A tree of life is a mystical concept, a metaphor for common descent or a motif in various world theologies and philosophies. Metaphor (from the Greek: μεταφορά - metaphora, meaning "transfer" is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language

Contents 1 Conceptual and mythological "trees of life" 1.1 Assyria 1.2 China 1.3 Ancient Egypt 1.4 Germanic paganism 1.5 Hebrew bible/Christianity 1.6 Mesoamerica 1.7 Ancient Armenia (Urartu) 1.8 Other cultures 1.9 Modern interpretations 2 Modern use 2.1 Music 2.2 Science 2.3 Fiction 3 Physical (real) "trees of life" 4 Symbolism 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Conceptual and mythological "trees of life"

Various trees of life appear in folklore, culture and fiction, often relating to immortality or fertility. History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or spiritual form for an Infinite length of Time. Fertility is the natural capability of giving life As a measure "Fertility Rate" is the number of children born per couple person or population These often hold cultural and religious significance to the peoples for whom they appear.

Assyria

• The Assyrian Tree of Life was represented by a series of nodes and criss-crossing lines. Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture It was an important religious symbol among these peoples, often attended to by Eagle Headed Gods & Priests, or the King himself.

China

• In Chinese mythology a carving of a Tree of Life depicts a phoenix and a dragon - in Chinese mythology the dragon often represents immortality. Chinese mythology is a collection of Cultural history, Folktales, and Religions that have been passed down in oral or written form The phoenix ( Ancient Greek: Φοῖνιξ phoínix is a mythical sacred firebird in ancient mythologies starting with the Greek and later the The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide There is also the Taoist story of a tree that produces a peach every three thousand years. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions The peach ( Prunus persica) is a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach The one who eats the fruit receives immortality.
• An archaeological discovery in the 1990s was of a sacrificial pit at Sanxingdui in Sechuan, China. Sanxingdui ( is the name of an Archaeological site in China, now believed to be the site of an ancient Chinese city ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Dating from about 1200 BCE, it contained 3 bronze trees, one of them 4 meters high. Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International At the base was a dragon, and fruit hanging from the lower branches. At the top is a strange bird-like (phoenix) creature with claws. Also from Sechuan, from the late Han dynasty (c 25 - 220 CE) is another tree of life. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The ceramic base is guarded by a horned beast with wings. The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικός ( keramikos) The leaves of the tree are coins and people. At the apex is a bird with coins and the Sun. The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System.

Ancient Egypt

• In Egyptian mythology, in the Ennead system of Heliopolis, the first couple, apart from Shu & Tefnut (moisture & dryness) and Geb & Nuit (earth & sky), are Isis & Osiris. Ancient Egyptian religion encompasses the various religious beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Egypt from the predynastic period until the adoption of Christianity For the neo-Platonist work by Plotinus see Enneads. For the Latin epic see Aeneid. In Egyptian mythology, Tefnut (alternate spellings Tefenet Tefnet is a goddess of Water and fertility indeed her name means moist waters (i Geb (pronunciation as such from the Greek period onwards formerly erroneously read as Seb) or Keb (in Egyptian originally Gebeb/Kebeb meaning probably Nuit (alternatively Nu Nut or Nuith is the speaker in the first Chapter of the Book of the Law, the sacred text of Thelema written or received in Isis is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and is celebrated in their mythology as the ideal mother and wife patron of nature and magic friend of slaves sinners Osiris ( Greek language, also Usiris; the Egyptian language name is variously transliterated Asar, Aser, Ausar, Ausir They were said to have emerged from the acacia tree of Saosis, which the Egyptians considered the tree of life, referring to it as the "tree in which life and death are enclosed". Acacia is a Genus of Shrubs and Trees belonging to the Subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first Atum (alternatively spelled Tem, Temu, Tum, and Atem) is an important Deity in Egyptian mythology, whose cult centred A much later myth relates how Set killed Osiris, putting him in a coffin, and throwing it into the Nile, the coffin becoming embedded in the base of a tamarisk tree. In Ancient Egyptian mythology, Set (also spelled Seth, Sutekh or Seteh) is an ancient god who was originally the god of the Desert Osiris ( Greek language, also Usiris; the Egyptian language name is variously transliterated Asar, Aser, Ausar, Ausir The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River Tamarisk redirects here For other uses of tamarisk see Tamarisk (disambiguation The genus Tamarix ( tamarisk
• The Egyptian's Holy Sycamore also stood on the threshold of life and death, connecting the two worlds.

