Tree dressing?

Friday, 17 October 2003

'Dressed' tree

People - on the whole - are strange creatures. It seems that traditions appear out of nowhere or are kept alive long after the original reason has been forgotten. Most of us celebrate Christmas, New Year, Bonfire Night and go on annual migrations (holidays) without remembering - or understanding - what gave rise to the tradition in the first place.

The last thing that I was expecting on a cold and crisp October morning crossing the Recreation Ground was to see a tree which was 'dressed'. That is, with decorations on its branches.

In Denmark, I'd seen similar decorations, where small items are fastened to a tree. To celebrate the birth of a child - or to wish for one. But never here. Not in Brigg.

Trees are potent symbols: they unite heaven and earth. In northern mythology, the ash tree represents Yggdrasil - the link between the worlds. Between male and female. Was the tree on the Rec an ur-memory of this? Could be.

The main problem with this theory, was that the tree is a sycamore and not an ash. And the 'offerings' are more mundane than you'd expect for an object of veneration. However, whichever way you look at it, it's all very mysterious.