(continued from Tree Symbolism Part 1)
Irmensul – means giant column; located in Teutoburger Wald, near Detmold in west Saxony; the German Tree of Life represented the entire world, with roots reaching down into the underworld and branches stretching up toward the sky; it was cut down by Charlemagne (A.D. 742 - 814) as a first step in Christianizing the site
Nemi Wood – sacred grove; associated with Diana, the Roman goddess of the woods, forests, and moon, can still be found on the shores of Lake Nemi, near Rome
Tree of Knowledge – found in Paradise; dualistic as it symbolizes good and evil; linked with the Fall of Man; represents the lunar phases of decline and regeneration, death and resurrection
Tree of Life – standing at the center of Paradise; represents perfect harmony; the 10 or 12 branches are the rewards of spiritual growth, such as wisdom, love, truth, and beauty; the fruit are manifestations of the sun; immortality is given to those who eat or drink an essence extracted from the tree itself
World Tree – depicted with its roots around the earth and its branches in the heavens; symbolizes the potential assent of humankind from the dense realm of matter to the rarified reaches of the spirit
Yggdrasil – Scandinavian World Tree or Cosmic Tree, the giant ash tree from which the Nordic god Odin hung himself for nine days and nights; it binds together earth, heaven, and the underworld; source of knowledge; Odin gained wisdom by drinking from the spring at its roots