Tree marriage

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tree-marriage

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the associated tree?Often the sahada tree (Streblus asper) was utilized in these ceremonies
2. Why did people in old India marry trees?People in old India married trees to follow rules about how many times a man could marry. By marrying a tree and then cutting it down, the man became a widower and could marry a widow.
3. How did the tree marriage ceremony happen?The ceremony looked like a regular wedding, with rituals and symbols. The chosen tree, usually a sahada tree, was used and later cut down to finish the ritual.

Animism: The belief that natural objects, phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls or spirits.
Proxy Marriage: A marriage where one or both parties are not physically present, represented by another person or object.
Social Engineering: The manipulation or design of social structures and norms to achieve specific societal outcomes.
Symbolic Efficacy: The power of a ritual or symbol to create real social or psychological change.