Germanic paganism

• In Germanic paganism, trees played (and, in the form of reconstructive Heathenry and Germanic Neopaganism, continue to play) a prominent role, appearing in various aspects of surviving texts and possibly in the name of gods. Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. Germanic Neopaganism, Heathenism or Heathenry is the modern revival of historical Germanic paganism.
• The tree of life appears in Norse religion as Yggdrasil, the world tree, a massive tree (sometimes considered a yew or ash tree) with extensive lore surrounding it. Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ( Old Norse Yggdrasill, ˈyɡˌdrasilː the extra -l is a Nominative case marker is the World Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest An ash can be any of four different tree genera from four very distinct families; most commonly in a combined form (e Perhaps related to Yggdrasil, accounts have survived of Germanic Tribes honouring sacred trees within their societies. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Examples include Thor's Oak, sacred groves, the Sacred tree at Uppsala, and the wooden Irminsul pillar. Thor's Oak was an ancient tree sacred to the Germanic tribe of the Chatti, ancestors of the Hessians and one of the most important sacred sites of the Pagan A major event leading to the eventual formation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, took place in what is commonly referred to within the Church as The The Sacred tree at Uppsala was a sacred tree located at the Temple at Uppsala, Sweden, in the second half of the 11th century. 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 Norse Mythology it is the apples from Iðunn's ash box that provides immortality for the gods. Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland Iðunn (possibly meaning "ever young" or "rejuvenator" is a goddess in Norse mythology.

Hebrew bible/Christianity

• The Tree of Life is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, in which it has the potential to grant immortality to Adam and Eve, in Proverbs where it's a simile for a blessing. See also Tree of life for other cultural interpretations of the term and Tree of life (disambiguation for other meanings of the term See also Adam and Eve Adam ( Hebrew: אָדָם was according to a literal interpretation of Genesis, the first man created by In Genesis, Eve is the first woman the wife of Adam. God created her from Adam's rib as his helpmate
• A Tree of Life, in the form of ten interconnected nodes, is an important part of the Kabbalah. See also Sephirot (Kabbalah See also Tree of life (disambiguation for other meanings of the term Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. As such, it resembles the ten Sephirot. Sephirot "enumerations" '''Sephiroth''' '''Sefiroth''' (סְפִירוֹת singular Sephirah also Sefirah (סְפִירָה "enumeration" in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]
• Etz Chaim, Hebrew for "Tree of Life", is a common term used in Judaism. Etz Chaim, Hebrew for " Tree of Life " is a common term used in Judaism. The expression, found in the Book of Proverbs, is figuratively applied to the Torah itself. Etz Chaim is also a common name for yeshivas and synagogues as well as for works of Rabbinic literature. Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense can mean the entire spectrum of Rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history Further, it is also used to describe each of the wooden poles to which the parchment of a Sefer Torah is attached. A Sefer Torah ( Hebrew: ספר תורה; plural ספרי תורה Sifrei Torah; “Book(s of Torah ” or “Torah Scroll (s”
• The Tree of Life sometimes refers to Jesus, as he died on a cross (often symbolically referred to as a tree in Christian imagery) and is understood to bring new life through the Resurrection. This article concerns itself with Jesus Christ Christian, Islamic and other religious interpretations of resurrection in general

