Walking across Brookline Avenue towards Yawkey Way (on her way to buy Red Sox tickets, of course), Marash Girl was distracted by a tree and two flags waving high above her, at the very top of a high rise under construction. According to Marash Boy, this is the custom in Massachusetts, whenever a high rise building has reached the top. Does the custom exist in your country? state? city?
 |
| "Topping Off" high above Brookline Avenue, Boston |
'Topping Off' was a ritual which dates back to the animism of pre-Christian Scandinavia. The ritual of planting a tree atop new construction was done to appease the spirits which dwelled in the trees displaced. The rite included the drinking of Mead to honor and quiet those spirits. The practice migrated to Northern Europe, England, and finally, North America. The Christian west swallowed up the pagan nature of the practice. Instead of seeking to appease displaced spirits, the practice became a celebration of the courage and enterprise of the men involved in the construction, often accompanied by a meal and toasting.
ReplyDeleteO Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, the black mystery of an ancient forest, we drink to the memory of your fair hair, waving in the summer, spring and fall only to become shaggy white sentinels wrapped in the white cape of winter.
What tree do they use in Florida to top off tall buildings?
DeleteBefore or after the sinkhole?
DeleteHere in Oregon is a flag at the end of a crane during the building process before reaching the top!
ReplyDelete