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In his dawntime, mankind often worshipped trees, inhabiting them with gods or demons which had to be propitiated. Later the health and fortunes of individuals were linked with specific trees. Then a man's tree was protected by his friends to protect his life. Evil spirits could be drawn out of sick persons by splitting a trunk and passing the patient between, or by hanging on the boughs or laying in a crotch something taken from the sufferer, such as clothing or nail-clippings. The most imposing tree ever imagined was Yggdrasil, the mystic great ash of Norse mythology. It symbolized all existence. Yggdrasil's crown pervaded heaven, with an eagle on the topmost bough. Its trunk supported earth, on which |
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