Mary TreeNugget

This week I read in the Dutch newspapers that the Marialinde—Mary tree in Dutch—in Oisterwijk has been elected tree of the year. This tree is at least 650 years old. Its name reveals that this specific tree was important to our ancestors. Linden trees were seen as powerful magical protective trees and were often the first to appear in a new settlement. They played a role in many important social rituals. When christianity gained the upper hand, the church was unable to eradicate this custom, so the tree in question was adopted and christianised. You can read more about Linden’s magical properties and also about its medicinal effects in the monograph elsewhere on this website.