Not long ago, I was searching the internet for stories about sacred trees/ancient trees/old trees, when to my surprise, a wonderful story popped up. In it, reporter Claire Galofaro wrote about an old white oak tree that was said to have graves at its base, and the tree was literally in my backyard! Well, not really, but it does stand just up the road about thirty minutes away.
I tried to meet with Ms. Galofaro, but it just wasn't to be, so we communicated briefly via email and I have continued to research the old tree and its legend since that time.
My interest in old trees has been a long time coming: my grandfather was a timberman who worked with the teams that stripped North Florida of nearly all its old-growth trees back in the 1920-30's. It pained him so badly, that although he spoke of it frequently, he would never take me to see the "last cypress tree," until I was 13-years-old.
When I saw the tree, it changed my attitude towards the natural world forever. It was literally, the last one of its kind left standing. He told me, "We thought they would never end, but when we came to that giant tree, we realized what we had done and couldn't cut it." That tree stands now, surrounded by thousands of young trees, and my story about it is on Legends of the Wild: Tales of North Florida, my CD, which you can order by contacting me at saundrakelley@hotmail.com.
In the last several years, I've followed up on other old trees with interesting stories to share in oral performance, including the Resting Tree. To think that in the 1800's slaves often had no sacred place for burial; to know that an old man risked everything to save a crippled child who never walked,and then buried him under the white oak when he died is precious and should be remembered. That old tree stands still, in Bristol, VA, on appropriately named, Resting Tree Drive.
According to Galfaro's contacts, the old tree is between 375 and 525-years-old now. Can you imagine the stories it could tell? That it was saved in part due to the graves nestled under its spreading arms is a miracle, and to know those graves will not be disturbed nor that old, old tree cut down to make way for progress, is truly inspiring.
I will tell that story in conjunction with several other's at 7pm Tuesday evening, March 1st at the Cranberry Thistle in Jonesborough, TN as a performing member of the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild.
About Me
- saundra
- Born in Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, I am a genuine Florida Cracker--a descendent of sturdy women and men who farmed their way south from North Carolina in the early 1800's. I am a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Social Science, and earned an MA in Education/Storytelling from East Tennessee State University. My work is deeply influenced by a love and reverence for the natural world and environmental issues and my love of story. Performance Photos by Valerie Menard, Silentlightimages.com.
