Fate & Fabled

Why Does Every Culture Have Myths About Trees?

Cultures around the world have venerated trees for thousands of years, often seeing them as gifts from or manifestations of Gods. With their impressive size, longevity, and ability to support life, it’s hard not to see trees as divine. But unlike the gods they sometimes represent, trees rely on us almost as much as we rely on them.

Why Does Every Culture Have Myths About Trees?

10m 12s

  • Paradise on Earth: We Built Our Very Own Utopia: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Paradise on Earth: We Built Our Very Own Utopia

    S3 E9 - 16m 48s

    Utopias are the everything bagel seasoning of myth devices because they are born out of something everyone everywhere can relate to: the desire for a better existence, even one currently out of our mortal reach.

  • It’s Never Turtles All the Way Down: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    It’s Never Turtles All the Way Down

    S3 E8 - 8m 38s

    Several mythologies from around the world imagined that the world sits on the back of a turtle. Centuries later, we end up with the whimsically iconic phrase “it's turtles all the way down.” Let's explore the origins of the phrase, some of these turtle mythologies . . . and talk about my new tattoo!

  • The War in Heaven: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The War in Heaven

    S3 E7 - 8m 23s

    What happens when angels and demons battle in heaven? Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all have a story of cosmic conflict—some depict all-out war, while others are more courtroom drama. Their differences give us insight on each faith's beliefs about the afterlife, good and evil, and humans' moral responsibilities. But their similarities point to an ancient ancestor all three religions share.

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