Tree of Eight Beatitudes

The Eight Beatitudes Tree is a rough pine near the Rollekensberg in the Lilse forests. The tree is known for its twisted shape. The Eight Beatitudes Tree has been a tourist attraction for years.

It is located between cycling junctions 80 and 53, and walking junctions 89 and 92.

The tree, named after the eight beatitudes of Christ, owes its name to the fact that it originally had eight trunks. When a German cut off one of the trunks at night during the war with the aim of felling the entire tree for firewood, it began to thunder and lightning as it had never thundered and lightened before. Out of fear of the sudden storm, 'the German' left the rest of the tree untouched.

But another story is told:
The former forest ranger of Wechelderzande caught a couple of poachers from the area engaging in their nighttime poaching activity. The poachers were sentenced to heavy fines and in retaliation against the ranger, they cut down one of the trunks of the Eight Beatitudes Tree on a dark night. They knew that the ranger paid a lot of care and attention to this remarkable tree and that he was very proud of it.

Its exact age could not yet be determined with certainty. It was established that the oldest growth ring on the core bore was formed in 1824. The tree was mentioned in a work on the most remarkable trees of Belgium from 1910.

More stories can be found at the local historical society: www.hklille.be

Christel Van Thillo