Why Is the Tree a Symbol of Life?

Trees show up as symbols of life in many cultures. This article looks at some of them, and at what scholars say about how far they are connected.

What is the tree of life?

A very widespread idea. Britannica calls it a widespread archetype common to many religions, mythologies, and folktales. It says common features of the myths include supernatural guardians protecting the tree and its fruit, which grants immortality to those who eat it, and that the tree is typically planted at the center of the world.

What are some examples?

Several. In Norse mythology, Britannica says, Yggdrasill is an enormous ash tree that connects nine worlds, including the underworld, the earth, and the realm of the gods. In the Book of Genesis, both the tree of life and the tree of knowledge grow in the Garden of Eden. Britannica adds that in Kabbalah a diagram of a trunk with branches represents the powers of God, that Christian thought sometimes links the tree of life with the cross, and that the Celtic tree of life is associated with the dead and was said to give access to the otherworld. The Collector adds the Bodhi fig tree under which the Buddha reached enlightenment, and the Aśvattha tree, which Hindus see as having no beginning or end.

What do the roots, trunk, and branches stand for?

Often three levels of the world. The Collector says that across many versions of the world tree, the treetops correspond with the heavens, the trunk with the earth, and the roots with the underworld.

Why a tree that regrows?

Because some trees seem to survive death. A scholarly article in the Journal of Ethnobiology says trees that are long-lived, large, or that regrow from cut stumps have traditionally symbolized life continuing after death. It says the European yew is regarded as a powerful symbol of resurrection because it seems able to come back to life after dying.

Are all these trees the same symbol?

Not necessarily. Britannica says a sacred tree was common in ancient Mesopotamia and spread to neighboring regions, including Egypt and Greece, but that there is no consensus that it stands for the same tree of life that appeared in later religious thought. Britannica also notes that in science, the “tree of life” is a metaphor for the connection among all living things.

Why plant a tree in memory?

Many people find a living, growing marker comforting. See Why Do We Plant Trees When Someone Dies?. For the seasons, see Why Does Spring Represent Rebirth? and Why Does Autumn Remind Us of Mortality?.