Perhaps one of the most recognized Archetypes of mythology is the tree. For our reading today we encountered the World Tree as the Norse Ygdrassil, The Iroquois Celestial Tree and the Christian Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Even non-theistic spiritual traditions such as Buddhism recognize the power of the World Tree as the central nexus of energy that brings life into the universe. We see that Buddha gained enlightenment while sitting under the Bo tree.
Regardless of the tradition we see the tree in it always represents the totality of power behind the universe. If there is a fountain where life comes into the universe it is represented by the tree in myth. Therefore any actions that take place on the tree or in its vicinity take on new significance. Odin was sacrificed on the World Tree in exchange for powerful knowledge about existence. At the center of the Garden of Eden sat the Tree of Knowledge from which four rivers flowed out across creation. This is literally life flowing into the world. In the Iroquois, three seeds from the Celestial Tree are enough to populate the entire planet with life. Christs Cross is also a variant of the World Tree and his sacrifice upon it, like Odin, was a universal sacrifice with great import for humanity. Furthermore the image of the crucified man is a reminder that humanity is bound to the power that drives all life and it is part of his destiny to die and return to that source from which everything flows.
Even the sci-fi thriller Avatar capitalized on this symbol and made millions with the Home Tree which is literally the center of a living entity which consists of their entire planet. In JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion he explores the archetype of the world tree through his Two Trees of the Valinor. Even popular MMO World of Warcraft has numerous references to the World Tree which are all named suspiciously similar to the Norse Ygdrassil.
These are certainly intentional references but they show the extent to which these highly spiritual symbols are a part of our daily lives. I think it is fantastic that modern consumers of popular culture are being fed archetypes as a part of their entertainment. Maybe you've seen some world tree refernces somewhere in popular culture. Let us know.
These are certainly intentional references but they show the extent to which these highly spiritual symbols are a part of our daily lives. I think it is fantastic that modern consumers of popular culture are being fed archetypes as a part of their entertainment. Maybe you've seen some world tree refernces somewhere in popular culture. Let us know.
