Ancestors live under Tree of Souls

Chief Jean Baptiste Keita told me about the importance of trees: "When we pray to the sacred Baobab tree or to the Fromager tree, the prayers are directed there and from there the God transmits the prayers to our dead Ancestors.

"So you see, trees are sacred to us, we Bedik.

"For example, if you consider that sacred big Baobab tree which is measuring 33 meters and a half, it was planted on the tomb of dead Keita, the Keita family. The Keita family was the first to settle here. It was the Keita family, which was buried there. Now you know that there is a tomb under the sacred baobab.

"At the beginning of every year we go and say prayers around the tree, to implore our ancestors."

Iwol village, Bedik tribe, Senegal.

Notes from my Africa Journal

Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn
the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life.
Hermann Hesse Baume

The trees reached up into the starry sky above me. Were they pulling in wisdom of the universe onto the earth?
Janis Miglavs Bedik Journal