ArchTale 8. The-Tree of Life

The-Tree that was cut down dropped its seed

And grew again from within the waters of chaos

In the good soil of The-Spirit it grew

The-Seed flourished immediately

Feeding on The-Spirit

Consuming some of the chaos

Until fully grown.

Yauelmani Yokut

In the beginning there was water covering the earth. Then somehow a stick or tree grew up out of the water and headed towards the sky.

-Leeming. D.A. p. 285. CMW

That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

I Corinthians 15:36

“Truly, truly, I say to you; a grain of wheat remains alone unless it falls into the earth and dies; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

John 12:23-24

The-Man as The-Tree

What was the wood and what was the tree from which they carved the sky and the earth? You deep thinkers ask yourselves in your own hearts... 1

Hindu

This whole universe is filled by The Man Purusha, to whom there is nothing superior, from whom there is nothing different, than whom there is nothing smaller or larger, who stands alone, fixed like a tree in the sky.2

Akan and Ashanti of Africa

Nyame the Creator and Supreme Deity is worshipped in the form of a tree.3

Mewan Indians

Wek-wek the falcon asked his father how they could get the music tree and have it at their home. Mol -lukthe condor answered, “My son, I do not know; I am not very wise; you will have to ask your grandfather; he is the preexisting creator and he knows everything.” “Where is my grandfather?” asked Wek-wek. “He is by the ocean,” Mol -luk replied. “I never saw him,” said Wek-wek. His father asked, “Didn’t you see something like a stump bobbing in the water and making a noise as it went up and down?” “Yes” said Wek-wek, “I saw that.” “Well”; replied Mol-luk, “; that is your grandfather.” “How can I get him?” asked Wek-wek.” “You can’t get all of him, but perhaps you can break off a little piece and in that way get him.” So Wek-wek flew off to the ocean, found the stump bobbing in the water, and tore off a little piece and brought it home. When he awoke next morning the little piece had changed into O-let-te, the Coyote-Man, who was already living in a little house of his own on top of the mountain. O-let–te told Wek-wek that he was his grandfather. ” Now I’ve got my grandfather.” Wek-wek told Mol-luk his father. Mol-luk replied, “Ask him what you want to know; he knows everything. 4

Assyria

The worship of the sacred tree was intimately associated with that of the Supreme Deity, its symbol being incontestably one of the most sacred emblems of the Assyrian religion. 5

Ancient Australians

Before time had a beginning everything was resting in perpetual darkness: night oppressed all the earth like an impenetrable thicket. The gurra ancestor, his name was Karora, was lying asleep in everlasting night, at the very bottom of the soak of Ilbalintja; as yet there was no water in it, but all was dry ground. Over him the soil was red with flowers and overgrown with many grasses; and a great tnatantja [ceremonial pole] was swaying above him. This tnatantja had sprung from the midst of the bed of purple flowers which grew over the soak of Ilbalintja. Its root rested in the head of Karora himself sharing the thoughts that had circled around in Karora’s head since before time: from thence it mounted up toward the sky as though it would strike the very vault of the heavens. It was a living creature, covered with a smooth skin like the skin of a man. And Karora’s head lay at the root of the great tnatantja: he had rested thus ever from the beginning.6

Finns and Estonians

Taara, the Supreme God was associated with the oak. In Finland the oak is still called “God’s tree.7

Damaras of South Africa

The Universal Progenitor was a tree, out of which came Damaras, Bushmen, oxen and zebras, and everything else that lives. 8

Ancient Greece

At Dodona, one of the most ancient of all Greek sanctuaries, Zeus was approached as immanent in his sacred oak. It was said that the first oak sprang from the blood of a Titan slain while invading the abode of the god, who thereupon chose it as his own peculiar tree. 9

Shinto

Three deities came into being in the plain of high heaven. They came into being alone and then they hid their souls. A thing then sprouted up like unto a reed shoot and from it was born Pleasant Reed Shoot Prince Elder and the Heavenly Eternally Standing Deity these two deities likewise were born alone and hid their souls.10

