". The present section divides particularly notable examples into texts discussing the religious activities of the ancient Germanic peoples involving trees and groves (Germanic paganism) and their appearance in the myths of the Germanic peoples, particularly the North Germanic peoples (Germanic mythology). Scholars consider that reverence for and rites performed at individual trees are derived from the mythological role of the world tree, Yggdrasil; onomastic and some historical evidence also connects individual deities to both groves and individual trees. The central role of trees in Germanic religion is noted in the earliest written reports about the Germanic peoples, with the Roman historian Tacitus stating that Germanic cult practices took place exclusively in groves rather than temples. Future refuge of, Generally considered another name for Yggdrasil. Greece, and Rome, even in France, Germany and in almost all parts of Asia. 2010.

[5][6][7], Scandinavian placenames occur with the name of a deity compounded with lundr, 'grove', or viðr, 'wood'.[5]. The concept of Sacred Groves was not limited to any particular place or race of a community. [3][4], Another Proto-Germanic masculine noun, *lauxaz or *lauhaz, has given rise to words with a variety of meanings in various Germanic languages, including Anglo-Saxon lēah, 'meadow', Middle Low German lo, 'bush', and Old High German laoh, löh, 'grove, copse, bush'; it is cognate with Latin lūcus, 'sacred grove'. The tree is flanked on both sides by large hearths. A preliminary survey was conducted in these SGs to study their role in biodiversity conservation. Some scholars hypothesize that they even predated the development of temples (according to Rudolf Simek, "there were sacred woods long before there were temples and altars"[8]). Sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology. [15] Possible burnt offerings have been found on a hill at Lunda near Strängnäs in Södermanland; the archeologist Gunnar Andersson has argued that the combination of the finds and the placename—which can mean "the grove"—point to this being the remnants of a sacrificial grove.[16]. Sacred trees and groves are widely attested among the records of the ancient Germanic peoples. Sacred trees and groves are mentioned throughout the history of the ancient Germanic peoples, from their earliest attestations among Roman scribes to references made by medieval Christian monks. Cannot be hurt by fire or iron, bears fruit beneficial for pregnant women, the cock, An immense evergreen tree, central to the cosmos and considered sacred. 750-1050)-language text, Articles with text from the Celtic languages collective, Articles containing Old Frankish-language text, Articles containing Transalpine Gaulish-language text, Articles containing Old Irish (to 900)-language text, Articles containing Middle Low German-language text, Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles with Swedish-language sources (sv), According to Roman senator Tacitus in his first century CE work, On an "island in the ocean", often identified as, In his first century CE ethnography of the, According to Tacitus, the Semnones, a populous and powerful Germanic people, allowed none to enter the grove without being fettered and blindfolded. There they venerated what Tacitus refers to as ", Donar's Oak was a sacred tree located in an unclear location around what is now the region of, Sacred pillar-like objects, perhaps tree stumps, held sacred by the pagan Saxons. The Celts used sacred groves, called nemeton in Gaulish, for performing rituals, based on Celtic mythology.The deity involved was usually Nemetona – a Celtic goddess. The pagan Germanic peoples referred to holy places by a variety of terms and many of these terms variously referred to stones, groves, and temple structures. After Christianization, trees continue to play a significant role in the folk beliefs of the Germanic peoples. Prominent trees mentioned in Germanic mythology include the following: Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum, Anthropomorphic wooden cult figurines of Central and Northern Europe, Among trees, bones, and stones: The sacred grove at Lunda, Veitstu Hvé Blóta Skal : The Old Norse Blót in the Light of Osteological Remains from Frösö Church, Jämtland, Sweden, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sacred_trees_and_groves_in_Germanic_paganism_and_mythology&oldid=956777209, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, According to Roman senator Tacitus in his first century CE work, On an "island in the ocean", often identified as, In his first century CE ethnography of the, According to Tacitus, the Semnones, a populous and powerful Germanic people, allowed none to enter the grove without being fettered and blindfolded. [12][13] In some cases, such as Donar's Oak (according to legend, felled by Christian missionary Saint Boniface), these were associated with particular gods, and the association of individual trees with saints can be seen as a continuation of the tradition into modern times.[13]. From Proto-Germanic *xaruʒaz or *haruʒaz, a masculine noun, developed Old Norse hǫrgr meaning 'temple, idol', Old English hearg 'temple, idol', and Old High German harug meaning 'holy grove, holy stone'. A mouldering birch stump surrounded by animal bones, especially from brown bear and pig, was discovered under the church on Frösön in Jämtland in 1984. The finds have been carbon dated to the late Viking Age. Trees hold a particular role in Germanic paganism and Germanic mythology, both as individuals (sacred trees) and in groups (sacred groves).The central role of trees in Germanic religion is noted in the earliest written reports about the Germanic peoples, with the Roman historian Tacitus stating that Germanic cult practices took place exclusively in groves rather than temples. [12][13], Sacred trees and groves leave few archaeological traces, but two such sites may have been identified, both in Sweden. 450-1100)-language text, Articles containing Old High German (ca. More languages soon. [5][6][7], Scandinavian placenames occur with the name of a deity compounded with lundr, 'grove', or viðr, 'wood'.[5]. The Landnámabók, which describes the settlement of Iceland and dates from the 13th century, tells of a skáld by the name of Þórir snepill Ketilsson who, after his crew encountered and fended off raiding vikings, arrived in Iceland and founded a sacred grove there: There exists also a Scandinavian folk tradition of farmers making small offerings to a "warden tree", regarded as exercising a protective function over the family and land. Notable examples of sacred trees and groves in the historical record among the ancient Germanic peoples include the following: In Norse mythology, the northernmost extension of Germanic mythology, several sacred trees are mentioned. Its branches and roots extend far into the, Magnell, Ola; Iregren, Elisabeth. Sacred groves (SGs) are patches of land that are communally protected with religious zeal. This is a giant online mental map that serves as a basis for concept diagrams. If the blindfolded falls, they must crawl out of the grove. The finds have been carbon dated to the late Viking Age. [10] Such groves were sometimes dedicated to a particular deity: in addition to the case of Nerthus, there was a silva Herculi sacra ('wood sacred to Hercules', an interpretatio romana) near the River Weser, and the Semnones reportedly held their rituals in honor of the regnator omnium deus ('god the ruler of all').

