Tree of Knowledge

The **Tree of Knowledge**, otherwise known as the **Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil**, is a minor recurring element in the *Divine Comedy*.

It is an ancient and divine tree that once resided in the Garden of Eden and was instrumental in Adam and Eve's fall from grace. After their fall the tree was thrown out of Eden and into Limbo.

## Description

Compared to the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge appears as a gnarled tree with dark blue bark and purple leaves. It also bears a single pomegranate that grows from its branches.

The tree's fruit is said to grant knowledge of one's self but also consciousness in regards to their own feelings both good and bad. After its expulsion from Eden and into Limbo, the tree would become a centerpoint of sorts for all the underworlds in a similar fashion to how the Tree of Life is for the heavens. Its roots would spread throughout the entirety of Hell and keeps the Nine Circles connected to one another.

The tree would also be fed by the five rivers of the underworld (Styx, Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, and Phlegethon) through its roots and converge around the tree in the center of the underworld, creating a great chthonic marsh with the tree at the base.

Also like the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge has caretakers of its own which in this case would Ladon, a monstrous serpentine dragon and child of Typhon and Tiamat, that coils around the base of the tree and guarding it from any intruders.

## History

### Background

The Tree of Knowledge was one of the two trees that was planted in Heaven alongside the Tree of Life. While the Tree of Life gave divinity its counterpart only gave consciousness and free will. Though the tree itself is envisioned as being malevolent, it was not really the case though its functions are spiritually tainted as eating from the tree, according to the angels, means to be cut off from God and succumb to the unforgiving elements of mortality and reality.

It is shown that the tree grew from the first seedling produced by Tree of Life and was supposed to be the "next phase" in creation's advancement. It was then planted by Goddess and grew rapidly bearing fruit that differs from the Tree of Life's fruit. When God noticed it He told His wife to hold on about going any further with whatever plans She had with the tree as He wants to "test the waters" first with His new creations.

### Limbo's Tree

His creations, that being Adam and Eve, were enamored by the tree so much that the angels shooed them away from it on multiple occasions. It got the point where God outright told them to not eat from the tree otherwise they will die which made them back off though God took further precautions by putting "keep away" signs around the tree. However, after the war in Heaven, Lilith and Satan would use the tree as a means to bring down Adam and Eve though each had their own reasons for doing so. After the fall of Adam and Eve, the tree was thrown into Limbo, corrupted by sin.

Despite its expulsion from Eden, the tree's roots spread out through Limbo and eventually reached Hell with its roots actually being used to support the Nine Circles of Hell. When Evil grew from beneath Hell it infected the roots of the tree akin to a weed or fungal matter. Humanity's most prevalent atrocities would produce sins from Evil's influence with these sins spreading and congregating in each of the Circles that the Tree of Knowledge's roots were connected to.

In later times, the tree is considered to be sacred especially amongst the supreme rulers of Hell as it is part of a marital rite between the emperors and their betrothed. During such cases, the tree grows a single pomegranate which is split in half by the groom who presents the other half to his bride and upon consuming their halves of the pomegranate the bride would have equal share, dominion, and power over Hell, its denizens, and resources as the groom does.

## Trivia

* In Judaism and Christianity, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is one of two specific trees in the story of the Garden of Eden in *Genesis* 2–3, along with the tree of life.