LINDEN TREE

Antient nations believed trees were inhabited by spirits. They revered some in particular and these came to represent the glory of the nation.

The cedar tree was adored by the antient Phoenicians. The antient Celts and later Germanic nations, present-day Germans worshiped the oak tree, the Russians treasured the birch tree, the Greek honoured the olive tree and our Slovene ancestors – the early so-called Alpine Slavs – venerated the linden tree.

Its roots are deeply intertwined with our cultural heritage and its beauty and majesty praised in folksong and sayings.

A seal dating back to the 13th century depicting the Carantanian hat worn by Slovene kingship shows its great importance. Not so long ago – in the early 90s to be precise – the lined tree leaf entered the limelight again. It was adopted as a symbol to promote Slovene tourism soon after Slovenia gained independence in the early 90s.

It symbolises victory. Every single time our ancestors stood against raiders from the Ottoman empire and defeated the enemy in battle they planted a linden tree. A linden tree was chopped down and its wood used by one of Slovenias’ strongest heroes Martin Krpan to make an enormous bat and defeated the terrifying Brdavs or so the legend goes.

Back in the day local chiefs met below its shady canopy to debate and hold councils. It still governs the central square of numerous villages around Slovenia, where it holds witness to important feasts and celebrations.

And let’s not forget about its holistic healing properties which are highly cherished by most Slovenes – it’s one of the central prices of traditional herbal medicine  that can be found in most modern medicine chests around Slovenia.

The oldest linden tree that can be found in Slovenia is supposed to be the 800-year old Gogal linden tree –blooming every spring in the Radovna valley. Its treetop reaches up to 24 metres and its trunk is around 2 metres wide.

It seems like my forefathers also loved to bask in the shade of a linden tree (I know I did during my early childhood years growing up in Podkoren) and give council. I guess that’s why we were endowed with a beautiful Slovene surname that I proudly handed down to my two children and wife – Podlipnik is what we go by (The Underlindentree’s).