Chapter I: Preface

_The present volume forms a companion to three already issued on "Ancient and Modern Symbol Worship," denominated severally, "Phallism," "Ophiolatreia," "Phallic Objects and Remains," and "Tree Worship," they all form parts of one whole, and constitute a Series on the various forms and phases of what is known as "Phallic Worship."_

_The subject is an extensive one, and there still remain sections of it which have not yet been dealt with, but which may be exhibited in future volumes. Although in the compass of the present work it has been impossible to treat the subject in anything like an exhaustive manner, a great deal of matter has been incorporated in its closely-printed pages which, attentively perused, will enable the reader to form a just opinion of what is included in the title._

_At the end of this volume we have endeavoured to give the student of Ancient Faiths a Bibliography of works on or connected with Phallism._

_Being the first attempt of the kind, omissions will doubtless be found, although there are nearly five hundred references given, yet even as it is, it will prove of great use and advantage to those making researches. It is divided into two classes--Phallic works, and books bearing more or less upon the subject._

CONTENTS.

PAGE.

CHAPTER I. 1

Characteristics of Trees--Naturalness of Tree Worship--Origin
of the worship--The Tree of Life--Ancient Types--A Tree as a
Symbol of Life--Poetical Associations--Sacred Fig-tree--India
specially a land of Tree Worship--Trees identified with Gods--
Meritoriousness of planting Trees--Auspicious and inauspicious
Trees--Ceremonies connected with Tree Worship--Invocation of
Tree Gods--Banian Tree--Ritual directions--Santal Worship.

CHAPTER II. 16

The Bael-tree--Worship of the Left Hand--Trees of the Sun and
Moon--The Arbre Sec, or Dry Tree--The Holy Tree of Bostam--The
Bygas of the Eastern Sathpuras--Tree Worship in Mysore--The
Palm Tree--Worship of the Palm at Najran--The Tree of Ten
Thousand Images--Tree Worship in Persia--Sacred Old Testament
Trees--The Classics--Forests and Groves favourite places of
Worship--Origin of Groves--Votive Offerings to Trees.

CHAPTER III. 32

Arab Tree Worship--Story of Kaimun, the captive slave--Miracle
of the Date Tree--Persian bushes--Plane-tree--The Great
Cypress--The old man of Diarbekir--The Fervüers--Anecdote of
Xerxes--Anecdote of a merchant and his wife--The bush of the
"Excellent" Tree--The Cypresses of the Zoroaster--Motawakel--
The Triple-tree of Abraham--Tree of the Club of Hercules--The
Tree of Passienus Crispus--The Virgin Mary's Fig-tree--Tree of
Mohammed's Staff--The Neema-tree of the Gallas--Irish
Superstitions--Saint Valeri--People of Livonia--Destruction of
a Sacred Tree.

CHAPTER IV. 44

The Bogaha of Ceylon, or God-tree--The Maha Wanse and the
Bo-tree--Ceremonies connected with the transplantation of the
Bo-tree--Planting the great Bo-branch--Miracles of the
Bo-tree--The State Elephant--The Pipal Tree.

CHAPTER V. 58

Sacred Trees very ancient in Egypt--Hebrew Trees--The Sycamore
at Matarea--Ionic Forms--The Koran on Mary and the Palm-tree--
Sacredness of the Palm in Egypt--Tree Worship in Dahome--The
Sacred Tree of the Canary Isles.

CHAPTER VI. 64

Usefulness of the Ash-tree--Its position among Sacred Trees--
The Queen of Trees--Mythology of the Ash--Scotch Superstitious
Usages--The "Ash Faggot Ball" of Somersetshire--Pliny and
others on the Serpent and the Ash--The Ash as a medium of cure
of complaints--Anecdotes--Phallic Associations--The New-birth--
Ireland and the Ash--The Juniper-Tree--The Madonna and the
Juniper--The Elm-tree--Mythology of the Elm--The Apple-tree--
Mythological allusions to the Apple-tree--The Pine-tree--Wind
Spirits--German Superstitions--The Oak-tree--Universal
Sacredness of the Oak--The Oak of the Hebrew Scriptures--Classic
Oaks--Socrates and his Oath--Greek Sayings--The Trees Speaking--
Sacred Ash of Dodona--Legend of Philemon and Baucis--The
Hamadryads--The Yule Log--St. Boniface--Mysteries connected with
the Oak--Christmas-trees.

CHAPTER VII. 85

Icelandic Customs--The Sacred Ash--The Prose Edda and Tree
Worship--Icelandic Mythology of the Ash--The Norns--The
Czeremissa of the Wolga--The Jakuhti--Sacred Trees of
Livonia--Phallic Tree Worship and objects in Bavaria.

TREE WORSHIP.