|
Written by Planwood
|
|
Monday, 01 May 2006 19:52 |
|
As far as we can tell, the trees are just as mortal as we humans, although their lifespans tend to be somewhat longer than ours.
While it's a far cry from immortality, a Ancient Bristlecone Pine named "Methuselah" is said to be 4,766 years old, more than a thousand years older than any other living tree. The site describes the discovery of the tree in California's White-Inyo Mountains, the characteristics of bristlecone pines in general, and dendrochronology -- the science of dating trees by their rings. It seems that Methuselah lost its crown as "oldest living thing" to a 9,000-year-old cluster of bushes in the Mojave desert, which was eventually dethroned by "40-million-year-old bacteria found in the stomach of an insect encased in amber." But don't feel bad for Methuselah. In 1999 the 40-million-year-old germ was shown up by a 250-million-year-old bacteria found in ancient sea salt beneath Carlsbad, New Mexico. Now if that's not immortality, it's pretty darn close...
|
|
Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 September 2008 02:53 |
|
|
The Origin of Knocking on Wood for Luck |
 |
 |
 |
|
Written by Planwood
|
|
Wednesday, 12 May 2004 19:54 |
|
What is the origin of knocking on wood for luck? We are not sure because there are a few possibilities. The explanation we prefer is the ancient belief that spirits either dwelled in or guarded trees. We prefer this because many cultures around the world show evidence of tree worship dating back thousands of years. Greeks worshiped the oak as it was sacred to Zeus, Celts believed in tree spirits, and both believed touching sacred trees would bring good fortune. Irish lore holds that "touching wood" is a way to thank the leprechauns for a bit of luck. Pagans also held similar beliefs of protective tree spirits. Chinese and Koreans thought the spirits of mothers who died in childbirth remained in nearby trees. Another explanation points to the wooden Christian cross as the origin of "good luck," although this is likely a Christian adaptation of earlier pagan practices. A Jewish version traces the origin to the Spanish Inquisition of the 15th century. At the time, persecuted Jews fled to synagogues built of wood, and they devised a coded knock to gain admission. Since this practice spared countless lives, it became common to "knock on wood" for good luck.
|
|
Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 September 2008 02:54 |
|
|
|
|
|
Did you know?