Motif
Souled or animate trees
souled_or_animate_trees
A motif of the World Axis and Sacred Center family, within the sub-family Divinized, Animate, and Wonder-Working Trees. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
comparative
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The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (Vol. 1 of 2) PREFACE. / J. G. FRAZER. / CHAPTER I. THE KING OF THE WOOD. / MACAULAY.; lines 1607-1683 confidence: high
Frazer states that tree-worship rests on the idea that the world is animate and trees have souls; he cites Wanika beliefs about cocoa-nut trees and Siamese monks’ avoidance of breaking branches.
Multiple examples describe trees as having spirits, souls, feelings, thirst, or bodily vulnerability.
read in the book →