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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
3
Orthodox
Buddhism
decided
against
the
tree
souls,
and
consequently
against
the
scruple
to
harm
them,
declaring
trees
to
have
no
mind
nor
sentient
principle,
though
admitting
that
certain
dewas
or
spirits
do
reside
in
the
body
of
trees,
and
speak
from
within
them."
Anyhow,
the
notion
of
its
being
wrong
to
injure
or
mutilate
a
tree
for
fear
of
putting
it
to
unnecessary
pain
was
a
widespread
belief.
Thus,
the
Ojibways
imagined
that
trees
had
souls,
and
seldom
cut
them
down,
thinking
that
if
they
did
so
they
would
hear
"the
wailing
of
the
trees
when
they
suffered
in
this
way."[3]
In
Sumatra[4]
certain
trees
have
special
honours
paid
to
them
as
being
the
embodiment
of
the
spirits
of
the
woods,
and
the
Fijians[5]
believe
that
"if
an
animal
or
a
plant
die,
its
soul
immediately
goes
to
Bolotoo."
The
Dayaks
of
Borneo[6]
assert
that
rice
has
a
living
principle
or
spirit,
and
hold
feasts
to
retain
its
soul
lest
the
crops
should
decay.
And
the
Karens
affirm,[7]
too,
that
plants
as
well
as
men
and
animals
have
their
"la"
or
spirit.
The
Iroquois
acknowledge
the
existence
of
spirits
in
trees
and
plants,
and
say
that
the
spirit
of
corn,
the
spirit
of
beans,
and
the
spirit
of
squashes
are
supposed
to
have
the
forms
of
three
beautiful
maidens.
According
to
a
tradition
current
among
the
Miamis,
one
year
when
there
was
an
unusual
abundance
of
corn,
the
spirit
of
the
corn
was
very
angry
because
the
children
had
thrown
corn-cobs
at
each
other
in
play,
pretending
to
have
suffered
serious
bodily
injury
in
consequence
of
their
sport[8].
Similarly,
when
the
wind
blows
the
long
grass
or
waving
corn,
the
German
peasant
will
say,
"the
Grass-wolf,"
or
"the
Corn-wolf"
is
abroad.
According
to
Mr.
Ralston,
in
some
places,
"the
last
sheaf
of
rye
is
left
as
a
shelter
to
the
Roggenwolf
or
Rye-wolf
during
the
winter's
cold,
and
in
many
a
summer
or
autumn
festive
rite
that
being
is
represented
by
a
rustic,
who
assumes
a
wolf-like
appearance.
The
corn
spirit
was,
however,
often
symbolised
under
a
human
form."
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