The integral link between olive oil and the well-being of individuals quickly lead them to consider the olive tree as blessed and treat it correspondingly. Naturally, the olive tree proves to have played a central role in the worship for ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Minoans used to make libations of olives, olive oil and wine to their chthonic divinities, while Ancient Athenians considered the olive tree to be sacred and protected it by law. That veil of sanctity covering the olive oil made them believe that supplements coated with olive oil were protected by gods. Thus, they commonly used olive oil to anoint statues and altars of their gods as well as objects used for the libations made towards them. In addition, they included olive oil among the main ingredients of the offers and sacrifices to their gods.
Interestingly, the olive tree also played a significant part in the burial rituals in the ancient Greek world. According to the great historian Plutarch, the great king of Sparta Lycurgus necessitated the dead to be buried upon olive tree twigs. As Kallimachus the Cyrene[1] suggests, that practice was quite common throughout the Greek territory at that time. According to his narrations, olive tree leaves and twigs were carefully placed beneath the dead, while the relatives present at the ceremony were crowned with wreaths made from olive tree twigs. In some cases, the dead were also crowned with such wreaths to be protected by evil spirits. In general, the presence of the olive tree in the burial rituals is believed to have been associated with the purification of the deceased, moments before setting off for the journey to Hades, the world of the dead. Importantly, the tradition dictating the use of the olive tree in the burial rituals was so strong that even the strict Athenian laws prohibiting the cutting down of the sacred olive trees were commonly sympathetic towards it.
The significance of the olive tree in the ancient worship was preserved in the Christian religion that succeeded Dodekatheism in the Greek territory. Especially to Orthodox Christians, olive oil is of particular significance. The Bible refers to the olive tree more than 170 times, while the pigeon sent to Noah right after the end of the Cosmo historic cataclysm carried a small olive tree twig to indicate the divine mercy and peacefulness. A holy symbol of the circle of life, olive oil has been used up until today in the most important Christian rituals including Baptism, Unction, Marriage and Burial. Along with wine, olive oil is offered by Christians to their churches where it is used for lighting the votive lamps and preparing the chrism. Finally, sanctified olive oil is commonly used by believers as a talisman for divine protection.
[1] Another great Greek historian lived between the 4th and the 3rd century BC.
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