This book explores the full significance of trees in both pagan and Christian Anglo-Saxon religion, drawing on sources from archaeology and written texts. This academic text examines not only the trees and their religious significance, but also ritual architecture made from trees.
Trees were of fundamental importance in Anglo-Saxon material culture – but they were also a powerful presence in Anglo-Saxon religion before and after the introduction of Christianity. This book shows that they remained prominent in early English Christianity, and indeed that they may have played a crucial role in mediating the transition between ancient beliefs and the new faith.
Tree symbolism helped early English Christians to understand how the beliefs of their ancestors about trees, posts, and pillars paralleled the appearance of similar objects in the Old Testament. In this way, the religious symbols of their forebears were aligned with precursors to the cross in Scripture. Literary evidence from England and Scandinavia similarly indicates a shared tradition of associations between the bodies of humans, trees, and other plant-life. Though potentially ancient, these ideas flourished amongst the abundance of vegetative symbolism found in the Christian tradition.
Why we love it
We love trees. We love history. We love ancient religions. Of course we love this book. It gave us a lot to think on in regards to ritual architecture and how it intersects with sigil marks. It also paired wonderfully with the Crosses of the Peak District book, in that it matches up ancient crosses with how they were interpreted in ancient times. If you’re really into trees and surrounding concepts, this book should definitely be on your shelf.
206 pages
To see how people use these in action, visit our Instagram Page. If you want to learn more about our products, go to our ‘Learn More’ Page.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.