The most prominent of these trees is the holy tree central to the cosmos, Yggdrasil. [2], The Proto-Germanic masculine noun *nemeðaz, which developed into Old Frankish nimid ('holy grove'), similarly either developed from, or is otherwise connected to, Gaulish nemeton, Latin sacellum and Old Irish nemed 'holiness'. From Proto-Germanic *xaruʒaz or *haruʒaz, a masculine noun, developed Old Norse hǫrgr meaning 'temple, idol', Old English hearg 'temple, idol', and Old High German harug meaning 'holy grove, holy stone'. It gives a brief definition of each concept and its relationships. Trees hold a particular role in Germanic paganism and Germanic mythology, both as individuals (sacred trees) and in groups (sacred groves). Völsung's hall is built around the tree, it bears "fair blossoms", and stretches through the roof of the structure. [10] Such groves were sometimes dedicated to a particular deity: in addition to the case of Nerthus, there was a silva Herculi sacra ('wood sacred to Hercules', an interpretatio romana) near the River Weser, and the Semnones reportedly held their rituals in honor of the regnator omnium deus ('god the ruler of all'). Scholars have speculated that publicly revered trees such as that at the temple in Uppsala were regarded as counterparts to the mythic world tree Yggdrasil. [11], Reverence for individual trees among the Germanic peoples is a common theme in medieval Christian denunciations of backsliding into paganism. In his Germania, Tacitus says that the Germanic peoples "consecrate woods and groves and they apply the name of gods to that mysterious presence which they see only with the eye of devotion",[9] Tacitus describes the grove of the Semnones and refers to a castum nemus ('chaste grove') in which the image of the goddess Nerthus was hallowed, and other reports from the Roman period also refer to rites held by continental Germanic peoples in groves, including the sacrifices in forest clearings of survivors by the Cherusci after their victory at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, recounted by Tacitus in his Annals based on a report by Germanicus. [1] A more general term for a sacred place was *vé. After Christianization, trees continue to play a significant role in the folk beliefs of the Germanic peoples. Sacred trees and groves leave few archaeological traces, but two such sites may have been identified, both in Sweden. The veneration of both trees and groves in Northern European paganism is well-known and The pagan Germanic peoples referred to holy places by a variety of terms and many of these terms variously referred to stones, groves, and temple structures. The scholar of Germanic religion Jan de Vries noted that placenames such as Frølund (Denmark), and Ullunda, Frösvi, and Mjärdevi (Sweden), in which the name of a deity is compounded with words meaning "grove" or "wood", suggest a continuation of the same practice, but are found almost exclusively in eastern Scandinavia; however, there is a Coill Tomair recorded near Dublin, an oak forest apparently sacred to Thor. The data collected included the general information regarding the SGs and the associated deity, nearest human habitation, access to them, and their floral and faunal diversity. Cannot be hurt by fire or iron, bears fruit beneficial for pregnant women, the cock, An immense evergreen tree, central to the cosmos and considered sacred. [1] A more general term for a sacred place was *vé. Sacred trees and groves are mentioned throughout the history of the ancient Germanic peoples, from their earliest attestations among Roman scribes to references made by medieval Christian monks. [3][4], Another Proto-Germanic masculine noun, *lauxaz or *lauhaz, has given rise to words with a variety of meanings in various Germanic languages, including Anglo-Saxon lēah, 'meadow', Middle Low German lo, 'bush', and Old High German laoh, löh, 'grove, copse, bush'; it is cognate with Latin lūcus, 'sacred grove'. Notable examples of sacred trees and groves in the historical record among the ancient Germanic peoples include the following: In Norse mythology, the northernmost extension of Germanic mythology, several sacred trees are mentioned. There they venerated what Tacitus refers to as ", Donar's Oak was a sacred tree located in an unclear location around what is now the region of, Sacred pillar-like objects, perhaps tree stumps, held sacred by the pagan Saxons. Grazed upon by the hart, Generally considered to be another name for Yggdrasil. It's free to use and each article or document can be downloaded.

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