24 Jan Custom Oak Tree Jewelry – Its Symbolic Meaning & Mythology
Seen Above: A custom-made Carl Blackburn Oak Pendant, handcrafted in white and yellow gold, set with diamonds and a ruby center.
One of Carl Blackburn’s most symbolic and mythological pieces of custom made jewelry are his Sacred Oak pendants. The Oak Tree abounds with magical symbolism. Yet it also is the tree which emphasizes the importance of craftsmanship: the ability to work skillfully and patiently with the materials of the earth. It calls on us to take the long view, with a faithful eye toward future rewards.
No tree ages more gracefully and beautifully than the oak. Exhibiting both strength and a nurturing instinct, a mature oak tree supports more life forms than any other tree in the forest. Since the days of King Arthur, those who share these qualities have been said to possess “hearts of oak”, and images of the great tree were emblazoned on coats of arms.
If you would like a custom Sacred Oak pendant made for you or a loved one, call Carl Blackburn at 858-251-3006 or send him a text message at 619-723-8589.
The Legacy of the Sacred Oak
Since the dawn of history, our lives have been indelibly tied to the oak tree. Indeed no tree has been more useful to humankind than the sacred and mighty oak. It has excelled at providing us not only with fire, food, and shelter, but also with the resources to explore the world and the inner landscape of the spirit.
The oak’s spiritual significance can be seen in the historical name of Buddha, Shakyamuni, which means “the sage of the oak tree people.” Oak was also Zeus’ tree to the Greeks, Jove’s tree to the Romans, Thor’s tree to the Norse, and El’s tree to the Hebrews.
For the mystical Celtic Druids, the oak tree guarded the door of the year — for the oak had both deciduous and evergreen species. The deciduous oaks, like sturdy sentinels, watched over the spring and summer, and the evergreen oaks over the fall and winter — guaranteeing a safe passage through the seasons and a renewal of life.
Even into our modern era, oak forests were often viewed as places of renewal. Well into the 20th century, it was still believed by many Europeans that a hollow, living oak (sometimes called a “drum oak” for the sound it makes when you hit it) was the home of living spirits.
The oak also played a traditional role in protecting kings and heroes. Robin Hood and his Merry Men used Major Oak as a gathering place to protect themselves from ambush. And King Charles II was saved from the revolutionary Roundheads by hiding in an oak tree. To this day, England still remembers May 29th as Oak Apple Day, the day the king returned to London to restore the monarchy.
It is not surprising that our ancestors attached heavenly properties to the oak tree. For no other tree protected, nurtured, and inspired them as much as the strong, dependable oak. While the tree abounded with magical symbolism, it also emphasized the necessity of working with the materials of earth, so that humankind could survive and prosper.
When the arctic winds blew from the north, oak firewood was among the best to warm the hearth — a cord of oak wood being able to provide as much heat as 100 gallons of heating oil. This reliable source of high, steady heat would later become crucial in the production of the first swords, forged in iron smelters glowing with oak charcoal.
When it came to food, the oak’s abundant acorns were a dependable source of nutrition. Rich in vitamins and easier to acquire than wild game, acorns could be harvested with ten times less labor than barley or wheat. Historians say that some peoples actually were able to harvest enough acorns in three weeks to last two or three years — roasting them over fires to eat whole, pounding them into flour for cakes, and boiling their grounds to make coffee.
It is therefore likely that the abundance of acorns within a given area is what allowed a tribe of people to settle down and actually become a tribe. In other words, the distribution of oak forests guided the total number of tribes in many parts of the world and where they chose to live.
Our early ancestors also needed shelter, and once again the oak tree came to their service. Oak is a durable and close-grained wood, whose composition made it easy to split and shape with stone axes, allowing for the building of structures that could withstand the brute force of Mother Nature. Go to an old house today and you will likely find oak beams still hard as iron.
Recalling oak’s spiritual importance, large oak doors were regularly used to protect the entrances of old churches and cathedrals, as well as early institutions of higher learning, signifying gateways to enlightenment. Because the oak was a powerful symbol of renewal, it was also the wood most commonly used for coffins to usher departing souls into the next life. One famous example is the oak coffins at Glastonbury Abbey, which are alleged to hold the relics of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere.
Oak’s brilliance as a building material is perhaps best displayed in the history of exploration and ship building. Once sheltered and well-fed, it is humanity’s nature to explore the world around us. At first this was on foot, with oak trees providing the wooden planks for bridges over marshes, streams, and wetlands. When our ancestors then set their eyes on distant, unseen lands across the ocean, oak again gave them the means.
The Vikings created boats of cleft oak called “longships” that road the waves like dolphins. Pound for pound, no better boat has ever been built. The intrepid Vikings used them successfully to raid England, Ireland, Scotland, and Iceland, as well as reach the coast of North America half a millennium before Columbus.
Having learned from their Viking invaders, the British would eventually take the lead in shipbuilding, developing a navy that enabled an empire and became the envy of the world. The British navy’s oak ships were called The Wooden Walls of England, and for over 200 years (from the destruction of the Spanish Armada to the end of the Napoleonic Wars) those walls were never breached.
The oak tree not only played a vital role in our exploration of the world, it also provided tools for the advancement of culture and the arts. For example, oak was instrumental in the development of modern architecture. The greatest work of art of the European Middle Ages is not a painting, sculpture, or cathedral. It is the 660 ton oak-framed roof of Westminster Hall, designed by Hugh Herland in the late 1300s, which still has experts debating how it was accomplished.
Meanwhile, the oak gall (sometimes called the oak apple) was used to create some of the best inks and dyes ever made. In particular, oak ink was noted for its exceptional clarity and permanence — thus it became the preferred choice of government officials and artists. The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were both drafted in oak gall ink. Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks were all written with it. Bach wrote his concertos with it. Rembrandt and Van Gogh drew with it.
It is not an exaggeration to say that all culture and art owe a great debt to the oak tree. For it has powered the human imagination throughout history. Our minds have grown through steady craftsmanship, from the continuous process of making things. Between thinking and making, the world as has emerged to what we see around us today.
The oak tree has contributed to that making, not only as an abundant resource, but as a symbol of craftsmanship and life itself — one that calls on us to be patient; to take the long view; to focus attention on the work at hand, while maintaining an abiding faith in the rewards of our effort.
Create a Custom Oak Pendant
Contact Carl Blackburn today to create a Sacred oak pendant rich with mythological history and spiritual symbolism. Carl is happy to provide you with a range of precious metal and gemstone options; thus making his oak pendants affordable to a variety of budget. Call Carl directly at 858-251-3006 or send him a text message at 619-723-8589. You may also send an email by using the contact form below.
