Golden Bough

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Golden Bough

Myth Overview

Nationality/Culture

Roman

Alternate Names

None

Appears In

Virgil's Aeneid

In Roman mythology , the Golden Bough was a tree branch with golden leaves that enabled the Trojan hero Aeneas (pronounced i-NEE-uhs) to travel through the underworld , or land of the dead, safely. The bough was said to be sacred to Proserpina (pronounced prah-sur-PEE-nuh; the Roman version of Greek goddess Persephone , pronounced per-SEF-uh-nee), the queen of the underworld, and was associated with the goddess Diana (the Roman version of the Greek goddess Artemis , pronounced AHR-tuh-miss).

The story of Aeneas and the Golden Bough is found in the Aeneid , the epic poem by the Roman poet Virgil (pronounced VUR-juhl). According to this tale, the spirit of Anchises (pronounced an-KY-seez), Aeneas's dead father, appears and tells Aeneas to visit the underworld, where he will learn what the future holds in store for people. First, however, Aeneas must find the oracle known as the Sibyl of Cumae (pronounced KYOO-mee), who will lead him to the land of the dead.

Aeneas locates the oracle, who informs him that he cannot pass through the underworld safely without the Golden Bough. When Aeneas enters the forest to look for the sacred branch, two doves lead him to an oak tree that shelters the bough of shimmering golden leaves. Aeneas gets the Golden Bough and returns to the Sibyl of Cumae.

Together Aeneas and the Sibyl enter the underworld. With the Golden Bough in his possession, the hero is able to pass safely through the various dangers and obstacles there. At the deadly and magical river Acheron (pronounced AK-uh-ron), the boatman Charon (pronounced KAIR-uhn) sees the sacred bough and takes Aeneas and the Sibyl across the water to the kingdom of Hades (pronounced HAY-deez). There Aeneas finds the spirit of his father.

The Golden Bough also appears in other legends, particularly in connection with the goddess Diana. According to some accounts, it was a custom among worshippers of Diana for a slave to cut a branch from a sacred tree and then kill the priest responsible for guarding the tree. The slave took the priest's place and was later killed himself in the same way.

The Golden Bough in Context

Some scholars, such as James Frazer, have suggested that the Golden Bough was actually mistletoe. Virgil describes the Golden Bough as being sheltered by an oak, much as mistletoe grows as a parasite on many trees, including oaks. In addition, mistletoe has a long history of supernatural associations in different cultures. Ancient Romans may have believed that mistletoe was dropped from the heavens and landed in the trees where it grew, which suggested that it would contain divine powers.

Key Themes and Symbols

In the tale of Aeneas and the Golden Bough, the magic branch represents both light and life. In this way it protects Aeneas from darkness and death while in the underworld. In the legend of the priest of Diana, the Golden Bough represents the sacred duty of the order that watches over it. It also represents the endless cycle of death and rebirth, as the priest who guards it is killed and replaced by a new priest, who will eventually meet the same fate.

The Golden Bough in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life

Although mentioned as part of a minor story in the Aeneid, the Golden Bough has become especially well known among modern scholars. The legends of the Golden Bough inspired Scottish scholar Sir James Frazer to write The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion, a multivolume study of religion and mythology published in 1890. This landmark work has in turn inspired many works of both fiction and nonfiction, and is the main source of the Golden Bough myth for modern readers. The Assassin Tree, an opera based on the myth of the slaves and the priest guarding the Golden Bough, was created by Stuart MacRae and Simon Armitage and premiered in 2006.