Tree of life

For use in biology (phylogeny), see Tree of life (biology).
For other uses, see Tree of life (disambiguation).
An 1847 depiction of the Norse Yggdrasil as described in the Icelandic Prose Edda by Oluf Olufsen Bagge
17th-century depiction of the tree of life in Palace of Shaki Khans, Azerbaijan
Confronted animals, here ibexes, flank a tree of life, a very common motif in the art of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean
Breastfeeding before an Egyptian "sycamore"

The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythological, religious, and philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.[1] The tree of knowledge connecting to heaven and the underworld such as Yggdrasil and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis, and the tree of life, connecting all forms of creation, are forms of the world tree or cosmic tree,[2] and are portrayed in various religions and philosophies as the same tree.[3]

  1. ^ Giovino, Mariana (2007). The Assyrian Sacred Tree: A History of Interpretations, Saint-Paul. p 129. ISBN 9783727816024.
  2. ^ "World tree | Origins, Symbolism & Meaning | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
  3. ^ Mettinger, Tryggve N. D. (2007). The Eden Narrative: A Literary and Religio-historical Study of Genesis 2–3. Eisenbrauns. p. 5. ISBN 978-1575061412. Retrieved 10 July 2014.