The gate of the year

Sculpted capital from the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Vézelay, Burgundy, France, dating back to the XII century. In the foreground is shown the Eden tree, with the serpent wrapping itself around the branches, while on the right end Eve is picking up the forbidden fruit.
The image of the tree of the Garden of Eden is based on a symbolic theme widely diffused in the ancient Mediterranean world: that of the world tree, symbol of inexhaustible abundance, of knowledge and life. As an object imbued with sacredness, the tree is often guarded by dragons or serpents (Cardini 1995).

[image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:V%C3%A9zelay_Nef_Chapiteau_ 220608_H_O3.jpg]




Tree Symbols

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Sculpted capital from the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Vézelay, Burgundy, France, dating back to the XII century. In the foreground is shown the Eden tree, with the serpent wrapping itself around the branches, while on the right end Eve is picking up the forbidden fruit. The image of the tree of the Garden of Eden is based on a symbolic theme widely diffused in the ancient Mediterranean world: that of the world tree, symbol of inexhaustible abundance, of knowledge and life. As an object imbued with sacredness, the tree is often guarded by dragons or serpents (Cardini 1995). [image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:V%C3%A9zelay_Nef_Chapiteau_ 220608_H_O3.jpg]