Mesoamerica

Main article: Mesoamerican world tree

• Among pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, the concept of "world trees" is a prevalent motif in Mesoamerican mythical cosmologies and iconography. World trees are a prevalent motif occurring in the mythical cosmologies creation accounts, and iconographies of the Pre-Columbian cultures of The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences Mesoamerica or Meso-America (Mesoamérica is a Region extending approximately from central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua, defined World trees embodied the four cardinal directions, which represented also the fourfold nature of a central world tree, a symbolic axis mundi connecting the planes of the Underworld and the sky with that of the terrestrial world. The axis mundi (also cosmic axis, world axis, world pillar and center of the world) is a ubiquitous symbol that crosses human cultures ^[1]
• Depictions of world trees, both in their directional and central aspects, are found in the art and mythological traditions of cultures such as the Maya, Aztec, Izapan, Mixtec, Olmec, and others, dating to at least the Mid/Late Formative periods of Mesoamerican chronology. The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican Civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the Pre-Columbian Americas Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political Izapa is a very large Pre-Columbian Archaeological site located in the Mexican state of Chiapas; it was occupied during the Late Formative The Mixtec (or Mixteca) are an indigenous Mesoamerican people inhabiting the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla The Olmec were an ancient Pre-Columbian people living in the Tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in what are roughly the modern-day states Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica into a number of named successive eras or periods from the earliest evidence of human habitation Among the Maya, the central world tree was conceived as or represented by a ceiba tree, and is known variously as a wacah chan or yax imix che, depending on the Mayan language. Ceiba (includes Chorisia is the name of a genus of many species of large Trees found in tropical areas including Mexico, Central and ^[2] The trunk of the tree could also be represented by an upright caiman, whose skin evokes the tree's spiny trunk. Alligators and caimans are Archosaurs Species of Crocodilians and form the family Alligatoridae (sometimes regarded instead ^[3]
• Directional world trees are also associated with the four Yearbearers in Mesoamerican calendars, and the directional colors and deities. Mesoamerican calendars are the calendrical systems devised and used by the Pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica. Mesoamerican codices which have this association outlined include the Dresden, Borgia and Fejérváry-Mayer codices. The traditions of indigenous Mesoamerican literature extend back to the oldest-attested forms of early Writing in the Mesoamerican region which date from Maya codices (singular Codex) are folding Books stemming from the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization, written in Maya hieroglyphic The Codex Borgia (or Codex Yoalli Ehecatl) is a Mesoamerican ritual and divinatory Manuscript. The Codex Fejérváry-Mayer is an Aztec Codex of central Mexico A codex ( Latin for block of wood, Book; plural codices) is a book in the format used for modern books with separate pages normally ^[4] It is supposed that Mesoamerican sites and ceremonial centers frequently had actual trees planted at each of the four cardinal directions, representing the quadripartite concept.
• World trees are frequently depicted with birds in their branches, and their roots extending into earth or water (sometimes atop a "water-monster", symbolic of the underworld).
• The central world tree has also been interpreted as a representation of the band of the Milky Way. The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek Γαλαξίας (Galaxias sometimes referred to simply ^[5]

Ancient Armenia (Urartu)

• In ancient Armenia around 13th to 6th century BC, the Tree of Life was a religious symbol, drawn onto the exterior walls of fortresses and carved on the armour of warriors. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani The branches of the tree were equally divided on the right and left sides of the stem, with each branch having one leaf, and one leaf on the apex of the tree. Servants (some winged) stood on each side of the tree with one of their hands up as if they are taking care of it. This tree can be found on numerous Urartu artifacts, such as paintings on the walls of the Erebuni fortress in Yerevan, Armenia. Urartu ( Assyrian: Urarṭu Urartian: Biainili Ուրարտու was an Iron Age kingdom in Eastern Anatolia ( Transcaucasia) rising

