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Tree Spirit Art Collection Female Tree Spirits – artist comments
Female Tree spirits lived within trees as their guardians and died when the tree was cut down.
They were very active during full moon. Trees with ribbons are a symbol of respect for the tree spirit.
Snakes
The snake was associated with gods. In particular mother goddesses and mother earth .
Snakes were used to represent nature in its most fundamental aspects. Because the snake sheds its skin and then gets a new one it embodies the cycle of death and resurrection.
The snake also has underworld connections! Aboriginal paintingsThe Australian Aboriginal people believed that the spirits of their ancestors wandered over the earth in a time called ‘ dream time’.
Life was created by ancestor spirits. Spiders In some cultures the great spider is a solar hero. Others believe it is a female force, a personification of the great mother in both her creative and devouring aspects. Wayang Woman
My parents bought this wayang puppet in Indonesia on their way to visit me in New Zealand. Years later it somehow it ended up in my cupboard. Ever since then it was in bits and in the way. Every time I was looking for something Wayang Woman popped up as if to say: “When are you going to use me?”
So I did! Wayang Woman is very happy now she has found a place to be out of the way and out of my cupboard! The Roman Lararium
The Roman shrine protected the home from evil. The gods who looked after the house were called Lares and Penates.
Lares: Guarded the boundaries of the house and all who lived within them.
Penates: Took care of the cupboards of stored food.
The Romans had the duty to remember their ancestors and their wax masks or portraits were placed in the house.
Gorgon’s head Gorgons are snaked haired mythological winged women hybrids of ancient Greece and embodiments of evil.
This Gorgon head comes from the Roman site in Bath (UK) and is a male with snakes in his hair and beard.
Elephants A king called Pyrrhus ruled The Kingdom of Epirus in Greece. In 280 BCE the Greek city of Tarentium asked for Pyrrhus’s help against the Romans. Pyrrhus bought a huge army that included 22.000 foot soldiers, 3000 Calvary soldiers and 20 war elephants.
The Roman soldiers were so terrified by the sight and smell of these great beasts that they fled in panic.
The general Hannibal marched 50.000 men and 37 war elephants along the coast of Spain, through the Pyrenees and along the southern coast of France. Many elephants died of cold and terror as they slipped and slid their way over the frozen mountain passes. Snakes A snake on the bottom of a picture symbolized the genius of the house. They were also thought to protect dwellings or places.
The Lararium was often carved and decorated with small statues and painted freezes.
The Romans feared their gods and gave them gifts in the hope of getting their help and protection.
Every day the women of the house would take flowers and small offerings of food to the gods. This was thought to bring luck.
Janus Janus was the God of the Gateways. His two faces enabled him to look both ways (in and out) and watch over the inside and outside of houses. Statues of Janus show him with keys and a stick to drive intruders away. Janus could look into the past and future. Shells Cowry shells were a symbol of wealth and rank in parts of Africa. Also associated with fertility and good luck.
Cowry shells were once a currency and are associated with royalty and prestige.
The goddess Cybelle This was a mother earth goddess. She sits on her ‘Lion Throne’ and is goddess of wild animals. She has a chariot which is drawn by lions.
Cybelle’s most ecstatic followers were males who ritually castrated themselves after which they were given women’s clothing and assumed female goddess status. The Spoon Tree Inspired by a picture of trees from Madagascar.
The Stolen Spoons Mythological story about a polar tree who stole Zeus the Greek weather god spoons when he threw a party on Mount Olympus.
The tree of life Universal symbol of creation. The tree of life has its roots in the waters of the underworld, its trunk in the earthly world and its branches in the heavens. Seen as a way of accessing other worlds. Boat Boats are often painted with eyes which protect sailors against sae monsters. The sails have magical script. Ladder The ladder in a tree symbolizes a means to travel between the different worlds.
The unborn souls The souls of the unborn nest in the tree. The world tree houses all souls.
Butterflies Because of its metamorphic life cycle the butterfly is a symbol of transformation and mythical rebirth.
Mimi figures Mimi figures are Australian Aboriginals mischievous trickster spirits. Often shown dancing in a angular way and wearing feathers. Delphi and the One Eyed Wood Spirit Delphi This is the centre of the world. The point where two birds flying from the opposite directions of the earth meet and crash into each other. Stars The Moon’s children are stars One Eyed Wood Spirit The One Eyed Wood Spirit lived in the dark woods full of spirits. He thought it was great fun to get people lost in the woods and when they died as a result of that. He looked like a small tree- like creature but was often whistle ling. His whistle ling and singing lured travellers to the ‘under world’. The thunder bolt The thunder bolt is a symbol of destruction. Thunder storms are believed to be the sound of its battles against under world beings. Soldiers Soldiers are a symbol of a very dark side of humans. Capable of terrible evil acts in war, to each other, abuse of children and always destroying everything in nature and the environment. Christ in Rio de Janeiro Souvenir from my holiday in Brazil in December 2008. Bees Bees are linked with death and the ’other world’ in European folklore,Also linked with romantic love. Snake The snake has strong under world connections. Often associated with gods primarily Mother Earth and other female goddesses. The snake was lord of ‘the tree of life’ where time and elements meet. The snake is thought to protect dwellings and places
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