800 year old Linden Tree
It appears that our name derives from
the Linden Tree, a member of the basswood family (Tiliacceae). Apparently in
Europe, this tree is also known as the lime tree; though not the citrus tree
that we know here in the USA.
According to the "Audubon Society
Field Guide to North American Trees", one finds several kinds of Lindens in the
USA. Listed there is the American Basswood (also called the American Linden or
"Bee-tree"), the Carolina Basswood (called the Linn or "Bee-tree" or Linden),
the European Linden (called the Common Linden) and the White Basswood (also
called the Linden or "Bee-tree"). Its sweet smelling blossoms draw bees who
make a good-tasting honey from its nectar.
David Lintner sends along some
information about the Linden tree called the
American Basswood
. Just follow the basswood link in the previous sentence.
In addition, Richard Zastrow, former Coordinator of the Plovdiv, Bulgaria City Guide was kind enough to allow me to use photographs of a magnificent European Linden tree growing in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Linden leaves and fruit
Horst Lindner
has sent some interesting information about the Linden tree and its place in
pre-Christian Europe. Horst notes that the Linden tree was considered a holy
tree by the old Germanic tribes. Therein lived their gods. Under the Linden
trees, the old Germans married. Most of the people married in the mornings and
the tree with its heart-shaped green and silver colored leaves could have
symbolized both Life (green) and precious metal (silver) or the white morning
frost that covered the land.
In pre-Christian Europe, the Linden
tree was the tree of the goddess
Freya
, the mother of sexuality and love,
marriage and birth. At the summer solstice, the Linden tree was the site of an
old German festival. Generally, one finds a Linden tree near an important
place. For instance, near a spring or a castle or in the center of town.
Horst explains that the Linden was also considered a "victory tree" and was
planted at important places such as along boulevards and other beautiful
streets. Everyone is probably familiar with the famous Berlin avenue called
Unter Den Linden.
And finally, Horst reminds us that
the Linden tree has been immortalized in
song, poetry and literature. An example is the old German folk song, ~ "Am
Brunnen vor dem Tore, da steht ein Lindenbaum" ~ which translates, ~ "Next to
the
spring by the door, there stands a linden tree." ~
Other references can be found
in the works of Walther von der Vogelweide, Goethe, Joseph von Eichendorff and
Hermann Hesse.
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