Since the beginning of humanity most cultures have the tree as a symbol of spirituality of wisdom of strength perhaps because the tree can live so long up to a thousand or so years if not more maybe because they are so strong and the roots go deep into the earth yet the branches go high into the heavens. Many believes that when you’re with trees they each have their own spirit – their own personality – their own energy.
If you’re fascinated further, why not check out 11 of the most magical trees from the mythical world?
1 Yggdrasil Tree – A Magical Tree That Connects 9 Worlds
Norse mythology says that the universe actually has a giant tree, Yggdrasil, as the center in the middle of it all. According to myth, The giant overarching ash tree, Yggdrasil, states it is a living tree with branches that extend high into the sky also connect with nine worlds as Asgard, Jötunheimr, Álfheim, Niflheim, Niðavellir, Midgard, Muspelheim, Vanaheim, Hel and a strong grip with three roots that reaches underground. It is said that all of this creates somewhere for gods from different worlds to come together, seek sustenance from it, and watch over their creations (Earth and Heavens).
The nine realms of existence all rays out from the center of existence. These include the gods’ land of Asgard and the hall of Valhalla, as well as the human mortal world called Midgard. The eagle, taking a seat at the top of its branches, is constantly sharing a struggle with the hungry and evil serpent, Nidhogg, who tries to weaken and ruin the tree by masticating by one of its roots.
This ever-growing ash tree is found all throughout ancient texts, including the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda. In Gylfaginning, a book from the Prose Edda, Yggdrasil is easily seen in lesson 15. The three wells, Urdarbrunnr and Hvergelmr and Mimisbrunnr, supply water for Yggdrasil.
2 Asvattha Tree – A Holy Tree That Contains Hidden Knowledge About Previous Lives & Rebirth
Asvattha, one of the extremely admired trees, supposedly originated from Indra. Another version of mythology says that it is also a expression of Viṣhṇu. Krishna, who is considered to be among the most devout believers in Vedic supremacy and Hinduism, tells in the Bhagavad Gita that krishna is the Asvattha surrounded by the trees.
The location of this tree has been described as the most holy spot in India and is a common site for Hindu prayers. Some sources say that the tree is associated with the gods and holy men. As the gods sit under a tree in the celestial realm, holy people on Earth sit beneath this magical tree. It is said to bestow miraculous powers like the ability to understand animals and remember former lives. The tree is also mentioned in Indian scriptures as an object of worship for women who seek children.
In the Ancient texts, the eternal tree of life is likened to an Aśvattha tree, with its roots above (heaven) and branches beneath. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medical text which describes the properties of the bark, roots and fruits of this tree. The wood of this tree was used in sacrificial vessels and as part of Vedic fire generation.
3 The Kalpa Tree – A Wishing Tree Of Indian Mythology
The Kalpa Tree, also known as the Kalpavriksha, is known as a wishing tree everywhere in India. However, like many Hindu Gods and concepts, its mythology contains far more details than that. The Kalpa Tree doesn’t just appear in one place in Indian mythology—it’s an entire spiritual idea.
Kalpavriksha Tree is established near the Yamuna River in India. It has an average lifespan of 2500 or more years. It is a divine tree in Hindu mythologies where it is known as Boon-Giving tree.
Kalpavriksha trees have long been a point of reference in Sanskrit literature. In India’s earliest texts, the sage Durvasa concentrated under this sacred tree (Kalpavriksha). There, Shiva’s daughter Asura Sundari was made from a Kalpavriksha tree by the goddess Parvati, to reduce her desolationess.
According to mythology, the wish granting tree possesses all powers and grants any wish. It is considered sacred among Hindus and believed to have been one of the nine jewels from a Samudra Manthan, stirred up out of the sea by both the demons and gods. King Indra had taken it to his heaven and would be planted at Mt. Meru peaks in the center of his five paradise gardens.
4 The Sky-High Tree – A Magical Tree With A Way To Heaven
The folk tale from Hungary begins with a herdsman boy who snuck into the king’s garden. The boy was fascinated by the stunning tree, and decided to try climbing it. As he went, he found some of the most wonderful things ever seen. Elevated in the sky and at the top of the tree, this majestic tree is home to a world of churches, castles and beautiful landscapes. This mythological Hungarian tree is not unique as it is shared by cultures around the world.
In Siberian myths, the legend of a tree that one can climb to reach the heavens is quite popular. This legend tells of an important implication for an object more than just being a place with amazing features—the tree actually holds up the sky!
There are many legends concerning what it is that keeps the sky from falling. However, according to many of the contradictory myths, some interesting differences exist. Some legends say the tree is actually able to bend, but others suggest it slips through the sky. It’s unclear which version holds up more.
Even though the tales have different origins, both support the idea that climbing up the Sky-High Tree might lead to a portal to heaven.
5 The Most Miraculous Talking Tree
With the help of European missionaries the Native Americans adopted Christianity, which caused the Yaqui of the American Southwest to create a mythos about a talking tree before spreading tidings about the new belief.
People once came across a tree in the forest which emitted sounds that no one could comprehend. The woman became worried because her daughter had to interpret the sounds and was far away. So she sent her daughter to find out what might have made the sound.
Thereafter, the talking tree in the forest talked about the tribe about how their Christian god would hastily be arriving to teach them new beliefs and new ways of living. Some people found ways to avoid the changes in their ways of life. A group of these people left the surface and went down into underground caves and were made a new tribe called the Yaqui.
6 The Eternal Banyan Tree
In Hinduism, banyan leaves are treated as sacred and belief teaches that the leaf of the tree banyan is the place where Krishna took his rest. After consuming the universe during the destruction of time, every detail is reconstituted from within him and Krishna turns himself into a baby, no older than he could fit inside a banyan leaf and he floats in an empty space until an opportunity for creation comes up again.
Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita talks about a banyan tree with its roots going upwards and its branches going down with that of the Vedic hymns which are the leaves. One who understands this theme is the person who knows about the Hindu holy book, the Vedas.
When seen as a reflection of the spiritual world, the material world is described as roots that go up and branches that are below. If anyone stands by a river or any reservoir of water, he can see that the bottom part of the tree is upside down while the top branch is in perspective. Similarly, the material world is seen as a reflection of the spiritual world.
One story highlights a man who had his son pull a fruit from the tree and examine its seeds. The son then explained to him that he saw nothing, and the father explained that, because of this nothing, the banyan tree sprang forth.
7 Magical Jinmenju Tree With Fruits Of Human Faces
The mythical fruit maidens of Thai folklore may come across as odd, but they still have a certain degree of innocence. Instead, the Jinmenju—a Japanese cousin to the fruit maiden—tends to be much more difficult for people to read about and understand.
The unique tree in mythology features fruit that are actually human faces. The fruit is said to grow in mountainous regions and is rare, hard to find and far away from where one can verify its existence. These faces make people laugh, and this would probably make an average person run away as fast as their legs could take them away.
Fortunately, these human faced fruits have not been known to attack humans and will not approach you if you make a loud noise. If, however, you happen to make them angry by laughing at the tree, the fruit will shake and drop from the branches all on its own.
If you can find a mythical tree with these human faces, you will be able to eat heads that taste like citrus fruits. According to the legend, the heads are very tasty and have as much juice as a citrus fruit. The seeds of this mythical tree were also said to resemble a human head.
8 Nariphon Tree
The Nariphon is a mythical tree in Buddhist mythology and also known as Makkaliphon. These fruits grow on the tree in the shape of young women and they become attached to the tree. The maidens hold onto heavy branches from their heads.
One of the strangest folk tales ever told is from Thailand and centers on the Nariphon. According to legend, a princess’ wife who was outcast in the Himvanti forest came across trees that were grown with weird fruits (miniature women inside).
In some stories, these were supposedly trees imbued with feminine powers to protect women. However, in other stories, these trees were said to be dangerous for men and are not meant to be approached unless one needs or wants their female protagonist rescued.
The strangest part of the stories is that these fictional fruit-bearing maidens are described in many of the stories as only being about 20 centimeters (8 in) long, making it difficult to imagine how they would function if they did have any magical abilities. If a man plucks an fruits from the tree, and he then has sex with the woman, he would occur sterile. If he had any magic, those would also be rendered useless.
9 Jubokko – The Vampire Tree
If you’re ever in Japan, it is said that you are advised to be cautious when near any tree. A popular name for this type of tree is jubokko. This deceptive type of tree has saucer-like leaves and looks innocent from a distance.
The legends say that, If you pay close attention, it may appear that the branches of the tree have taken on a strange ability to grasp things, and If you browse the base of the tree, you might notice a pile of human remains lying at the bottom. If you do see anything like that, it would behoove you to leave as soon as possible.
According to some myths, for centuries, the jubokko trees lived peacefully in their woodlands until one day, their land was saturated in blood. When their roots were exposed to blood, the trees changed from beautiful forest beings into malevolent spirits. They only take nourishment from blood and once they have drunk it down, they essentially become trees again.
If you get too close to these trees, they might use their long arms and grab you at a high speed, jamming their skeleton-like appendages into your flesh. Then they will pluck out all the red stuff from your body. Your corpse will be left as a bloated corpse for the birds of prey. In short, even more gruesome than the death itself is the health problems that can stem from going too close to this special jubokko tree.
10 The Tree Of Zaqqum – A Magical Tree Of Hell
This demonic tree is mentioned numerous times in the Quran and is only found in hell. The Tree of Zaqqum is said to feed on the heat of whatever fires it is near, and its fruit are so bitter that serve as nourishment for those who beg. In Quran scripture, it is said that as the denizens of hell are starved mad with hunger and they can’t find anything to eat, they will have no choice but to eat the foul-smelling fruit from the Tree of Zaqqum.
Consuming a fruit of the tree will cause the face of the carrier to fall off, and they are given boiling liquid to drink. Sadistic grotesque beings haunt the new lands, forcing humans and animals to eat their rotten food in order to torture them and drag them back into hell. Their bodies melt, and then their flesh and bones are grouped together again and poured back into the incinerator’s hellfire where it starts all over again.
It’s ironic that the biblical story of hell has caused many to fear and be very uncomfortable in those moments where a scolding sounds like it might occur. It doesn’t matter what mythology is used. The tells of hell sounds gracefully horrifying.
11 Dodona Oak – A Whispering Tree
The mythical Oak tree from Greek mythology, is said to have taken root when the world was still young and was an oracle of the god Zeus. The tree couldn’t speak in a human given language and would rustle in the wind and make noises to communicate.
It’s hard to say who came up with the idea first but Some accounts say, though we don’t know for certain when it first started, that the first oracle of Dodona might have been an Egyptian priestess who was kidnapped and brought to Greece.
Mythologies have told stories about the tree and its abilities for centuries. In the story of Jason, he is instructed by the magic to use a branch from this particular lemon tree as part of his ship’s construction. The Argonauts were told that if they used one of the tree’s branches for an important part of their ship, then everything would go better during their voyage.
Achilles went to Dodona for advice in the Iliad, but unfortunately the real tree was cut down when Christianity became dominant. Where the oak tree of Dodona used to stand, there is now only a stump.