The cypress tree, also called the mourning tree, is an evergreen conifer that symbolizes mourning, immortality and hope.
Have you ever wondered which tree stays green all year round, even in the cold winter? That would be the cypress.
These trees have a slender shape and green leaves and are tall, almost to the sky. They are also called ‘the graveyard cypress’ because they are often found as guardians around cemeteries. The cypress tree is a symbol of sadness. Long ago, in ancient Greece, people used cypress trees to decorate the gate to the underworld.
Now let’s look at the symbolism, history, stories, cultural importance of Cypress Trees and how people have used them.
Characteristics of the cypress tree
Cypress is a name for a genus from the cypress family (Cupressaceae) that includes more than 30 Cypress tree species. It is found on the slopes of mountains and in the sparse forests of the Northern Hemisphere, mainly in warm climates.
They typically have needle-like, evergreen leaves and seed cones that resemble acorns. Some notable species of cypress include the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) and Leyland cypress (Cuprocyparis leylandii).
However, today we will talk about the evergreen cypress, a noble symbol of sadness.
Cupressus sempervirens
Cupressus sempervirens, commonly called the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, Persian cypress or pencil pine), is native to the eastern Mediterranean and Iran (1).
The evergreen cypress is known for its strong, refreshing scent, attractive appearance and peeling brown-gray bark. The cones are elliptical to spherical, start green and turn brown to gray as they age. Female cones, rounder and up to four inches long, mature in the second year and each contain 5-20 seeds that usually remain on the tree. Male cones are smaller, about two inches long, oval in shape and grow at the tips of the shoots.
The evergreen cypress is also an integral part of alleys, especially in southern Italy – the best known is the Via Cassia near Poggio Covili – or in France.
The symbolism and spiritual meaning Cypress tree
Symbol of mourning and sadness
The cypress tree serves as a symbol of mourning and sadness, deeply rooted in the culture of the Greeks and Romans. where it was known as the ‘sorrowful tree’. The Romans carried branches of cypress trees as a sign of respect, and the bodies of the respected people were placed on cypress branches prior to burial. This symbolic association with mourning has persisted throughout history.
Cypress trees were commonly found in ‘Graveyard Cypress’ as one of the oldest classical mourning symbols used in Western and Eastern societies, and its importance and longevity are as timeless as the tree itself.
Additionally, followers of Christianity associate the cypress with the crucifixion and consider it sacred because they believe it was the source of wood for the cross.
Tree of immortality and hope
The cypress tree, with its towering height and pyramid-like shape, points toward the sky. It was conceived as a symbol of immortality and hope, like dandelions.
It serves as a poignant reminder and provides profound answers to the human experience of grief, embodying the concepts of eternal life.
Cypress as a sign of death and the underworld
In ancient beliefs, the cypress tree was associated with death and the underworld. The choice was made to create wreaths that adorned statues of Pluto, the classical ruler of the underworld in Greek mythology. This connection emphasizes the symbolic role of the cypress in bridging life and death.
Connection with the afterlife
The cypress tree is symbolically linked to the afterlife in Greek myth and Zoroastrianism. The Greeks planted Cypress near graves and associated it with the gate of the underworld. In Zoroastrian religion, the word for tree means ‘immortality’, symbolizing life after death. The ancient cypress of Kashmir, 4,000 years old, on Uber Mountain in central Persia, witnessed the dawn of Zoroastrianism (2)
The earliest form of worship in the Zoroastrian religion involved open-air gatherings, typically held on elevated mountains or in cemeteries. This ritual included an urn containing a fire, surrounded by two cypress trees stretching toward the sky.
In Zoroastrianism, cutting down a cypress is considered bad luck and brings bad luck and illness. People planted cypress trees around Persian temples to shade graves and ward off evil spirits.
Resilience and sustainability
Like cedars, cypresses are also associated with eternity and longevity, and are often featured in Zoroastrian folk art. The evergreen nature of the cypress, which remains green all year round, contributes to its symbolic representation of longevity. Additionally, cypresses are recognized as some of the longest-lived trees in the world. In a real-life incident, Spanish scientists discovered the fire-resistant quality of the evergreen cypress. During a test of the resilience of several Mediterranean cypress species against a pathogenic fungus, a group of green cypress trees survived a forest fire that consumed several thousand hectares of forest. Their ability to retain a high water content allowed them to withstand the flames, demonstrating the cypress’s endurance.
Folklore and myth of the cypress tree
Long ago, a poet named Ovid told a story about why people associate the cypress with sadness. There was a boy named Cyparissus who was very close to Apollo, the god. Unfortunately, Cyparissus accidentally killed a deer he loved dearly. He felt so sad that he asked to cry forever. The gods turned him into a cypress, and now people think the sap of the tree resembles his tears. In another version, a god named Silvanus, who was friends with Cyparissus, also accidentally hurt the deer. When Cyparissus became really sad, Silvanus turned him into a tree and started carrying a cypress branch as a symbol of sadness.
In Greek stories, the cypress is linked, in addition to Cyparissus, to Artemis and Hecate, a magical goddess. The ancient Romans used Cypress extensively in their funeral ceremonies.
In a large Muslim cemetery in Turkey, called Istanbul Karacaahmet Cemetery, cypress trees are used extensively. In Turkish in Istanbul, people call them a ‘cemetery tree’, and in Turkish forestry they are known as ‘kara selvi’ or black cypress. Cypresses are also often mentioned in the Shahnameh, a famous Iranian poem.
In Jewish stories, they thought the cypress was the wood used to build Noah’s Ark and the Temple. It is mentioned in the Bible, comparing the form to standing erect or remaining evergreen, meaning eternal beauty or health. Today in Israeli cemeteries they like to use cypress trees because they resemble candles and because they are evergreen, they remind people that the soul lives forever.
Cypresses are often found in Art
It is not surprising that the cypress motif appears in Persian art and on Persian carpets.
“Van Gogh’s Cypresses” was created at the end of the 19th century. The young artist Vincent van Gogh used oil on canvas to depict two cypress trees in the French countryside. This piece is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum.
Another endangered species of cypress (Monterey Cypress) inspired other artists such as Dr. Seuss (The Lorax) or Erin Hanson ( Cypress Moon or Cupressus macrocarpa)
Uses of cypress tree
Ornamental tree
Mediterranean cypress has been widely planted for millennia for its beauty, even in outdoor places where it grows naturally. People plant it in various locations such as the Mediterranean, California, southwestern South Africa and southern Australia. These areas share a similar climate to the Cypress’s native environment, with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.
Cypress wood
Cypress wood is hard and durable. It is no coincidence that in Egypt it was used for the production of sarcophagi of pharaohs. It is said that the arrows of Cupid, the Roman god of love, are made of cypress wood. In ancient times, the wood of these beauties was used in construction and carving. And if you ever go to the Vatican and visit St. Peter’s Basilica, keep an eye out for the tabernacle door. These are also carved from cypress wood.
In the past, Cypress was used in distilleries to ferment alcohol before stainless steel.
It is used in cosmetics for its astringent, firming and anti-aging properties. Cypress wood is insect repellent, making it suitable for furniture such as pantries. The oil from cypress leaves is used as a massage cream.
Native Americans have traditionally viewed the cypress as sacred symbols of protection and healing.