In many religions, sacred places [[1]:90,235,254; [2]:85; [3]: 399,171; [4]: passim; [5]:passim], objects [[6]:106;[7]:534; [8]:169,176,179], as well as saints [[9]:184; [10]:2; [11]:121,129,131; [12]:72,85] were thought to possess supernatural characters and the power to carry out miracles or as having magical powers. The same attitude is found throughout history as an outcome of tree worship/adoration/veneration [[13]: passim; [14]: 42–45; [15]: 210–211,215; [16]:40; [17]: 23; [18]: passim; [19]: passim; [20 passim; [21]:68–70; [22]:72–79; [23]: passim].
Sacred trees were sometimes described as possessing huge or unusual dimensions or miraculous physical characters [[20]: passim; [17]:8, 23; [15]:215, [24]:339; [25]:35; [26]:38]. Frequently, sacred trees were regarded as having omnipotent magic powers to punish, cure, or to ccarry out miracles and to confer unusual abilities [[14] 14, 42–45; [23]: passim; [13]: passim; [19]:14–17; [18]:23; [20]:32,35,41] see also Tables 1 and 2.
In many cultures around the globe sacred trees are strictly protected, and injuring the tree in any way is regarded as sacrilege. This deep faith has been established in the course of generations by tradition and stories of actual punishment meted out by the gods/souls/saints/demons to which the trees are dedicated [[13]:24–52; [27]:68–69; [28]:316; [227]:243; [30]:146, 77; [25]:37; [31]:97]. Injuring the tree, especially cutting it down may leave the resident spirit homeless and it would soon take its revenge. This is the reason why people are afraid to harm sacred trees [[32]:99; [33]: I: 133; [34]:148].
In Greece and Rome sacred groves were protected by gods and there were strict regulations against any violation of these groves [[35]:227; [17]: passim; [36]:442–443; [37]:334–335; [38]: 59–66, 73–77]. According to Ovid, Erysichton cut down a sacred tree devoted to Demeter and was punished by an everlasting and insatiable hunger [[39]: 741].
In the Middle East, in particular, sacred trees are regarded as the abode of the souls of local saints known as Wellis [[28]: 316; [40]:151; [41]: 322; [42]: passim]. In this region and in North Africa sacred trees are protected by the Wellis to whom they are dedicated [[40]:36; [43]:205; [44]:68–69; [45]:385; [42]: passim]. The Welli confers his divine powers on the tree, which acts on humans [[40]: 35–38; [28]: 316; [41]: passim; [42]: passim]; any hurt/damage to this tree is regarded as a personal insult against the saint, who will promptly/immediately retaliate to defend his reputation and/or territory [[40]:102; [14]:42].
In some communities fear of revenge by the spirits in response to any harm to the sacred tree is so great that special ceremonies, which may include sacrifices, ex-voto gifts, and/or prayers/ceremonies, are held to pacify the angry spirit before a tree is cut down [[14] I:133–137; [46] 15:56; [25]:36; [47]:229; [48]:23; [49]:313]. This custom is already known from ancient Greece [[17]: passim; [38]:59–66] and Rome [[32]:99; [50]:76; [38]: 73–77].
Not surprisingly, any kind of harm done to the sacred tree/grove/forest is feared to cause a furious punitive response by a supernatural being [[13]: passim; [14]:42–45; see Table 4). This fear is so deeply imprinted in human conscience of various tribes/communities that the people are afraid even to pick a leaf [[51]:103,203; [50]:81; [20]:24;[52]:75,98) or to collect dead wood from below the tree [[53]:172; [54]:174; [50]:26; [20]:38,40; [55]:277, see also Table 3), which may carry an immediate sentence of death (Table 4).
In previous papers we studied the reasons and the religious background why trees became sacred with a special reference to the Middle East [42]. In other papers we studied the custom of tying rags on sacred trees in Israel [41] and the special respect given to Ziziphus spina-christi [69]in our region. The present paper is a continuation of our studies in which we surveys the present-day attitudes of Muslims and Druze in Israel in relation to the supernatural characters and powers of the sacred tree.
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