Gerichtslinde

In the Holy Roman Empire, a Gerichtslinde (German for "court linden, doom linden"; plural -linden) was a linden tree where assemblies and judicial courts were held. Rooted in Germanic tribal law, the custom has left traces through the Germanic language-speaking areas.

Located in the center of its village, the tree was also at the center of festivities, in this respect known as Tanzlinde "dance linden". After Christianization, the linden remained associated with justice and benevolent protection, often re-dedicated to Mary mother of Jesus (Marienlinden) or to the twelve Apostles (Apostellinden).

Many surviving linden trees may sometimes retain names Thie-Linde, Thing-Linde or Tilly-Linde, but often simply Dorflinde "village linden". The oldest of them is in Schenklengsfeld, Hesse, planted in the 9th century, in the time of Louis the Younger.

The 12th century Visio Godeschalci describes a journey which the pious Holstein peasant Godeskalk believed he had made in the lower world. There is mentioned an immensely large and beautiful linden-tree hanging full of shoes, which were handed down to such dead travellers as had exercised mercy during their lives.

Numerous examples of sacred trees and groves exist amongst the pre-Christian Germanic peoples. The linden is often claimed to have been sacred to Freyja in the pre-Christian period, forming a polarity with the oaks sacred to Donar.

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