Three parts of the Lithuanian Cosmic Tree

The Lithuanian Cosmic Tree is a culturally unique representation of the worldveiw of the ancient Lithuanians and even Baltic peoples. Although the Cosmic/world Tree is a global phenomenum in so many religions of such cultures including the Indo Europeans, Siberian and North American Indian. You might think that these cultures are few in our huge world. The Indo Europeans were a very large tribe who developped into the nations we know today as:

*Baltic, 

*Slavic, 

*Celtic, 

*Germanic, 

*Anatolian, 

*Indic, 

*Indo Iranian, 

*Hellenic

The following clip explains quite well the diversity of nations that grew from the Proto Indo European peoples (PIE)          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74_3i53u8so

The World or Cosmic Tree features in the mythology of so many cultures that it really is evident of the importance of this motif in the way peoples lived day to day, worshipped, and rationalised the world and universe around them. The variations on the description and theme of the World Tree is very diverse and too numerous to state the differences. The differences are really inconsequential to the over all ideal of the World Tree. The basics are still the same:

1. The tree is a symbol representing the 3 realms of the cosmos,the upper worlds of the Gods, Goddesses and heroes in the branches, the middle world of the living in the trunk and the lower world of the past,deceased Ancestors and earthly deities in the roots. This symbol of the Tree, transcends time and space. The Cosmic Tree not only represents the cosmic order of the universe but also is superimposed in our psyche and being. It is for this reason we could also refer to the Cosmic Tree as a heirogyph.
2. The Tree remminds us of the continual harmony between these 3 realms of the cosmos. The Tree inspires us to strive for/nurture and maintain this same harmony, in our own personal lives.
3. The Tree is a gateway to the other realms through which we can communicate with our ancestors, the Deities above and below, and all Spirits in between.
4. The tree is also symbolic of nature's nurture of all life including humankind. Trees produce oxygen vital to all animate life, Trees are natural ecosystems and homes to all manner of life, from insects to mammals. Trees provided for early humans in a very practical earthly way, provides for us the wood to build our homes, wood to cook our food, wood to keep us warm and light the way in the night.