Other cultures

• The symbolism of the tree is mentioned in the 135th hymn of the 10th book of Rig-Veda, and in the 15th chapter of Bhagavad-gita (1-4). The Rigveda ( Sanskrit sa ऋग्वेद ṛgveda, a compound of ṛc "praise verse" and veda "knowledge"
• In the Japanese religion of Shinto, trees were marked with sacred paper symbolizing lightning bolts, as trees were thought to be sacred. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of Electricity, which typically occurs during Thunderstorms and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or This was propagated by the fact that after they passed, ancestors and animals were often portrayed as branches on the tree.
• The Book of One Thousand and One Nights has a story, 'The Tale of Buluqiya', in which the hero searches for immortality and finds a paradise with jewel-encrusted trees. Nearby is a Fountain of Youth guarded by Al-Khidr. The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters Al-Khidr (الخضر "the Green One" also transcribed Khidr Khidar Khizr Khizar; or most accurately Ĥiḍr) has a disputed status amongst scholars Unable to defeat the guard, Buluqiya has to return empty-handed.
• The Epic of Gilgamesh is a similar quest for immortality. The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Ancient Mesopotamia and is among the earliest known works of literary fiction. In Mesopotamian mythology, Etana searches for a 'plant of birth' to provide him with a son. Mesopotamian mythology is the collective name given to Sumerian Akkadian Assyrian and Babylonian mythologies from the land between the Tigris This has a solid provenance of antiquity, being found in cylinder seals from Akkad (2390 - 2249 BCE). A cylinder seal is a cylinder engraved with a 'picture story' used in ancient times to roll an impression onto a two-dimensional surface generally wet Clay.
• One of the earliest forms of ancient Greek religion has its origins associated with tree cults. Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices.

Modern interpretations

• In Dictionaire Mytho-Hermetiqe (Paris, 1737), Antoine-Joseph Pernety, a famous alchemist, identified the Tree of Life with the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher's Stone. Antoine-Joseph Pernety, known as Dom Pernety ( February 23, 1716, Roanne – October 16, 1796, Valence) was a The elixir of life, from Arabic الإكسير also known as the elixir of immortality or Dancing Water or Persian: Aab-e-Hayaat آب حیات The philosopher's stone (lapis philosophorum Greek: Chrysopoeia) is a Legendary substance supposedly capable of turning inexpensive Metals
• In Eden in the East (1998), Stephen Oppenheimer suggests that a tree-worshiping culture arose in Indonesia and was diffused by the so-called "Younger Dryas" event of c8000 BCE, when the sea-level rose. Stephen Oppenheimer (born 1947 a British physician a member of Green College Oxford and an honorary fellow of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, performs and Stephen Oppenheimer (born 1947 a British physician a member of Green College Oxford and an honorary fellow of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, performs and The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. This culture reached China (Szechuan), then India and the Middle East. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Finally the Finno-Ugaritic strand of this diffusion spread through Russia to Finland where the Norse myth of Yggdrasil took root. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ( Old Norse Yggdrasill, ˈyɡˌdrasilː the extra -l is a Nominative case marker is the World

Modern use

Music

• Pictoral representations of the Tree of Life can be found in the album artwork for rock band Mudvayne's L.D. 50; and on the outer casing of the album Salival, by rock band Tool. Mudvayne is an American metal band from Peoria, Illinois formed in 1996 In Toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 (abbreviation for “Lethal Dose 50%” or LCt50 (Lethal Concentration & Time of a Salival was a limited edition box set in CD / VHS and CD / DVD formats released in 2000 by Tool. Tool is an American rock band that was formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. In addition, the Tree of Life was used in the visual displays shown during several of Tool's concerts, especially during the song Triad.
• Metal band Dååth (pronounced 'doth') also uses the Tree of Life as a basis for their music.
• In their album Emissaries the black metal Melechesh make a reference to the Tree of Life in their song "Touching the Spheres of Sephiroth". Emissaries is Melechesh 's fourth full length album and third through Osmose Productions. Melechesh is a Blackened death metal band that originated in Jerusalem, Israel.
• One of the tracks on the soundtrack album for the film The Fountain is called "Tree of Life". The Fountain is a 2006 American science fiction / Fantasy film directed by Darren Aronofsky that follows three interwoven
• The duo "Trees of Life" did the soundtrack for the animated film Tamala 2010. TAMALA2010 a punk cat in space is a Japanese animated Feature film.

