FOLLOWING THE MONKEY-PATH

what bird are you?

The Celts and Germanic tribes placed (the powers of) Nature in the hearts of their lives, in their religion and personal destiny. Trees, forests were especially sacred to them. A Nordic tribe like the Frisians maintained “sacred woods” and worshipped trees, especially oaks. They lived a rural, tribal life and did not know kings, queens or high priests. They lived a free and inspiring life. So I think, living in an unspoiled world.

The Romans hated them, especially their priests, called druids. The last stronghold of the druids in Wales, was destroyed by Roman soldiers, the druids killed and the sacred oaks were cut down.

That happened all around Europe and Asia-Minor. First by the Romans, later by the Roman Catholic Church. Monuments and holy places were build on older, pagan sites. Locally a sacred forrest was cut and the wood used to build the first Christian church (777 ad.).

Charlemagne cut down a world tree during the Saxon Wars and mass-conversions became common.

The Celts used a tree-(and a bird-) horoscope.

I am a willow, but if you were born on the first of May, you are an oak, the holy tree.

yggdrasil, world tree

An Irminsul (Old Saxon, probably "great/mighty pillar" or "arising pillar") was a kind of pillar which is attested as playing an important role in the Germanic paganism of the Saxon people. The oldest chronicle describing an Irminsul refers to it as a tree [1]trunk erected in the open air. The purpose of the Irminsuls and the implications thereof have been the subject of considerable scholarly discourse and speculation for hundreds of years.