"Lettered" Love Spoons and The Mythology of the Linden Tree

"Lettered" Love Spoons

I've got my "Lettered" Love spoons to show tonight. There is not too much to say about them. I *could* give you the names of all of the owners but that would probably be a little intrusive. But, without being too specific, I *can* say that:

• one spoon went to a noted (OK, so he's *oldies*) rock star and his wife. (You might not know his name, but you *definitely* would know the group).
• one spoon (that really isn't a spoon) went to a famous actor's helicopter mechanic and his wife (Now, how many people can say that!).
• one spoon went to a couple that shares the same first name.
• one spoon went to a bagpipe playing couple.

More on the History of Love Spoons and the Linden Tree

The names “Linden” in North America, and “Lime” in Britain are both derived from the Germanic, Anglo Saxon and old Norse roots lind, linde and linne.

The Linden was a highly symbolic and hallowed tree in Germanic mythology. The tree was an object of worship since it was associated with Freyja, the guardian of life and goddess of fortune, love and truth. Therefore, her tree was considered the symbol of romance and peace and it often formed the central meeting place of many rural communities. The tree became associated with jurisprudence because it was believed that the tree would help unearth the truth and that no one was able to lie maliciously without attracting Freya’s rage.

Legend has it that it cannot be struck by lightning since Freya is the wife of Wodan, the main god of the Germanic pantheon. It was assumed that the Linden possessed some protective power against evil and catastrophe. A Linden tree in a village was viewed as a benign guardian of anyone who lived there.

After Christianity came to Germany, the Linden’s positive connotation continued. Motherly Freya was subsequently replaced by the Mother of God, so that many trees were rededicated to St. Mary (Marienlinde). In the Slavic Orthodox Christian world, limewood was the preferred wood for panel icon painting because its ability to be sanded very smooth, and for its resistance to warping once seasoned.

Well, that's it for tonight. 'til next time, Keep Makin' Chips