Science

• The tree of life in science describes the relationships of all life on Earth in an evolutionary context. See also Tree of life (disambiguation for other meanings of the Tree of Life eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 Charles Darwin talks about envisioning evolution and ecosystems as a "tangled bank" in On the Origin of Species; however, the book's sole illustration is of a branched diagram that is very tree-like. Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life Charles Darwin 's On the Origin of Species (published 24 November 1859) is a seminal work in Scientific literature and arguably the See evolutionary tree and phylogenetic tree. A phylogenetic tree, also called an evolutionary tree, is a tree showing the Evolutionary relationships among various biological Species or other A phylogenetic tree, also called an evolutionary tree, is a tree showing the Evolutionary relationships among various biological Species or other The evolutionary relationships of the tree of life were refined using genetic data by the great American microbiologist Carl Woese, the discoverer of the domain Archaea and a pioneer in molecular (genetic) methods in evolutionary biology. Carl Richard Woese (born July 15 1928, Syracuse New York) is an American Microbiologist who attended Deerfield Academy

"Tree of life" excerpt from Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species ^[6]:

“

From the first growth of the tree, many a limb and branch has decayed and dropped off; and these fallen branches of various sizes may represent those whole orders, families, and genera which have now no living representatives, and which are known to us only in a fossil state. As we here and there see a thin, straggling branch springing from a fork low down in a tree, and which by some chance has been favoured and is still alive on its summit, so we occasionally see an animal like the Ornithorhynchus or Lepidosiren, which in some small degree connects by its affinities two large branches of life, and which has apparently been saved from fatal competition by having inhabited a protected station. As buds give rise by growth to fresh buds, and these, if vigorous, branch out and overtop on all sides many a feebler branch, so by generation I believe it has been with the great Tree of Life, which fills with its dead and broken branches the crust of the earth, and covers the surface with its ever-branching and beautiful ramifications.

”

• The Tree of Life on the Web is an ongoing Internet project containing information about phylogeny and biodiversity, produced by biologists from around the world. The Tree of Life Web Project is an ongoing Internet project providing information about the diversity and Phylogeny of Life on Earth Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. Each page contains information about one group of organisms and is organized according to a branched tree-like form, thus showing hypothetical relationships between organisms and groups of organisms.
• The phrase the tree of life is often used in association with the DNA molecule, and has sometimes been associated with the maternal placenta. Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known The placenta is an Ephemeral organ present in placental Vertebrates, such as Eutherial Mammals and Sharks during Gestation
• The neuroanatomical term tree of life describes the branching pattern between the cortical grey matter and subcortical white matter of the cerebellum. Neuroanatomy is the science for localizing function in the Human brain. The arbor vitae ( Latin for " Tree of Life " is the cerebellar White matter, so called for its branched tree-like appearance White matter is one of the three main solid components of the Central nervous system. The cerebellum ( Latin: "little brain" is a region of the Brain that plays an important role in the integration of sensory perception
• In the world's rain forests, trees' leaves and branches form a canopy, which traps moisture and protects the diverse ecology underneath from the equatorial Sun. Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches The canopy is one of the uppermost levels of a Forest, below the emergent layer, formed by the Tree crowns Canopy trees refers to the trees The phrase trees of life is used to describe this protective barrier, as, in its absence, life quickly abandons the area, due to extinction or migration.

Fiction

• In C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia the Tree of Life also plays a role, especially in the sixth published book (the first in the in-world chronology) The Magician's Nephew. Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963 The Magician's Nephew is a fantasy novel for children written by C
• In Robert Jordan' Wheel of Time the Tree of Life - "Avendesora" - plays a pivotal role. Robert Jordan was the Pen name of James Oliver Rigney Jr ( October 17, 1948 &ndash September 16, 2007) under which he The Wheel of Time (abbreviated by fans to WoT) is a series of epic fantasy novels written by the late American author James Oliver This tree also linked to the Buddhist "Bodhi" tree, beneath which the Buddha attained Nirvana.
• The Tree-of-Life also appears in Larry Niven's Known Space novels. See also Tree of life for other meanings of the term The Tree-of-Life is a fictional plant (the ancestor of yams, with similar Laurence van Cott Niven (born April 30, 1938 Los Angeles California) is a US Science fiction author. Known Space is the fictional setting of several Science fiction novels and short stories written by author Larry Niven.
• In Warcraft 3, the tree of life is the night elf main building. Warcraft III Reign of Chaos ( War3 or WC3 or RoC) is a Real-time strategy Computer game