Heaven was therefore formed first, and Earth was established subsequently. Thereafter divine beings were produced between them. Hence it is said that when the world began to be created, the soil of which lands were composed floated about in a manner which might be compared to the floating of a fish sporting on the surface of the water. At this time a certain thing was produced between Heaven and Earth. It was in form like a reed-shoot. Now this became transformed into a God, and was called Kuni-toko-tachi no Mikoto. Next there was Kuni no sa-tsuchi no Mikoto, and next Toyo-kumu-nu no Mikoto, in all three deities These were pure males spontaneously developed by the operation of the principle of Heaven. In one writing it is said: “Of old, when the land was Young and the earth young, it floated about, as it were floating oil. At this time a thing was produced within the land, in shape like a reed-shoot when it sprouts forth. From this there was a deity developed, whose name was Umashi-ashi-kabi-hiko-ji no Mikoto. Next there was Kuni no toko-tachi no Mikoto, and next Kuni no sa-tsuchi no Mikoto.” In one writing it is said: “Before Heaven and Earth were produced, there was something which might be compared to a cloud floating over the sea. It had no place of attachment for its root. In the midst of this a thing was generated which resembled a reed-shoot when it is first produced in the mud. This became straightway transformed into human shape and was called Kuni no toko-tachi no Mikoto.”11

Pleasant Reed Shoot Prince Elder grew six branches each of which grew a male and female deity.12

Zulu

Unkulunkulu, the Ancient One, is the Zulu creator. Nobody knows where he is now; he came originally (that is, he “broke off”) from some reeds, he was the reeds, because the word for reed, uthlanga, means source. He was really the first man and the progenitor of other men and there was nothing before him.13

Ancient Prussians

The Principal God was supposed to dwell by preference in the great oak. 14

Eastern Polynesia

The Maori of New Zealand and many other islanders of eastern Polynesia call God Io. Another great word for God throughout Eastern Polynesia is “Atua”. A key to the true sense of “Atua” exists in its constant equivalent “Io,” which means the ‘core” or ‘’pith’ of a tree. Analogically, God is the pith, core, or life of man. The word “rimu” means moss; “rimua” = moss-grown, the final ‘a’ as in the word “Atua,” being intensive. Thus it comes to pass that ‘eterniity’ or forever’ is expressed by the phrase “e rimuauaatu “—the essential part of which is “rimua.” The idea is of a lofty tree covered all over with moss, the growth of untold ages. So that the phrase might be rendered “until covered with the moss of ages” i.e. forever and ever.15

Ancient Rome

Jupiter was originally worshipped in the form of a lofty oak-tree which grew upon the Capitol. 16

The-Man was the wood; The-Man was the tree from which they carved all

things. The-Man was the only raw material that they could use to create the

universe.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth17

Here are the meanings of the Hebrew word which we translate as “created” in the Bible:

Created H1254 - bârâ’ - baw-raw’: A primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a

wood), select, feed (as formative processes): - choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make

(fat). 18

The-Tree was cut down to create the heavens and the earth.

The-Tree that was cut down dropped its seed

And grew again from within the waters of chaos

In the good soil of The-Spirit it grew

The-Seed flourished immediately

Feeding on The-Spirit

Consuming some of the chaos until fully grown.

7 Philpot. J. H. p.19, 44.

8 Philpot. J. H. p.74.

9 Philpot. J. H. p.28.

10 The Kojiki

11 The Nihongi, The Age Of The Gods, Book I

12 Coleman. J. A. p. 1058.

1 Rig Veda 10.81.4

2 Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.9

3 Coleman.J.A.p.763.

4 C. Hart Merriam. pp. 67-73.

5 Philpot. J. H. p.6.

6 Strehlow. T. G. H. pp. 7-10. and Reed. A. W. pp. 69-75.

13 Leach p 148.

14 Philpot. J. H. p.19, 44.

15 William Wyatt Gill.p.33.

16 Philpot. J. H. p.28.

17 Genesis 1:1

18 Hebrew dictionary. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.