The religious veneration paid to this tree, by the original natives
of our island in the time of the Druids, is well known to every reader
of British history. We have reason to think that this veneration was
brought from the east; and that the Druids did no more than transfer the
sentiments their progenitors had received in oriental countries. It
should appear that the Patriarch Abraham resided under an oak, or a
grove of oaks, which our translators render the plain of Mamre; and that
he planted a grove of this tree, Gen. xiii, 18. In fact, since in hot
countries nothing is more desirable than shade, nothing more refreshing
than the shade of a tree, we may easily suppose the inhabitants would
resort for such enjoyment to
Where’er the oak’s thick branches spread
A deeper, darker shade.
Oaks, and groves of oaks, were esteemed proper places for religious
services; altars were set up under them, Joshua xxiv, 26; and, probably,
in the east as well as in the west, appointments to meet at conspicuous
oaks were made, and many affairs were transacted or treated of under
their shade, as we read in Homer, Theocritus and other poets. It was
common among the Hebrews to sit under oaks, Judges vi, 11; 1 Kings xiii,
14. Jacob buried idolatrous images under an oak, Gen. xxxv, 4; and
Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, was buried under one of these trees, Genesis
xxxv, 8. See 1 Chron. x, 12. Abimelech was made king under an oak,
Judges ix, 6. Idolatry was practised under oaks, Isaiah i, 29; lvii, 5;
Hosea iv, 13. Idols were made of oaks, Isa. xliv, 14.
of our island in the time of the Druids, is well known to every reader
of British history. We have reason to think that this veneration was
brought from the east; and that the Druids did no more than transfer the
sentiments their progenitors had received in oriental countries. It
should appear that the Patriarch Abraham resided under an oak, or a
grove of oaks, which our translators render the plain of Mamre; and that
he planted a grove of this tree, Gen. xiii, 18. In fact, since in hot
countries nothing is more desirable than shade, nothing more refreshing
than the shade of a tree, we may easily suppose the inhabitants would
resort for such enjoyment to
Where’er the oak’s thick branches spread
A deeper, darker shade.
Oaks, and groves of oaks, were esteemed proper places for religious
services; altars were set up under them, Joshua xxiv, 26; and, probably,
in the east as well as in the west, appointments to meet at conspicuous
oaks were made, and many affairs were transacted or treated of under
their shade, as we read in Homer, Theocritus and other poets. It was
common among the Hebrews to sit under oaks, Judges vi, 11; 1 Kings xiii,
14. Jacob buried idolatrous images under an oak, Gen. xxxv, 4; and
Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, was buried under one of these trees, Genesis
xxxv, 8. See 1 Chron. x, 12. Abimelech was made king under an oak,
Judges ix, 6. Idolatry was practised under oaks, Isaiah i, 29; lvii, 5;
Hosea iv, 13. Idols were made of oaks, Isa. xliv, 14.