• Darren Aronofsky's film The Fountain (as well as the graphic novel based on the screenplay) centers around immortality given by the Tree of Life
• In the anime movie Ghost in the Shell (Kokaku Kidotai), the auditorium in the old sunken part of Newport City shows one of the walls of the building bearing one type of the Tree of Life being shot at from its base by a tank. Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American Film director, Screenwriter The Fountain is a 2006 American science fiction / Fantasy film directed by Darren Aronofsky that follows three interwoven The Fountain is a Graphic novel illustrated by Kent Williams published in 2005 by Vertigo Comics, based on the original script of Darren is a Japanese Cyberpunk Manga created by Masamune Shirow, and first published in 1989 in Young
• In the movie, The End of Evangelion, the Eva series summon the Tree of Life with the Eva-01. is a 1997 Anime Film written and chief directed by Hideaki Anno; it won the Japan Academy Prize for popularity
• In Homeworld, there is a map called the Tree of Life, probably named after the distinctive shape that the space dust forms. Homeworld is a Real-time strategy (RTS Computer game released in 1999 developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra
• The solitary tree in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot is often thought to be a representation of the Tree of Life. Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989 was an Irish Writer, Dramatist and poet Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters wait for someone named Godot who never arrives
• The Hyperion Cantos contains several concepts and (indirect) references to the Tree of Life. The Hyperion Cantos form a Tetralogy of Science fiction Novels by Dan Simmons.
• In the manga Fullmetal Alchemist, the Gate of Alchemy depicts a representation of the Tree of Life. commonly abbreviated as FMA or Hagaren, is an ongoing Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. commonly abbreviated as FMA or Hagaren, is an ongoing Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa.
• In the games Legend of Mana and The Legend Of Dragoon the Mana Tree and the Divine Tree, respectively, may possibly represent the Tree of Life. Legend of Mana, known in Japan as is the fourth game in the Mana series The Legend of Dragoon is a Console role-playing game developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation.
• In the games Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Phantasia, the world tree Yggdrasil appears as the source of mana for the world. is a Video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2. is a Super Famicom game in the RPG genre published by Namco and released in Japan in 1995 Mana is the concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people animals and inanimate objects
• The Media.Vision developed videogame Wild Arms 3 (for the Sony Playstation 2) references the "Tree of Life" by referring to it as Yggdrasil. MediaVision is a Video game developer best known for the ''Wild Arms'' series of Video game RPGs. Wild Arms 3, known in Japan as, is a Western Steampunk Console role-playing game developed by Media This element of the game's storyline is an obstacle for the characters to overcome.

Physical (real) "trees of life"

• The Tule tree of Aztec mythology is also associated with a real tree. The Aztec civilization recognized a polytheistic mythology which contained the many gods (over 100 and supernatural creatures from their religious beliefs This Tule tree can be found in Oaxaca, Mexico. El Árbol del Tule ( Spanish for "the Tule Tree" is a tree located in the church grounds in the town center of Santa María del Tule in the Mexican The Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), in Spanish phonemically /oa'xaka/ named for its largest city, is one of the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.
• There is a Tree of Life in the island country of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. The Tree of Life ( transliterated: Shajarat al-Hayah is a 400-year old Mesquite tree in Bahrain that is considered a natural wonder The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the
• Disney's Animal Kingdom contains an artificial Tree of Life as the park's icon. Disney's Animal Kingdom is a Theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. See also Tree of life (disambiguation for other meanings of Tree of Life
• Metaphor: The Tree of Utah is an 87-foot high sculpture in the Utah Bonneville Salt Flats that is also known as the Tree of Life. Metaphor The Tree of Utah is an 87 feet (265 m tall sculpture that was created by the Swedish artist Karl Momen in the 1980s and dedicated in 1986 The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. The Bonneville Salt Flats are a 159 square mile (412 km² Salt flat in northwestern Utah.
• In some parts of the Caribbean, coconut trees are given the title of "tree of life", as they can produce everything needed for short/medium term survival.
• The West African Moringa oleifera tree is regarded as a "tree of life" or "miracle tree" by some because it is arguably the most nutritious source of plant-derived food discovered on the planet. "Drumstick Tree" and variants thereof redirect here This name is also used for the Golden Shower Tree ( Cassia fistulosa L ^[7] Modern scientists and some missionary groups have considered the plant as a possible solution for the treatment of severe malnutrition^[8] and aid for those with HIV/AIDS ^[9].

