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Is The Tree of Harmony Equestria’s Divine Being?


Matthais Unidostres

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Back when the Brony fandom was young and we were all gushing over how surprisingly good Season 1 was, many of us (mostly fanfic writers and speculators and such) conceived of the idea that Celestia and Luna were like the Egyptian, Roman, Greek, and Norse gods. This made sense, as they were bigger than all the other ponies, the only winged unicorns in the show, and could raise and lower the sun and moon. It was a logical conclusion to make, as many myths and legends feature sun and/or moon gods. Going further, many would assume that Celestia and Luna, or perhaps their parents, were the creators of the world/universe/planet Equestria is located on/in. At some point, the fan theory that Lauren Faust, or rather, Lauren Faust’ Alicorn OC “Fausticorn,” was Celestia and Luna’s mother and the creator of the world was made. However, as time went on, more seasons came out, more alicorns were introduced, lore regarding the founding of Equestria and the movement of the sun and moon by unicorns was revealed, and Celestia and Luna (and even Discord as of the Season 6 Finale) were revealed to be quite weak, the theory of Celestia and Luna being divine beings is pretty much debunked.
Many Bronies still stick with the Fausticorn theory, but I think it would be better to find something a lot more cannon to look to. If were to make a bet on who or what is the true creator and Divine Being of the world of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the only choice there is, of course, the Tree of Harmony.
Why? Well, here’s my reasoning:
If The Tree of Harmony is the Divine Being, it would have to have existed since the beginning of time. In Princess Twilight Sparkle, we see that the Tree existed during Discord’s first reign. You might think this breaks the theory, seeing as the Fires of Friendship of Hearthswarming Eve predate this. First of all, the Fires are a one trick pony. All they do is kill Wendigoes and keep you warm. Powerful magic, sure, but not divine. Second, in the past vision where Celestia and Luna take the Elements out of the Tree, you will find that the tree is the exact same size as it is 1000 years later in the present. This means that the Tree was already mature 1000 years ago, and also ages very slowly. Plus, from seed to sapling to fully mature, trees take a looooooong time to grow. Not only that, the Tree of Harmony is huge. If a Redwood tree can live for 2000 years, I’m sure a magical crystal tree can live many times longer. I punch the numbers into my calculator and I get “In the Beginning was the Seed.”
 
Next, the Tree needs to be omnipotent. To find that out, let’s check out all the time aspects of the Tree had to show their strength. First, the Elements of Harmony. Now, let’s get something clear: if the Elements were not used correctly and the results were either lacking or non-existent, it is not the Tree’s fault. A good comparison would be Samson in Judaism/Christianity. Samson’s superhuman strength came from God, but God told Samson not to let his hair be cut (among other things). So, when Delilah cut Samson’s hair, Samson was defeated. God was still omnipotent, Samson just forfeited his rights to that power. So, first the Elements defeated Discord. Then Celestia used them all by herself against Nightmare Moon, so she was imprisoned instead of purified. Nightmare Moon was unable to destroy the Elements, and the Mane Six used them properly and purified her. Celestia and Luna lost their connection to the Elements, so the Tree removed its power from Discord’s stone prison. The Mane Six tried using the Elements while they were corrupted, and without Rainbow Dash, so the Tree denied them its power. They used them properly the second time and defeated Discord. Then we have the Plunderseed Vines in Princess Twilight Sparkle. I’m going to skip over this and save it for later. Don’t worry, it’ll all make sense a little later. Then we have the Rainbow Power, which was able to defeat Lord Tirek instantly. Tirek had ALL THE MAGIC IN EQUESTRIA. This means that the Rainbow Power is stronger than ALL THE MAGIC IN EQUESTRIA. Then there’s the Cutie Map, which was able to survive SEVERAL COMPLETE REWRITES AND HARD RESETS OF THE TIME-SPACE CONTINUIM in The Cutie Re-Mark. I’m pretty sure this proves the Tree’s omnipotence.
 
As for omniscience, the Cutie Map is a clear example of this. The Cutie Map knows exactly what problem will happen, when it will happen, where it will happen, how it will happen, and who will be the best ponies suited for the job of solving it. Yes, I know that this is a TV show with writers, but within the actual world this show takes place in, this Cutie Map, and therefore the Tree of Harmony, is clearly omniscient.
 
I’m not sure if omnipresence is important here. If anything, the fact that the Tree is aware of everything that happens in the world through the Cutie Map is a kind of omnipresence. The way that the Map existed in alternate timelines can be considered omnipresence too.
 
Now, I know you’re all thinking about the part I skipped earlier. You all think that those Plunderseed Vines disprove my theory, because those thorny vines nearly killed the Tree. Fluttershy herself said the Tree was dying, after all. Sure, the Tree was brought back to life through the sacrifice of the Elements, and the Tree gave the Mane Six a gift through its resurrection, but still, it was almost killed. Well, to avoid getting into trouble or triggering anyone, I’ll be both brief and vague here. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is a Canadian/American show. Christianity is the majority religion in these two nations. Now, tell me, who is the main figure of this religion and what is He well known for doing? I’d rather not get banned or anything, so I’m being intentionally ambiguous here, but I’m pretty sure you all know what I’m trying to say. Love and tolerate, please!
 
So, what do you think? Is the Tree of Harmony the Divine Being of the world in which Equestria takes place? Is my reasoning sound, or did I make a mistake or overlook something? Please, leave your own comments and opinion, because I’m sure that this can be a great source of ideas and speculation for all Bronies.
 
Also, here is a Fanfic written by someone who is also convinced that the Tree of Harmony is the Divine Being:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/154180/the-tree-that-blooms-in-darkness
  • Brohoof 1
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Do not be fooled! The Tree is a profane thing from outer places. A fallen star from beyond the twinkling warmth of celestial fires. Those who bear its elder mark are all slaves to its will!

 

Ph'shugg orr'e r'luh fhtagn! Ph'uh'e orr'e r'luh wgah'n!

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I would say the Elements themselves are closer to being divine beings than the Tree, for the simple reason that while we know some things about them, we don't know everything.  For that matter, we're never explicitly told exactly what they are, only what they represent and that they can be used to fight off villains (or in the case of the Tree, seal away the corruption).  I think the Tree itself is probably just part of them.

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