Tree mythologies; the most glorious creatures of the vegetation, the trees…The grace offered to us by the mother of earth with their unparalleled benefits and the unique values they bring to life. It is not known whether they are shown the respect and value they need today, but it is a fact that they have been accepted as sacred by many societies since the mythological ages. Once upon a time, they were called heroes of mythology, the spokesman of God, who would die in the name of God.

Tree Mythologies of Turks and tree mythologies

Have you ever tied a piece of cloth to a wish tree? Or have you heard rumors that those who cut down the trees on a holy cemetery are cursed? Did you know that these are all habits of holy trees from naturalist religions before Islam? When we look at our history from Central Asia to Anatolia, we see that myths about trees have gained diversity. Among these trees, especially a tree is very important… Rooted, branched gnarled, leafy sacred figure,

Tree of life:  is a name given by people to wish trees which are respected and valued.

TREE OF LIFE

Tree of life, which is one of the tree mythologies, is the symbol of God, the most sacred tree… Tree of Life or Saint Tree. Thus, this holy tree connects all three floors of the world (the sky, the earth and the underground).
The first man was created under this tree with nine knots. The Tree of Life connects people with each other and with nature. It is believed that it rises to the skies beyond the eye and reaches the realm of heaven in the heavens

In Turkish mythology, the Tree of Life is the symbol of God’s divine features on earth and is the way to attain God. This is because this tree is special and unique. Symbolizing immortality and being a shelter is one of the most important features. These qualities are also the attributes of the Great Sky God. Therefore, in Turkish mythology, the tree representing God is sacred and it is considered a sin to chop it.

The Tree of Life cult is found especially in the Altai, Hakas and Tuva epics. The fact that the tree extends from the ground to the sky is a clear indication of the belief in the Sky God in the Turks. According to the belief in the God of heaven, heaven and earth and in the midst of both human beings were created. These three worlds are inseparable and sacred concepts. Since the earth and sky were the first creatures, sacred beings were respected as cult among the Turks.

Turkish Tree Sagas

The tree motif is considered to be one of the main elements of Turkish sagas among Tree Mythologies. This motif is a symbol of an important tradition of Turks from the primitive ages. In Turkish sagas/epics, especially plane and beech trees are present. These trees have always been believed to have outstanding features. According to shamanism, as the trees descend from the sky, on the drums of the cams there are pictures of the moon and stars as well as the picture of the beech tree.

In short, it is possible to see the tree motif frequently in almost every Turkish epic. It has been widely featured in every epic. According to Oguz sagas before Islam, Oguz Kagan’s second wife was sent to earth in a tree. So it’s born from a tree. The tree is the mother of the Turks. In a Uighur epic, it is told that the princes who brought the Uighurs back to life were born with a white beech tree becoming pregnant from the light from the sky.

There are hundreds of proverbs about the tree in Divan-ı Lügat-it Türk. We still use the words “The hand which cuts the young tree with an axe will fall”, “if you cut a young tree, this is equal to you cutting a head”.

It is no coincidence that Osman Gazi, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, dreamed of a tree (Tree of Life) coming out of his chest. In Dede Korkut stories, the importance given to the tree is clearly seen. Even today, in Altai, Saha and Chuvashia, the rites of the Sky God religion are performed under a white beech tree surrounded by wooden barricades.

Historical documents, myths, legends of Turks indicate that nomadic Turks travelling on horses have always settled on the waterfront and in areas with plenty of trees. Where they settle, they integrate with nature and do not harm any living thing. This is the expression of the existence of a belief system fulfilled as a requirement of the belief in the God of Heaven and the importance given to the tree in it.