By Dylan Stuntz, American Forests

Humanity has understood the importance of trees for millennia — just look at the oldest forms of stories we have: folklore and myths. Trees have held sacred and important roles in many ancient theistic tales, and here are just a few culturally sacred trees in mythologies from around the world.

Acacia Tree (Egyptian Mythology)

Yggdrasil the World Tree (Norse Mythology)

The Sky-High Tree (Hungarian folklore)

Depiction of dragons at the top of the égig érő fa, found on Jacob’s Arch in Austria.

The égig érő fa is a tree from Hungarian folklore, and is featured in the story of a shepherd boy who ran into a tree that appeared to be without a top. He climbed and climbed, but the tree seemed to be endless. Once he reached above the clouds, he found himself in a magical realm full of fantastic creatures. It was believed that this endless tree reached all the way up into the heavens, while its roots intertwined with the deepest pits of the underworld.

Garden of the Hesperides (Greek Mythology)