Olive tree

The Olive tree takes on the symbolism of all trees.  It was also yet another tree that was used in some cultures to symbolically represent the Tree of life.

Olives can live for thousands of years, as such symbolically they are perfect for the Tree of life appearing to be, in a sense, immortal.  They also bear a fruit which is Egg shaped.  All fruit which has a stone in the centre, a fleshy layer and a skin, is an alternative symbol for the Egg,  but the olive is a pure oval egg shape.

The olive tree, Olea europaea, is also an evergreen tree in its native lands of the Mediterranean, Asia and Africa.   A tree that does not lose its leaves is again symbolically perfect for a Tree of life.  Furthermore the fruits yield olive oil which can substitute symbolically for honey.

Its size is also helpful symbolically.  The olive tree is short and squat.  It rarely exceeds 8–15m (26–49ft) in height.  But, the Pisciottana, a unique variety comprising 40,000 trees found only in the area around Pisciotta in the Campania region of southern Italy often exceeds this, with correspondingly massive trunk diameters.

By a form of extension of the basic symbolism, the olive tree is also now a symbol of peace.

Observations

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• Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz - The Third Day
• Cohen, Leonard - Dance me to the end of love
• Genesis 08 - the Flood
• Homer - The Odyssey - The Garden of Alcinous
• Hypnerotomachia Poliphili - Sacred Grove
• Hypnerotomachia Poliphili - Trees and Tree maidens
• Mircea Eliade - On tree symbolism
• Osty, Dr Eugene - Supernormal faculties in Man – M. de Fleuriere the importance of symbolism in understanding images of the past present and future, as well as character
• Qu’ran - Symbols and signs - Surah Al An’am
• Tranströmer, Tomas - Fire Script
• Vatican - Vatican city gardens