ST Trees, The Force and Temples

With A Chorus of Disapproval's blessing, let's discuss trees and their significance in ep8 and beyond.
As I mentioned in another thread, Professor Thomas Foster (author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor) said, "one mention is an occurrence. Two may be a coincidence, but three constitutes a trend...and trends cry out for examination."
Keeping that in mind, lately, we've had 3 mentions of trees:
1. The trees in Shattered Empire (originally from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant) , one is a gift to the Dameron family and planted on Yavin IV.
2. Leia's Endor tree (a gift from Wicket) as mentioned in Aftermath: Life Debt.
3. The Ahch-to tree we see in Episode VIII set photos and, seemingly, in Rey's vision (1st Jedi Temple, anyone?)


Don't forget the Dagobah cave/tree. As trees have all kinds of symbolic and cultural symbolism... What's with these trees?

 

BTW - The Ahch-to tree:





The Dameron Tree:

 

Strong sources of the force perhaps....

 

So in the top pic, where would Rey be in accordance to the bottom picture?

 

Tree symbolism and mythology is an important part of many cultures, and I think that they are positioning the tree as a symbol of the Force, and of the origins of the Jedi.

It's really a wonderful way to represent the Force, I think, and neatly ties George's recurrent theme of 'nature vs technology' to the Jedi story, and the Force itself.

 

I think that tree is probably a light side version of the Dagobah tree/cave and probably some original Jedi were buried there. I don't buy into any of that mess that has been going around recently about the brother and sister etc.

I wonder if that is that tree in the 2nd picture for sure even though it appears to be the same planet and has the same terrain with rocks around etc.

 

Tree symbols are usually associated to 'mother earth' and reproduction.

 

They also symbolise knowledge, and often with a tempter figure attached to the myth. The biblical tree of knowledge and the serpent, and Buddha's enlightenment and temptation by Mara, under the Bodhi tree.

In Norse myth, Odin 'sacrificed himself to himself', hanging himself from the World tree, Yggdrasil, in order to gaze into the Well of Urd that lay below the tree, and learn the secrets of the Runes, which were the keys to the universe, knowledge, and magic.

 

Evidence it is that tree in that picture:

Terrain looks roughly the same and it appears it may be in some sort of depression just like the other picture looking at the top.
It also appears to be on slightly more elevated ground than the characters just like it shows in the other picture.
The rain distorts things enough and the picture cuts off where you wouldn't see that walkway on the right.
The right side of the picture appears to show another set of elevation behind the object just like with the tree in the first picture.

Evidence against:

Although rain blurs the image why can't you vaguely see the back part of the tree and its shapes especially the left side in the back of it?
Although blurred by rain why does the image look so symmetrical (like it could be something man made) and doesn't really appear to exactly follow the outline of the bottom of that tree.
I wonder if this is like when everyone was convinced it was bodies on the ground instead of rocks before when we thought it was the jedi massacre scene?

 

This. Trees more regularly appear as founts of knowledge than reproduction, with their roots connected to unseen worlds (and only special figures, who connect to the tree in some way, can unlock the mysteries of the broader unseen universe). I hope something along these lines is at the root (pun intended) of what we see on the Ahch-to set. And I hope it has something to do with Jedi origins. In fact, I suspect it may be the "First Jedi Temple."

 

Nothing really to add, but just wanted to say I really enjoy this thread. Threads like these make me feel like a kid again and in awe of a galaxy far, far away and the mystery it holds.

 

I like the idea of the 1st temple being a tree. Not what you'd expect. Kinda like the holy grail (?) goblet in Indy III. Between the rumors of Luke looking for Jedi lore/relics and these trees, I start to wonder whether Luke has been doing exactly what we'd expect him to do starting a new Jedi order: more spiritual than philosophical, more "let's discover what it means to be one with the Force, being Jedi, etc. than following an old code to the T. I'm still convinced we're getting the Luke we want, just minus a family of his own...Maybe. We've got pieces but don't know the overall puzzle picture...

 

Luke had recovered two trees and it was said that he was going to return to Devaron. I wonder if Luke's students were based there and he planted the tree he kept there. Perhaps if Luke does restart a new Jedi order it will be done on Yavin 4 where the Damerons planted the other tree?

 

Just a thought...

 

Luke will live in a tree and ride on Rey's back...

All that alone time created a split personality where he believes himself to be master Yoda and will be doing Yoda impersonations throughout the film, with a very confused looking Rey...

 

rebels showed us where the symbol came from.

 

The old saying 'You are what you eat'.
+
"Root Leaf I cook."

hmmmm

 

I had originally thought the tree may have provided some of the inspiration for the Jedi Order symbol.

 

Some of us have never wanted Luke to have a family.

 

Why? Because Obi-Wan and Yoda didn't?

It would make sense that he did since there were no other Force sensitives around anymore. No?

 

because it isn't a make or break thing.

 

Well, since it's a genetic trait, it kind of is. No?

 

If not it's a pretty big coincidence that Anakin, both of his children, and his grandson are all FS. Especially considering FS is supposedly a pretty rare trait to begin with.

 

there are many people/aliens other than skywalkers that are force sensitive. of all the jedi in the prequels, tcw and rebels only one is a skywalker.

 

Just so he could have a student? That seems cold and reckless and selfish.

Huh?

Er, how do you figure?



At any rate, family man Luke Skywalker just doesn't follow from where he was at the end of Return of the Jedi.