The Victory Palm

We had news here that the palm trees along the Esplanade were being removed by the council, apparently because they've grown too big. Local people are rightly outraged, because the trees are not very big and have not caused any damage to the Esplanade. Palm trees are an ancient symbol of long life, strength and fertility. They are sacred to many pagan religions, as well as being part of the Christian mythos. On Palm Sunday there will be a service at the Holy Trinity church, followed by a procession with donkeys from the church to the Esplanade. 

Palm trees are not native to Britain, but during the Middle Ages, palm fronds would be collected by pilgrims on their travels to Palestine. British people would often make do with other types of plants that are native to Britain to symbolise the fertility of spring and the triumph of life over death.

During the first century CE, when the Roman Empire included what was then known as Syria-Palestina, there was recorded the passionate worship of a dying-and-rising god, Attis. He was a Phrygian vegetation god, the consort of the goddess Cybele, whose myth involved death and resurrection, symbolising the cyclical nature of life and the return of spring. 

• Vegetation God: Attis was a deity associated with nature, fertility, and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, particularly the return of vegetation in spring. 
• Relationship with Cybele: He was the beloved and consort of the Great Mother goddess Cybele, a figure of immense power and fertility. 
• Myth of Self-Mutilation and Resurrection: The myth of Attis centers around his self-castration and death, followed by his resurrection, mirroring the death of vegetation in winter and its rebirth in spring. 
• Cult of Attis and Cybele: The cult of Cybele, which included the worship of Attis, spread from Phrygia to Greece and Rome, with priests (the "Galli") engaging in ritual castration in honour of Attis's self-castration. 
• Symbolism: Attis is often depicted as a young man with long hair, wearing a Phrygian cap and trousers. 
• Resurrection Myth: The story of Attis, who was brought back to life on the spring equinox by Cybele, is a parallel to other ancient resurrection stories, such as the myth of Persephone. 
• Other Names: Attis is sometimes called Papas or Zeus Papas. 
• Attis in Art: In art, Attis is often depicted as an effeminate youth, with the distinctive Phrygian cap and trousers. 
• Attis in Modern Times: Attis is also used as a name for companies in various fields, such as insurance, recruitment, and aviation. 
• Galilee Connection: A gallus (plural galli/gallae) was a eunuch priest/priestess of Attis and Cybele. Galilee is the name given to the sea where Jesus spoke to fishermen. 
• The palm was a popular symbol of the victory of life over death, used by pagans and Christians alike.