Its interesting how much meaning one tree can have. Legend has it that the cypress tree grows from the sorrow of a child who killed a pet deer that belonged to Apollo. The child threw himself on the ground in mourning and was transformed into the cypress tree. From this story, the tree became a symbol of sacrifice. The Christians took a slightly different symbolism of the tree, transforming it into purely a symbol of death. While its universal meaning connects it to Heaven's calling. The tree appears in cemeteries across the world, and despite its varying symbolism it remains a large part of death and mourning. Symbols grow from stories and no matter which way the story twists and turns the subject will always stay a part of countless rituals and traditions. It takes on a life of its own, even after the creator of its story is long gone.
