Requiem for a Tree

Digital photo collage. 20x36" giclee on canvas.

"Requiem for a tree" represents the strong tie between man and tree and the respect that was once given to trees but is seldom seen today. Primitive man observed the growth and death of trees, the annual decay and revival of their foliage. Through these observations, they made the connection between the animal and vegetable world and regarded the tree as sacred.



In almost every part of the world, travellers have observed the custom of hanging objects upon trees. Wreaths, ribbons or rags are often suspended from the branches to win favor for sick loved ones or cattle, as prayers or merely for good luck.



The tree is has also been used as an oracle through the ages. Best known, perhaps, is the oak of Dodona tended by priests who slept on the ground. Forms of the tall oaks of the old Prussians were inhabited by gods who gave responses. Important sacred trees are also the object of pilgrimage, one of the most noteworthy being the branch of the Bo tree at Sri Lanka. The tree-spirits will hold sway over the surrounding forest or district, and the animals in the locality are often sacred and must not be hunted or harmed in any way.



In ancient Celtic society - pagan high priests known as "Druids" worshiped nature and regarded their natural surroundings as well as trees as being sacred. They celebrated soltices, harvests and lunar cycles - often holding gatherings in sacred tree groves. Very little is known about ancient Druidic culture as it was mostly wiped out under Roman occupation