[448]. Further proof for this in Prellwitz: “Griechische Etymologie.”
[449]. Siecke: “Der Gott Rudra in Rigveda”: Archiv für Religionswissenschaft, Vol. I, p. 237.
[450]. The fig tree is the phallic tree. It is noteworthy that Dionysus planted a fig tree at the entrance to Hades, just as “Phalli” are placed on graves. The cyprus tree consecrated to Aphrodite grew to be entirely a token of death, because it was placed at the door of the house of death.
[451]. Therefore the tree at times is also a representation of the sun. A Russian riddle related to me by Dr. Van Ophuijsen reads: “What is the tree which stands in the middle of the village and is visible in every cottage?” Answer: “The sun and its light.” A Norwegian riddle reads:
“A tree stands on the mountain of Billings,
It bends over a lake,
Its branches shine like gold:
You won’t guess that to-day.
In the evening the daughter of the sun collected the golden branches, which had been broken from the wonderful oak.
Bitterly weeps the little sun