The Ash of the Park of Veisiejai Manor
Long ago a man named Teisus (The Righteous) lived at the coast. He was distinguished as man of good will and wanting to help, reconcile the fighting ones. When he died, the gods turned him into an ash tree and called it the tree of truth.
The ash growing at the park of Veisiejai manor is second of the thickest ashes in Lithuania. The extent of the trunk of the ash is 5, 40 m. The branches of the tree climb as high as 31 meters. He was planted over 200 years ago.
The trees at the homesteads were planted not only for the purposes of beauty. It was believed that the pines could protect from the thunder, because their wood is rich in oil, and the snakes were scared of the ash tree. As protection, ash trees were planted in homesteads close to the forests. The park of Veisiejai manor, where the two hundred year old ash tree is growing, was established in the second half of the 18th century when the manor was ruled by the family of Masalskiai.
In spring, the weather of the year was determined from the ash tree. If the ash tree surpasses the oak with its blossoms, the year shall be dry. If the oak was the first to bloom – than rain was forecasted.
The aetiological story tells: All trees have eyes and can see. So they bloom on time. But the ash tree went blind because of his pride. Now he asks the other trees: -Have you bloomed yet? The other trees laugh from the blind ash while blooming: -No, not yet! When the trees have grown leaves long ago, they say to the ash tree: -Why are you still naked? We’ve bloomed long ago! Then the ash tree blooms very quickly. The ash tree, having lived until the autumn, asks the other trees: -Have you shed your leaves? The trees answer him: -Yes, long ago! But they still have their leaves and mock the ash tree. Then one day the ash tree sheds his leaves because he‘s blind.
The ash tree that blossoms the last of the trees and sheds its leaves the first can be found in the district of Lazdijai, at the southern part of the park of Veisiejai manor. The tree is growing on the shore of the Ančia Lake.
