tower. grooming
as II split &sunder in four pieces. But
just behind IT and unframed by the ruin
stood young FIR tree pointing a green
Spire toward the stars
"Nmfred let the drop and turned to
speak to the people.
This little tree, "A young child of the
forest. shall be your holy tree tonight. 1t
is the wood of peace, for your houses are
built OF the fir. II is a sign of endless life.
FOR is leaves are ever green. See how il
points upward TO heaven Let this be
called the tree of the Christ Child gather
about it, not in the wild but in your
own homes; there IL will shelter no deeds
OF blood, but loving gifts and rites OF
kindness. "
\ little later the ina linary Tree of Life
furnished a popular theme for the Christ
has tree legends OF several nations Scan
Iinavia supplies a conspicuous Tree OF
Life. The ash tree. or YggdrasiI they
called II, was so big that il encompa ssed
the universe. 1t had three roots, one In
heaven, one in hell, and one on the earth
serpent gnawed necessarily the Ygg-
drasii, roots, and when they were eater
through the end of life would come.
III I1cOft@ history lnGTe Is q we'll known
Tree of Life. Like the ancients the Jew.
illuminated it to symbolic its holiness
They were the first TO deck the tree will
candles, borrowing the idea from the He
brew Chanuckah. or Feast of Lights dur
fng which festival il was the custom Il
keep burning candles in every Jewisl
home. As in the ggdraSil myth the ser
pent appeared likewise at the base of tn
Jewish tree, and even today in parts q
Germany the serpent is still represented.
IL was the Germans and the Norsemel
who connected the Yggdrasil legeni witt
tAe Christian Tree of Life. Its posi-
ton says a writer of the middle ages
in altering the Yggdrasil To symbolic
Christianity. ''is such that the upper por
ton touches the earth. the root reache
to hell, and the branches extend TO al
parts of the earth
France in the thirteenth century give
one of the most pleasing tree of life ,eg
snds. The hero OF a romance hnds