Have you ever wanted to live in a tree?
Maybe the kid down the street had a sky shack, or you read about them in a book, or saw them in a movie. You could have learned of treehouses from almost any source. One of the most famous treehouses is the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, which has appeared in numerous books and film adaptations. And no one could miss Tarzan's or Winnie the Pooh's arboreal dwellings. Not to mention J.R.R. Tolkien's Elves.
Historical examples of treehouses.
Your ancestors may have lived in trees, high above the forest floor, safe from most predators. Living in trees made their homes safe from floods, and easier to defend against rivals. Large trees provided a more permanent and erosion resistant foundation to help make their homes last. Some tribes in Indonesia , the Korowai tribe for example, still live in small villages of treehouses. Some of these residences can reach heights as as high as 100 feet above ground level during times of tribal disputes.
Excerpt from Treehouses by Peter Nelson:
'Treehouses seem to have been most common in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. When Captain Cook sailed into Tasmania in the late 1700's he discovered the inhabitants living in the treetops, and some South Pacific Islanders lived in thatched nests, transporting themselves up and down in large baskets.'
'In inland New Guinea, treehouses called dobbos were used as fortresses. When a village was under attack, the people would climb into the treehouse and pull the ladders up behind them. If the attackers attempted to chop down the tree, they would be pelted with stones and spears from above. Treehouses were also built as resting places for the dead in New Guinea.'
The Roman Emperor Caligula was said to greatly enjoy banquets in his treehouse constructed in a giant plane tree. And during the Italian Renaissance, the Medici were also known for their extravegant treehouses furnished with marble tables, benches and fountains. The works of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Brueghel, both of the Netherlands, during the 16th and 17th centuries often featured treehouses. And Queen Elizabeth once attended a social function in a three-story house in Kent that was built in a huge linden tree.
Go ahead, indulge yourself.
Have you ever wanted to live in a tree? Maybe you just want to
get away from it all, get above the
crawling masses, get
back to nature,
relive your childhood, or build the
ultimate party pad. Maybe you just want to be a little closer to
Middle Earth.
Whatever the reasons for your fascination, treehouses are a wonderful retreat for adults and children. You are not the first person to be caught up in this magic. And I pray that you will not be the last.
Sources:
Treehouses: The Art and Craft of Living Out on a Limb by Peter Nelson
http://www.treehouseworkshop.com
http://www.treehouses.com/
http://www.harald-melcher.de/haupt_eng/korowai_eng.htm
http://www.btinternet.com/~fulton/treehous.htm
http://www.treehouse-company.com