I found this truly shocking- some complete bastards hacked down the Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury, which I devoutly hope can be saved, as the original roots of this tree date back 2,000 years to the origins of Christianity- and scientists have confirmed that the origins of the tree were in fact, the Middle East. Thinking about it, I'm not sure if I actually saw this tree during my one visit to Glastonbury, but this disgusting act ranks right up there with the Taliban's implosion of the stone Buddhas in Afghanistan a few years back.
The story of the Holy Thorn Tree: well, word is that Joseph of Arimathea came to Britain after the crucifixion (Holy Grail in tow)- he laid down on the hill to sleep, planting his staff in the ground (Jesus' staff) as he did so. He woke up the next day and there was the tree. Which added to its status by flowering twice a year- on Christmas and Easter. Frankly, it doesn't matter if the story matches your brand of Christianity or not- this was a shocking act of destruction of a tree that originally dates back 2,000 years ago and managed to survive being hacked down by the Puritans during the English Civil War in the 1650s (cuttings of the original tree were hidden and planted around town) before being replanted in its location in 1951.
I went to Glastonbury once and yes, there's a massive music festival there every couple of years. And yes, there's a lot of new age head-shop crap that makes you roll your eyes a bit, but beyond that, you can, if you admit it to yourself, understand why the place is so revered... there's something mystical about the place. It's hard to put your finger on exactly why that's so, but it is and if you don't believe me, you'll have to go see for yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment