Sint Bonifatius hakt in Hessen een heilige eik om 1781

This etching by Christian Bernhard Rode depicts Saint Boniface in the act of felling the sacred oak of Thor in 8th-century Hesse. The scene brims with symbolic weight: Boniface raises his axe, a gesture reminiscent of classical heroes, to strike the pagan tree, an act representing the triumph of Christianity over pagan beliefs. Observe the terrified expressions of the onlookers and the felling of the tree, which brings to mind the motif of the "axis mundi," the world tree, found in various cultures across time and space. Its destruction symbolizes a shift in world order, echoing similar images of iconoclasm. The symbol of the axe is particularly evocative: it is an implement of destruction, yes, but also of construction, a force of change. This act resonates on a subconscious level, triggering associations with humanity’s primal relationship with nature and the cycles of destruction and renewal. The image is a potent reminder of the enduring power of symbols and their capacity to engage us on a deep, emotional level. In its wake we are left to ponder a larger image of history, always in flux.