Symbolism

In mystical traditions of world religions, sacred texts are read for metaphorical content concerning the relationship between states of mind and the external experience of reality. Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity As such, the tree is a manifestation/causal symbol - the Tree of Life representing the coveted state of eternal aliveness or fulfillment, not immortality of the body or soul. In such a state, physical death (which cannot be overcome) is nevertheless a choice, and direct experience of the perfect goodness/divine reality/god is not only possible, but everpresent.

Once the ego (surface consciousness)^[10] experiences shame, having been tempted to absorb or believe in duality (such as eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil), we are protected from living eternally in that limiting, fallen, experience by the cherubim guarding the gate of return to paradise. In the Book of Genesis, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (and occasionally translated as the Tree of Conscience,) was a Tree in the middle of the In most Christian traditions a fallen angel is an Angel that has been Exiled or banished from Heaven. CHERUB is a series of young adult books written by the author Robert Muchamore. The cherubim are symbolic of the perfect knowledge of self^[11] or true nature, with the power of purification and return to being. Disambiguation For the Wigwam album see Being (album, for spiritual or religious beingness, see Ego (spirituality Acculturation in this rulebound reality of good and bad is primarily familial, with not only the effect of confusion, misperception and illusion, but more critically the effect of displacement and psychological misery. Acculturation is the exchange of cultural features that results when groups come into continuous firsthand contact the original cultural patterns of either or both groups may be altered Mystics in these religions often attempt the return journey to Self and Unity based on committed effort, and practices that vary between individuals, religions and cultures.

On a much simpler level, the maypole, Christmas tree or New Year tree can be seen as a phallic symbol, worshiped as a way of generating fertility. The maypole is a tall wooden pole (traditionally of Maple ( Acer) hawthorn or Birch) sometimes erected with several long coloured A Christmas tree, Yule tree, holiday tree or Tannenbaum (fir tree is one of the most popular Traditions associated with the celebration The word phallus can refer to an erect Penis, or to an object shaped like a penis

See also

• Axis mundi
• World tree
• Tree of Life (Judeo-Christian)
• Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
• Tree of Knowledge
• Trees in mythology
• New Year Tree
• Tree of Life (Kabbalah)
• Sephirot (Kabbalah)
• Phylogenetic tree
• Sidrat al-Muntaha
• The Fountain (film)
• The Fountain (graphic novel)
• Five Trees
• Fleur de lys
• Palmette

References

• Palamidessi, Tommaso (2006). Tree of life. Dizionario Enciclopedico di Archeosofia. Archeosofica.
• Finley, Michael (2003). Raising the sky: The Maya creation myth and the Milky Way. The Real Maya Prophecies: Astronomy in the Inscriptions and Codices. Maya Astronomy. Retrieved on 2007-01-04. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina.
• Freidel, David A. ; Linda Schele and Joy Parker (1993). Linda Schele ( 30 October 1942 - 18 April, 1998) was a noted expert in the field of Maya Epigraphy and Iconography Maya Cosmos: Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path. William Morrow & Co. ISBN 0-688-10081-3.  
• Miller, Mary; and Karl Taube (1993). Mary Ellen Miller (b December 30, 1952) is an American Art historian and academic at Yale University. Karl Andreas Taube (born September 14, 1957)  is an American Mesoamericanist, Archaeologist, Epigrapher and ethnohistorian The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05068-6.  

External links

• tolweb.org - Tree of Life Web Project

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