The Culture of Wood
WOOD – noun
1. The hard, fibrous substance composing most of the stem and branches of a tree or shrub, And lying beneath the bark; the xylem.
2. The trunks or main stems of trees as suitable for architectural and other purposes; timber or lumber.
There is more to wood than lumber or logs on a fire. Wood has it’s own sub-cultures revolving around it, all over the world, through out all time. In a dictionary, wood is defined as a very bland element, but to the Wicca’s, Pagans, and voodooists, wood means so much more. It can keep the demons away, and it can even move your soul over to make room for a second.
In Indonesia there are many items made of wood. One that is particularly interesting is the "Oyot Mimang", or, “The Root of Confusion”. The Oyot Mimang supposedly keeps your home safe from robbers, but not by keeping them away. If a robber enters a house with the Oyot Mimang hanging from the doorway, he will be so confused and frightened that he will wander through the room until dawn, not knowing how to get out. The Oyot Mimang is literally the roots attached to the Banyan tree. Like people, every Banyang tree looks different. The strangest thing about the Oyot Mimang is that you can never tell where the root had begins and where the plant ends. The people of the java Isles swear by this enchanted wood.
Two other woods native to South East Asia are, the "Galih Kelor Wood", and the "Nagasari Wood". The Galih Kelor Wood is a rare wood native Java and is used by Javanese shamans to ward off black magic and negative psychic attacks. It also attracts business and wealth. The Nagasari wood has similar powers although it is not as effective as the Galih Kelor in warding off black magic. It is a very powerful wood that wards off negative entities and used by shamans in Indonesia and Java.
Shamans also utilize wood to create spirit figures. A spirit figure is an object which, during the 19th century, was commonly made of Fomitopsis officinalis, A.K.A, a certain fungus that grows on trees. Spirit figures were to be used during a Shaman’s life for social rituals and placed on their grave once they had died. In the North West Coast of North America it was known as “The Bread of Ghosts”. Shamans also create nierika, a wooden mask created to appear like the sun. It was made up of different coded symbols and can be thought of as a petition to the gods. It was used by to ask the gods for more wisdom and power.
Rather than giving mystic meaning to specific trees, the Native Americans utilize the entire tree to create totem poles. These totem poles were generally made of cedar or Western Redcedar and hold a variety of meanings. Some poles reflect historical events or familial lineage. Other might be celebratory poles. Still others are "shame poles" erected to shame individuals or groups for unpaid debts. Totem poles exist outside of North America, with the most famous cultures being the Maori and Ainu tribes. They have also been exported to Britain.
Trees have always played an important part in all cultures whether its just for shelter , mystic purposes, or playing a part in mythology. Trees have been a symbol of knowledge throughout history, and many provide humans with materials other than wood (rubber, syrup, etc).