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Meaning of Trees: Botany, History, Healing, Lore
The tree is beloved as Mother Nature's visible symbol of power and grace. The Meaning of Trees is a beautiful celebration of their lore and spirit, botany and history. Genera from aspen to willow are captured in 70 dramatic photographs that illustrate their brilliant seasonal transformations. Featuring 50 different types of tree, this informative compendium describes each by way of botanical qualities; medicinal uses for their leaves, bark, and wood; cultural symbolism; magical associations; and so much more. Fascinating facts the Druids believed that only the wood of the yew tree was fit to make wands; a Ukrainian tonic of birch leaves contains the same healing properties as aspirin. A visually stunning and engaging guide, The Meaning of Trees is a fitting tribute to this most majestic of natural wonders.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 18, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 14, 2018
this book is absolutely beautiful! I love everything about it.
March 1, 2011
An interesting and beautiful book but one that unfortunately falls short of being a trustworthy source of information (I mostly bought it for its information about tree lore and mythology). The book is full of a great many trees but the descriptions of each are much too short. Further, there seems to be a strange animosity towards Christian lore in the face of Celtic and other more ancient myths and folktales. When Hageneder chooses to include anything Christian (such as the Glastonbury thorn, under Hawthorn) there seems to be an attempt to discredit it, something not done with Celtic myths. Not that any of them should be discredited! Far from it! The beauty of these types of stories and myths is not in their truth factor but in their intricacies, their symbolism, and the knowledge we can gain about past cultures from them. And to discredit any of them (and particularly while making rather long jumps of assumption concerning the meaning of other myths) really goes to show a closed-mindedness on the part of the author. Why take the time to discredit a legend (just because it's Christian or goes back "only" to the 18th century) when, instead, you could use the room to get down more details and facts?
June 11, 2018
This is a fascinating book which pulls together botanical descriptions, folk medicine, historical uses, and myths about trees around the world. I wish it leaned heavier into the myths and less on the botanical jargon, but the author was the chairman of Friends of the Trees, so I suppose that explains it. It offers many beautiful photos, but in some cases it seems it was too hard to get far enough back to see the whole tree. I would've liked closeups of leaves and flowers, too. I'm not sure I can identify the trees with this book as a text.
This book has been on my TBR shelf the longest. Now I can finally file it away with my myth and magic books. Hurray!
This book has been on my TBR shelf the longest. Now I can finally file it away with my myth and magic books. Hurray!
January 7, 2018
This is a gorgeous book with beautiful photographs and varied, interesting reads about so many of the world's wonderful trees! A perfect coffee table book or addition to a nature lover's library.
December 31, 2017
This book is exactly as the inner flap says: “A compelling guide to some of the world’s most magnificent beings. Thoroughly informative and visually stunning… pays homage to these heroes of the forest”.
I find it interesting that this book is also available in German and Czech.
There is so much that I like about this book. Right from the start, I was fascinated by his “Introduction” about The Tree of Life and The Tree of Knowledge. I was hooked. The rest of the book talks about the Botany, History, Healing and Lore of 48 individual trees. Some things I’d like to remember:
Spruce and Fir Picea and Abies
According to Slavic tradition, the goddesses of the woodlands, Dziwitza and Boruta inhabit firs and the Green Man dwells in the oldest. My Douglas firs have names now.
Cottonwood Populus deltoids
I was introduced to this tree as a weed but now I find out that it is important to the Sioux Indians in their Sun Dance rite.
Alder Alnus
The German Alder Woman who seduces men and then changes into a bark-like creature. Her names are Else, Elsa, Elise from Anglo-Saxon alor and Gothic alisa.
Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba
Because the gingko takes three human generations to mature, it is sometimes called “Grandfather-Grandchild”. This explains why my gingko finally fruited at the age of 35. Four gingko trees were the only living thing to survive Hiroshima epi-centre.
Oak Querus
Wood-pasturing is still practiced in the Iberian peninsula where pigs double their weight by eating acorns as well as grass and mushrooms.
Elder Sambucus
I liked that Hageneder observes that “The elder is rather small in stature, (in fact, none of the trees that have made the strongest impressions on the human soul – the birch, the rowan and the yew – are particularly tall) but the size of its body of traditions and folklore is probably second to none of all the European trees."
I loved the folklore of the Goddess of the Elder who in Bavaria is revered as Bertha which is derived from Indo-European “shining white”.
Hagender also points out that “because of the advance of Christianity, trees that had been most venerated were now recast in a negative light once the religion became established”. This is why some trees and herbs like the elder are associated with evil, witches and devils.
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Good for hedges, provide a safe shelter for birds. Has white blossoms, black fruit and red sap which represent the colours of the Great Goddess but also associated with night, death and underworld.
Rowan Sorbus
“In Germanic and Norse lore, the rowan was sacred because it saved Thor, the mighty thunder god, from being washed away in the river of the underworld.”
Yew Taxus
The photo of “the morning sun breaking through the branches of the yews on Hambledon-Hill, the site of an Iron Age fort in Dorset, England”, is breathtaking.
Even though I've read Hagender's book Yew, I liked the reminder that yew trees are very strong because they are hollow - a hollow tube is more flexible in strong winds.
He lists lots of websites that I’d like to investigate. His own is www.spirit-of-trees.net.
I find it interesting that this book is also available in German and Czech.
There is so much that I like about this book. Right from the start, I was fascinated by his “Introduction” about The Tree of Life and The Tree of Knowledge. I was hooked. The rest of the book talks about the Botany, History, Healing and Lore of 48 individual trees. Some things I’d like to remember:
Spruce and Fir Picea and Abies
According to Slavic tradition, the goddesses of the woodlands, Dziwitza and Boruta inhabit firs and the Green Man dwells in the oldest. My Douglas firs have names now.
Cottonwood Populus deltoids
I was introduced to this tree as a weed but now I find out that it is important to the Sioux Indians in their Sun Dance rite.
Alder Alnus
The German Alder Woman who seduces men and then changes into a bark-like creature. Her names are Else, Elsa, Elise from Anglo-Saxon alor and Gothic alisa.
Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba
Because the gingko takes three human generations to mature, it is sometimes called “Grandfather-Grandchild”. This explains why my gingko finally fruited at the age of 35. Four gingko trees were the only living thing to survive Hiroshima epi-centre.
Oak Querus
Wood-pasturing is still practiced in the Iberian peninsula where pigs double their weight by eating acorns as well as grass and mushrooms.
Elder Sambucus
I liked that Hageneder observes that “The elder is rather small in stature, (in fact, none of the trees that have made the strongest impressions on the human soul – the birch, the rowan and the yew – are particularly tall) but the size of its body of traditions and folklore is probably second to none of all the European trees."
I loved the folklore of the Goddess of the Elder who in Bavaria is revered as Bertha which is derived from Indo-European “shining white”.
Hagender also points out that “because of the advance of Christianity, trees that had been most venerated were now recast in a negative light once the religion became established”. This is why some trees and herbs like the elder are associated with evil, witches and devils.
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Good for hedges, provide a safe shelter for birds. Has white blossoms, black fruit and red sap which represent the colours of the Great Goddess but also associated with night, death and underworld.
Rowan Sorbus
“In Germanic and Norse lore, the rowan was sacred because it saved Thor, the mighty thunder god, from being washed away in the river of the underworld.”
Yew Taxus
The photo of “the morning sun breaking through the branches of the yews on Hambledon-Hill, the site of an Iron Age fort in Dorset, England”, is breathtaking.
Even though I've read Hagender's book Yew, I liked the reminder that yew trees are very strong because they are hollow - a hollow tube is more flexible in strong winds.
He lists lots of websites that I’d like to investigate. His own is www.spirit-of-trees.net.
August 6, 2015
This is a beautifully illustrated book, especially for nature-loving folks like myself, with a wealth of fascinating information, not just about the biology of the tree but its relation to humans through the ages, its part in history and mythology.
The presentation of information is visually very appealing, as well as mentally stimulating. The book discusses and shares breath-taking photos of almost 60 different species of trees, and dispenses information on each from general characteristics, information and history, to practical uses, natural healing, culture/myth/symbolism, and more. A valuable and attractive addition to anyone's library!
It has been a huge help in my Ovate studies|
The presentation of information is visually very appealing, as well as mentally stimulating. The book discusses and shares breath-taking photos of almost 60 different species of trees, and dispenses information on each from general characteristics, information and history, to practical uses, natural healing, culture/myth/symbolism, and more. A valuable and attractive addition to anyone's library!
It has been a huge help in my Ovate studies|
April 28, 2020
This seems like a coffee table book, or one you pick up for a few minutes before seeing the dentist.
Once you get past the pretty pictures the content I found unsatisfying. The botanical information is largely incomprehensible to non-botanists. The practical uses are of some interest. The natural healing sections are stated as facts instead of putting them into any context (e.g., cultural, medical) and the culture, myth& symbol section is typically disorganized, jumping from sources in one society during one century to another. The book reads like a bad cross between Reader's Digest and Wikipedia.
Once you get past the pretty pictures the content I found unsatisfying. The botanical information is largely incomprehensible to non-botanists. The practical uses are of some interest. The natural healing sections are stated as facts instead of putting them into any context (e.g., cultural, medical) and the culture, myth& symbol section is typically disorganized, jumping from sources in one society during one century to another. The book reads like a bad cross between Reader's Digest and Wikipedia.
