tree worship (trewership)

Worship or religious veneration paid to trees by primitive races of men, from the belief that they were the fixed abode or a favorite resort of spirits capable of influencing human destiny. Many treget treflé (tref-lā'), a. [F. tréflé , trèfle , trefoil: see trefle .] In her .: (a) Ending in a three- lobed figure or trefoil: said es- pecially of a cro of which each branch is so finished. ( b ) Decor at- ed with triple leaves or flowers elsewhere than at the end: thus, a bend treflé has such flowers along one side, usually the upper or sinister side, the trefoil flowers often resembling the upper parts of fleurs-de-lis. IMG:content-0808.jpg:[graphic] different kinds of trees have been specific objects of wor- ship, but particularly the oak, as among the Druids. In Greek mythology some special tree was in many cases sa- cred to an individual deity, as the oak to Zeus (Jupiter) and to Cybele, the laurel to Apollo, the ash to Ares (Mars), the olive to Athena (Minerva), the myrtle to Aphrodite (Venus), etc. Tree-worship was practised by the early Buddhists, though not enjoined by their scriptures, and traces of it remain among them, as among many other pagan peoples; and it existed throughout Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The Old Testament has many indications of its existence among the peoples sur- rounding the Jews, and of lapses into the practice of it by the Jews themselves. tree-worshiper (tre'wership-ėr), n. One who pays religious worship or veneration to trees; a heathen who worships trees or a particular tree. tref (tref), a . [Heb.] Unlawful; unclean: op- posed to kosher as used by Hebrews. tref all owt, v. t. Same as thrifallow . treffled (tref'ld), a. In her ., same as bottony . trefle (tref'l), n. [OF. * trefle , treffle , F. trèfle, the plant trefoil: see trefoil .] 1. A trefoil; any object forming or representing a trefoil.-2. In fort., a species of mine in the form of a tre- foil.-3. In her ., same as trefoil , 4. Cro Treflé. treflee (tref-lē'), a. [