The question of Guyana’s national tree, from antiquity and impact, on the national ethos

THE question of what tree can be described as the ‘National Tree of Guyana’ was asked by Macsood Hoosein in the Stabroek News on June 3, 2023.

Such a question commands a credible answer. This article will attempt to provide propositions that will briefly traverse the myths of collective consciousness across human timelines, from our earliest records to current times.

The very first mythology of the origin of life recorded so far in old Guyana revolves around the Silk Cotton Tree.

According to Walter Roth, “The God Makunaima, it is said, ascended this Tree of Life, and, from his seat in the Silk Cotton Tree, scattered twigs and bark in the air, on the land, and in the water, and from these pieces arose the birds, beasts, reptiles, fish and also men and women. Several examples are to be met with, of Bush Spirits being associated with particular plants and trees. Perhaps the most interesting is that of the Silk Cotton Tree (Bombax sp.), the superstitions concerning which have been incorrectly surmised as communicated by from the negroes to the Indians. The earliest references to this connection that

I have been able thus far to find for it in the Guianas, is by Stedman in Suriname: -Perceiving that it was their (negroes) custom to bring their offerings to the wild cotton tree… under this tree, our Gadoman or priest delivers his lectures: and for this reason, our common people have so much veneration for it, that they will not cut it down on any account whatever, ‘ It would be interesting to learn whether the so-called fromager of the French Ivory Coast is identical to our tree. Certain it is that the records are abundant as to both Indians and Africans refusing to cut one down. As a matter of fact, however, the superstitions of the Bombax were cherished in middle America long before the arrival of the negroes; The Mayas of Yucatan spoke it as the tree of creation.” See –An Inquiry of the Animism and Folk-Lore of the Guiana Indians: by Walter E. Roth –manuscript 1913, published

1915. However, since that remarkable publication, as to the revealed dates of the African presence in the Americas has change; see current research by- Ivan Van Sertima- African Presence in Early America 1992- featuring the pioneer in that field Alexander von Wuthenau.

In this Guyana’s context, the Silk Cotton Tree has captured the imagination of all its citizens. So far, it is the only tree to which a village has adopted its name ‘Cotton Tree’ on the West coast of Berbice. In the recent Historical Book ‘Blood on the River” by Mar-

SEE PAGE XXIII