June 15, 2018
A fascinating book with all kinds of great info on trees! Well worth it.
August 30, 2024
Interesting info but very disappointing photos.
December 31, 2022
It’s nearly 2023 and I am just now fulfilling my 5 book reviews a year promise to GoodReads. Ironically, being a “New Age” writer myself (check out "The Talking Forest: Tree Runes for a New Millennium"), I’m only now getting away from fiction reviews to assessing another writer in the same genre who has also greatly influenced me. Fred Hageneder is a harpist and biologist whose writings show his profound love for trees. He is a member of various organizations in Britain dedicated to saving tree ecosystems, and especially the ancient yews. Since I first read Hageneder’s "The Meaning of Trees", (Chronicle Books, 2005), I have been an avid fan of his. This, the newest of the three books makes a great “coffee table book” to give anyone who loves trees. Splendidly photographed and laid out, this book consists of a very short introduction, followed by descriptions of 58 trees from all over the world, including Africa, Oceania and South America. Hageneder mentions the botany, history and folklore of these trees and the book makes an excellent preview for the more indepth study of the other two books.
Of the other two books, "The Spirit of Trees: Science, Symbiosis and Inspiration" (Floris Books, 2000) is the prettier, with lavish photographs and drawings of each of the 24 trees described within. Here, Hageneder has narrowed his review to trees growing in Europe and Britain which also happen to thrive in North America. This book goes into more detail than "The Meaning of Trees" and where appropriate, mentions the tree’s influence on the Celtic Ogham system. I note that not all the plants of the Ogham are included – shrubs such as Gorse, Broom or Heather, not being trees, are left out. In addition, Hageneder adds trees such as Maple, Elm and Linden, etc., not attributed in the Ogham, but trees that are nonetheless, important to the history and folklore of the northern hemisphere. All in all, this is a very engaging and beautiful work peppered with the unique insights and observations that are a feature of Fred Hageneder’s writing.
"The Heritage of Trees: History, Culture and Symbolism", the plainest book of the three, has more meat in it. Here are missing the lavish photos and paintings, replaced by drawings from old anthropological and archaeological texts. But here also we have a more indepth and fascinating perusal of trees. Hageneder discusses the importance of trees in prehistory and among ancient cultures both obscure and famous, such as the Chaldeans, the Phoenicians, and the Egyptians. Here again, the author limits his study to Europe, Asia and Northern Africa, but he delves deeply into the history, the folklore and religions surrounding trees. While reading this book, I wondered, not for the first time, if Hageneder studied linguistics, for his observations of language are very astute and illuminating. For example, his comments on the various ceremonial columns: the Egyptian Djed, the Greek Herm and the Germanic Irminsûl are fascinating. He also has a theory about the etymology of the words “witch” and “wood”, which, when I first read it, astonished me. All in all, "The Heritage of Trees" is a worthy way to spend your reading time.
In review, these three books by Fred Hageneder make a lovely quartet along with Jane Gifford’s similarly titled "The Wisdom of Trees" – another Goodreads review for another time!
Of the other two books, "The Spirit of Trees: Science, Symbiosis and Inspiration" (Floris Books, 2000) is the prettier, with lavish photographs and drawings of each of the 24 trees described within. Here, Hageneder has narrowed his review to trees growing in Europe and Britain which also happen to thrive in North America. This book goes into more detail than "The Meaning of Trees" and where appropriate, mentions the tree’s influence on the Celtic Ogham system. I note that not all the plants of the Ogham are included – shrubs such as Gorse, Broom or Heather, not being trees, are left out. In addition, Hageneder adds trees such as Maple, Elm and Linden, etc., not attributed in the Ogham, but trees that are nonetheless, important to the history and folklore of the northern hemisphere. All in all, this is a very engaging and beautiful work peppered with the unique insights and observations that are a feature of Fred Hageneder’s writing.
"The Heritage of Trees: History, Culture and Symbolism", the plainest book of the three, has more meat in it. Here are missing the lavish photos and paintings, replaced by drawings from old anthropological and archaeological texts. But here also we have a more indepth and fascinating perusal of trees. Hageneder discusses the importance of trees in prehistory and among ancient cultures both obscure and famous, such as the Chaldeans, the Phoenicians, and the Egyptians. Here again, the author limits his study to Europe, Asia and Northern Africa, but he delves deeply into the history, the folklore and religions surrounding trees. While reading this book, I wondered, not for the first time, if Hageneder studied linguistics, for his observations of language are very astute and illuminating. For example, his comments on the various ceremonial columns: the Egyptian Djed, the Greek Herm and the Germanic Irminsûl are fascinating. He also has a theory about the etymology of the words “witch” and “wood”, which, when I first read it, astonished me. All in all, "The Heritage of Trees" is a worthy way to spend your reading time.
