Genus Of European Trees Trivia Quiz

Answer: Quercus

Quercus robur, grows up to 40 meter in height. Oak is an old Germanic word that means tree and is related to the old-indian word igja, that means worship. The oak was worshiped by many cultures. The Greeks, the Germanic and Celtic tribes, the Finns, the Slavs, the Estonians, the Romans, the Siberian tribes, ... In all these cultures the Oak stands for power and wisdom.

Answer: Tilia

Tilia cordata, grows up to 25 meter in height. The lime is considered to be a sweet, feminine tree. The symbol of love, the tree under which couples make love. The Germanic tribes devoted the lime to Freya, the goddess of love, fertility and justice. The Gauls and Germanic tribes sacrificed blood to the tree so it wouldn't die.

Answer: Ulmus

Ulmus glabra, grows up to 40 meter in height. Alm, elm, ilme, olme, olm, ulme are but few of the words derived from the Latin name Ulmus, these derivations are found in almost all Germanic and Scandinavian dialects and languages. Laemhan is the Scottish-Gaelic name for the Elm tree.

The Elm is often associated with elves, wisdom and reincarnation. In Germanic mythology it is believed that Odin (Wodan) created the first woman giving breath to an Elm tree. The first man was created from an Ash tree.

Answer: Picea

Picea abies, grows up to 50 meter in height. This tree is the one and only, original Christmas tree. The tree is also used as Maytree in Germany and surrounding countries. It symbolizes eternal life, the seasons, the cycle of life. On Christmas one celebrates time in wich the days lengthen again.

The shortest day has passed. The Christians couldn't stop these pagan rituals, so they made it the day on wich the birth of Christ is celebrated. Now you know what you're really celebrating, the ancient Germanic festival of the shortest day.

As Maytree one also chose Birch or Pine trees. For the Siberian tribes the Spruce symbolizes the Worldtree, the eternal tree of life, because the Spruce can reach an age up to 700 years. The Greeks dedicated the Spruce to Artemis, the godess of the hunt.

In Celtic religion the Spruce stood for the winter solstice, this meant the end of one half of the year.

Answer: Betula

Betula pendula, grows up to 30 meter in height. The word birch is derived from the Old-Indian word bharg. Bharg means brightly shining or briliant. The Latin word betula is derived from the Celtic word betu, that means beating. They used to make rods from birch twigs to beat disobedient children.

The Celts dedicated the Birch to Brigit, the godess of instruction, medicine and the blacksmiths. The Siberian tribes linked the Birch to the Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria), this fungus was eaten by the shamans to visit the underworld and contact the gods.

They linked it to the Birch because this mushroom prefers Birch trees to grow under. For the Siberian tribes the Birch tree was the axis mundi, the axis of the world. In Germanic mythology the Birch was the holy tree of Frigg, the mothergodess and wife of Odin.

It was the Germanic tree of wisdom.

Answer: Taxus

Taxus baccata, grows up to 20 meter in height. The Latin word taxus is derived from the Greek word taxon, that means bow. The wood is ideal to make longbows. The tree is extremely poisonous, especially for cattle. The word toxic is derived from taxus. According to Celtic religion, the Yew is the oldest tree of the world.

It was the most worshipped tree in Celtic Great Britain and Ireland. The Germanic tribes dedicated the Yew to the thundergod Thor (Donar). The Greeks associated the Yew with the underworld.

Answer: Carpinus

Carpinus betulus, grows up to 25 meters in height. I didn't find much on this tree considering mythology. I know it's one of the most beautiful trees of the European forests, but the tree isn't very striking. Like our saying goes (translated) unknown is unloved (ongekend is onbemind).

Answer: Acer

Acer campestre, grows up to 20 meter in height. Another one I didn't find any mythologic facts about. It starts off as a bush, when older it grows up to a beautiful tree. It has got small leaves compared to most European and North American maples.

Answer: Padus avium

Padus avium grows up to 15 meter in height. The bird cherry can also be found as a shrub. Linnaeus gave this tree the Latin names Prunus padus or Cerasus padus.

Answer: Sorbus

Sorbus aucuparia, grows up to 20 meter in height. The Rowan isn't always a tree, sometimes it's found as a shrub groing up to 5 meter in height. The name rowan is derived from the Sanscrit word runa, meaning wizard, hence the popular name Witchwood. The Germanic god Thor owes his life to this tree.

When crossing the river Vimur he almost drowned, but could grab a branch of a Rowan. Long after the Christianisation of Northern Europe the shipbuilders put at least one board of Rowanwood in the hull of a ship.

In Celtic religion this is the most important magical tree. Rowans were often used by druids in ancient rituals. The Greeks dedicated this tree to the godess of beauty and love, Aphrodite.