Ravens Cove, An Iconoclast Thriller, is the first book in this series. Many people do not know that the inspiration for my books is an object. For Ravens Cove the catalyst was a tree. A tree that looked as if it had a body, arms, head, and hair. My interpretation of that tree, the Hag Tree, is in three books of the Iconoclast series. It does have a character all its own. In Gorgon, the third in the series, what spirit the Hag Tree held is revealed.
It follows that when I ran across this article on tree ghosts, I was intrigued. I found it interesting enough to share with you.
(SOURCE: The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits by Rosemary Ellen Guiley)
“Trees are widely believed to be a favorite dwelling for ghosts of the dead. In northern India, for example, many local shrines are built under trees for the propitiation of the resident spirits. The Bira is a tree home to the Bagheswar, a tiger godling that is one of the most dreaded deities for the jungle tribes of Mirzapur. In the Dakkim, it is thought that the spirit of the pregnant woman of Churel lives in a tree.
The Abor and Padam peoples of East Bengal believe that ghosts in trees kidnap children. In the Konkan, the medium, called a Bhagat, who becomes possessed is called a Jhad, or tree. In India lore, Devadatta worshipped a tree that suddenly broke in two one day. A nymph appeared and lured Devadatta inside, where he found a palace full of jewels and saw the maiden daughter of the King of the Yakshas, Vidyatprabha, lying on a couch.
In 1981, more than 5,000 persons from around the United States flocked to see an allegedly haunted and crying pecan tree in Gilbertown, Alabama. The tree was in the front yard of a home belonging to Mrs. Linnie Jenkins. On April 12, 1981, Mrs. Linnie reported to relatives that her pecan tree was making an “awful noise.” Her brother, sister-in-law, and others heard the strange crying sound, but no one could determine a cause. Rumor is that the house stood on an ancient Indian burial site, and therefore the noise was the sound of an unhappy Indian warrior spirit crying.
The story was reported in the media, which attracted curiosity seekers. People came to stand in Mrs. Linnie’s yard and listen to the tree. As the crowds grew, the concerned but enterprising Mrs. Linnie began charging 25₵, which had no effect, and then 50₵, which did seem to lessen the number of spectators.
Within a month, the noise in the pecan tree began to weaken. A copper tube was drilled into the tree to serve as a megaphone. The noise died away shortly after the last story appeared in a local newspaper on April 30.
No satisfactory explanation was ever put forward. It was proposed that the noise was caused by Bess beetles or by gases produced from the souring wood in the tree. One fanciful explanation held that seals in a subterranean sea were making whimpering noises.”
We humans try to find a rational explanation for something we cannot explain. To this day, no one knows what caused this tree to cry. As curious, what caused it to stop crying?
Was it truly a natural phenomenon? If so, why couldn’t it be explained? Why haven’t we heard about more such crying trees? Or, with a supernatural thought, did someone appease a tree ghost? A wonderful mystery with supernatural undertones. Just what I enjoy – I hope you do, too.
Until next time,
Mary Ann