In review, these three books by Fred Hageneder make a lovely quartet along with Jane Gifford’s similarly titled "The Wisdom of Trees" – another Goodreads review for another time!
June 26, 2010
A very structured book. The introduction is short--only four pages--and there is no conclusion. The body of the book dedicates two to eight pages for each species. The front and end matter includes a guide to early history (of the many peoples mentioned), a botanical glossary, an introduction to natural healing, and a further reading section.
The book outlines fifty-eight species of trees. For each species there are the following sections, each a paragraph or two (sometimes several) long:
*Introduction--tree's names, identifying characteristics, varieties, native location, description of flowers, etc.
*Practical uses--nutrition, by-products (timber, cork, syrup, etc)
*Natural healing (western medicine, eastern medicine, tribal remedies, etc.)
*Culture, myth, and symbol
As well as a box with:
*Symbolism
*Divine associations
*Astrological associations
*Superstition (only occasionally)
*Historical spotlight (an anecdote involving the tree)
Occasionally there is also a calendar detailing the flowering and fruiting time of the tree and outlining any events or celebrations in which the tree was/is involved.
Before picking it up, I had expected this book to have a much longer section about trees and their meaning in general, and to be structured with more of a purpose of understanding why we give so much meaning to trees and how those meanings agree or differ, and less a laundry list of trees and their individual meanings, without any larger context. I was a little disappointed because the book did not live up to my high expectations in this regard. I was also a little startled by the lack of conclusion. After the fifty-eighth tree, the book simply ends, followed by the end matter. No wrapping up at all. I'm guessing this book is meant more as a coffee table volume than for reference or general reading, since the structure makes more sense if you are casually picking it up and just reading a couple random pages at a time.
I was impressed that the book featured trees from all around the world. There were a wide variety of trees, regions, and cultures mentioned, and as a result many trees I hadn't heard of.
All in all, while The Meaning of Trees probably doesn't have much you can't find on wikipedia, it is a nice collection of information, all in one place.
The book outlines fifty-eight species of trees. For each species there are the following sections, each a paragraph or two (sometimes several) long:
*Introduction--tree's names, identifying characteristics, varieties, native location, description of flowers, etc.
*Practical uses--nutrition, by-products (timber, cork, syrup, etc)
*Natural healing (western medicine, eastern medicine, tribal remedies, etc.)
*Culture, myth, and symbol
As well as a box with:
*Symbolism
*Divine associations
*Astrological associations
*Superstition (only occasionally)
*Historical spotlight (an anecdote involving the tree)
Occasionally there is also a calendar detailing the flowering and fruiting time of the tree and outlining any events or celebrations in which the tree was/is involved.
Before picking it up, I had expected this book to have a much longer section about trees and their meaning in general, and to be structured with more of a purpose of understanding why we give so much meaning to trees and how those meanings agree or differ, and less a laundry list of trees and their individual meanings, without any larger context. I was a little disappointed because the book did not live up to my high expectations in this regard. I was also a little startled by the lack of conclusion. After the fifty-eighth tree, the book simply ends, followed by the end matter. No wrapping up at all. I'm guessing this book is meant more as a coffee table volume than for reference or general reading, since the structure makes more sense if you are casually picking it up and just reading a couple random pages at a time.
I was impressed that the book featured trees from all around the world. There were a wide variety of trees, regions, and cultures mentioned, and as a result many trees I hadn't heard of.
All in all, while The Meaning of Trees probably doesn't have much you can't find on wikipedia, it is a nice collection of information, all in one place.
February 24, 2012
I really liked learning about the different types of trees and what they represent to the people who revere them, live with them, and use them as medicine. It was a really interesting "scientific" book without being scientific. A great coffee table book.
February 9, 2008
beautiful photography, educational and inspirational.
Want to read
December 19, 2008I can never decide which I love more: the forest or rivers.
May 2, 2009
A nice book, a very pleasant read. Not essential, but nice to have in one's library, I wish it was more in-depth, but I suppose that would mean a much larger book.
Want to read
August 30, 2011it's a very informative and refreshing perspective on our ancient guardians of the earth
August 5, 2009
A beautiful, lovely book for those who love trees and want to deepen that love! It's the kind of book you can just open to a page and read.....
Read
July 30, 2012Considering trees with dignity, Mr. Hagender enlightens us with all manner of information, from the botanical to the mythology: a reference with no competition I know. And the photos are marvels.
January 11, 2015
Awesome book filled with gorgeous pictures! There is good lore also illustrated and explained in this novel.
July 28, 2016
Large and pretty photographs, would like a little more information, though
November 18, 2012
beautiful book. i highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews