Throughout recorded time and long before, trees have stood as sentinels, wise yet silent, patiently accumulating their rings while the storms of history have raged around them. As well as providing foods, healing medicines and a range of useful materials from ships' masts to wine corks, particular trees have loomed large in symbolism and myth. According to a North American Iroquois legend, maple leaves owe their beautiful scarlet colour to the Great Bear constellation, whose blood falls from the heavens every autumn when he is hunted. The oak was sacred to worshipers of the thunder gods of Greece, and to the ancient Celtic peoples, as it was thought to bear the brunt of lightning strikes, And in China, Taoist monks cherish the pine for its nuts, which they believe can bestow eternal life.
'The Living Wisdom Of Trees' is a richly illustrated guide to the human significance of more than 55 trees, from alder (Almus) to oak (Quercus), looking in particular at their botanical characteristics, their place in world myth, magic and folklore, the healing properties of their leaves, bark, nuts or berries, and (more briefly) their practical contribution to society. The coverage is broad - including native cultures such as those of North America and Oceania, and Eastern trees such as the bo tree, sacred to Buddhism, as well as the most important trees of America and Europe.
For each genus of tree featured there is one or more superb colour photographs from the unrivalled collection of photographer Edward Parker, showing the tree in its typical habitat.
A unique celebration of nature and spirit and the fascinating connections between them, as well as an invaluable work of reference by an acclaimed expert, 'The Living Wisdom Of Trees' is for all who seek acquaintance with the fascinating lore and the profound spiritual wisdom of trees.
