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The Metaphysics of Faerie Trees


rashore

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In 1452, thirty-four French villagers were questioned by an ecclesiastical commission about a ‘faerie tree’ (arbor fatalism, gallide des fees) in Domrémy, as part of the process of overturning Joan of Arc’s conviction at the hands of the English/Burgundian Gestapo twenty years earlier. In the face of her inquisitors, Joan herself had offset her own belief in the faeries by apportioning it to her godmother, who had apparently seen the faeries gathering at the tree. And, even though the villagers were under no threat from the commission (quite the opposite in fact), none of the thirty-four interviewees would admit to a belief of the faeries, or that they had ever seen them at the tree. Instead, they informed the commissioners that “they had heard that in the old days faeries were said to have been seen there.” As the villagers would have been well aware of the Inquisition’s requirement for questioning of anyone who confessed to a belief in faeries, this was probably understandable. But the fact that there was a ‘faerie tree’ to begin with, suggests that there was an ingrained belief in the faeries and their penchant for gathering at a certain tree, amongst the rural 15th-century French peasantry in Domrémy.

https://deadbutdreaming.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/the-metaphysics-of-faerie-trees/

 

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I've never heard of a faerie tree before, but it doesn't really surprise me that rural Frenchmen would have believed in archaic folkish things such as that. Interesting that it would have persisted that deep into the Christian stranglehold on the continent, though.

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The concept of various trees or bushes that seem to be much more than just a plant is actually fairly common. Moses had an interesting chat with a bush that he described as burning but unburned. I have learned a lot about life from trees. I spend 7 days once solo camping and watching a group of trees and how they lived together. When you slow down as much as possible you begin to see and understand just how wildly alive they are. What seperates us from them is a perspective of time rate. 

What I learned from the pines...Pine trees seem to be somewhat clannish and tend to group up even when they are in a crowded forest as long as it is a natural forest and not a tree farm. If you will take the time to look close you will notice that some pine trees have most of their limbs on one side. Your natural assumption is that they are just growing towards the sun. As you look though you will find that in a group oof trees the side that has the limbs changes from tree to tree. In the end you begin to see that what you actually have is one or two big trees that are the alphas and that the rest of the trees are subservient around them. The Alpha tree has limbs all the way around while the other trees drop the limbs on the side facing the alpha. In the wind the trees "joust" as they bump against each other and even among the lesser trees there is a constant struggle for dominance. 

In the end they seem to find a comfort level, each tree in it's own place and they all grow better than other less organized groves.or groups. When the wind blows hard the lesser trees lean back on the Alpha and as a group they are stronger. Their canopy tends to close off the light and the pine straw undernieth chokes out the underbrush. This protects them all from fire and from competition from bushes and small trees for resources. 

It seems sort of simple, bigger trees shade out the smaller trees. Over time though I saw thart that wasn't entirly the case. Over the years I began to notice that at times the Alpha and even other trees in the group seemed to at times drop limb for no other reason than to allow a smaller struggling tree to put out more limbs and grow strong. Individually I'm not saying that the trees are intelligent but they as a group seem to interrelate in an almost intelligent fashion.

In my life I have occasionally been an Alpha more often I have been lower in the hierarchy of life. Irregardless I remembered the lessons of the trees. As an Alpha I take no more than I need and never take from those under me just because I can. Froim the under side I remember to accept what I can get and make the most of it. Adapt to what is around me and keep striving to grow bigger and stronger but not at the cost of the group or lesser members of the group. I don't need of have to be the biggest or the Alpha to enjoy the sun and more is not really better than less as long as you nave what you need everything else is just icing.

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