As described in Garden History - Early Gardens, both
Christopher Thacker and Elizabeth Barlow Rogers state that the first gardens
were simply natural settings. Some of these settings—such as sacred groves—held special meaning. In The History of
Gardens, Thacker defines the sacred grove as “a place apart, consecrated to
a spirit or divinity, or to the memory of a hero; with trees, rocks and water,
surrounding a shrine or an altar, in a temple or within a grotto or a cave.” The
place takes on a religious significance.
To relate sacred groves to garden history, Thacker observes that when man distinguishes between one place and another, he recognizes that a place may have a “genius loci” of its own. This idea of “genius of the place” or “spirit of the place” shows up much later in garden history, as landscape designers purposely attempt to capture the feeling of a place in the design. Another key point is that humans are naturally drawn to trees and groves of trees, making them an important element in landscape design.
He cites sacred groves in ancient history – groves
dedicated to Baal in the Middle East, groves used by druids in Britain, groves in
pre-Christian Europe (some cathedrals are build on sites of ancient sacred groves),
and the site of an ancient sacred grove in Cypress (on which the mosque Umm Haram
is built, where the prophet Mohammed’s aunt is entombed). Veneration of trees is
also evident in ancient India, Japan, and Russia. Sacred groves continue into the
present day. Interestingly, some of the sacred groves in India have preserved
endemic species: http://ecoheritage.cpreec.org/index.php.
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| A sacred Hindu grove near Chandod on the banks of the Narmada River, drawn by James Forbes, 1782. This image is from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_groves_of_India; and is in the public domain in the United States because its copyright has expired. |
To relate sacred groves to garden history, Thacker observes that when man distinguishes between one place and another, he recognizes that a place may have a “genius loci” of its own. This idea of “genius of the place” or “spirit of the place” shows up much later in garden history, as landscape designers purposely attempt to capture the feeling of a place in the design. Another key point is that humans are naturally drawn to trees and groves of trees, making them an important element in landscape design.
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