164 THE HUMAN SIDE OF TREES 



the Israelites for their idols under "every thick oak" 

 may be of significance. 



The Greeks of 1500 B. C. are believed to have 

 worshipped gods in tree form. The oracle of Zeus 

 at Dodona was in a grove of oaks, and was itself 

 an exceptionally fine specimen of that majestic 

 race. It answered questions by rustling its leaves, 

 murmuring through the spring which bubbled from 

 its base, by influencing the drawing of lots from the 

 urn at its roots and by causing certain brass vessels 

 which hung on its boughs to clash together. Of 

 course, there was a whole corps of priests and aged 

 women for the interpretation of these cryptic mes- 

 sages. All that was necessary to set the seance in 

 session was a good, stiff breeze. 



Classic literature and mythology are full of other 

 references to the divine aspects of trees. Some au- 

 thorities say that, preceding the statues in the Greek 

 temples, were carved posts representing tree trunks. 

 It was a poplar tree which cured Hercules of his 

 serpent bite. After a world-wide search he found 

 it in Spain. The Pillars of Hercules were raised to 

 commemorate the event. In Greece, the pine was 

 sacred to the memory of Poseidon and Dionysus. 

 Birch wood was always used to make the fasces of 

 the Roman magistrate. Perhaps that is why a birch 

 rod is still held to be a schoolmaster's badge of au- 



