The tree plays an important part in the mythologies of
pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. In addition, several Amazonian tribes of eastern Peru believe deities live in Ceiba tree species throughout the jungle. The Ceiba, or ya’axché (in the
Mopan Mayan language), symbolised to the
Maya civilization an
axis mundi which connects the planes of the Underworld (
Xibalba) and the sky with that of the terrestrial realm. This concept of a
central world tree is often depicted as a Ceiba trunk. The unmistakable thick conical thorns in clusters on the trunk were reproduced by the southern lowland Maya of the Classical Period on cylindrical ceramic burial urns or incense holders. '' in Lahore, Pakistan Modern Maya still often respectfully leave the tree standing when harvesting forest timber. The Ceiba tree is represented by a cross and serves as an important architectural motif in the
Temple of the Cross Complex at
Palenque.
Ceiba Tree Park is located in
San Antón, in
Ponce, Puerto Rico. Its centerpiece is the historic Ceiba de Ponce, a 500-year-old
Ceiba pentandra tree associated with the founding of the city. In the surroundings of the legendary Ceiba de Ponce, broken pieces of indigenous pottery, shells, and stones were found to confirm the presence of Taino Indians long before the Spaniards that later settled in the area. In 1525,
Spanish Conquistador
Hernán Cortés ordered the
hanging of
Aztec emperor
Cuauhtemoc from a
Ceiba tree after overtaking his empire. The town of
Chiapa de Corzo,
Chiapas,
Mexico was founded in 1528 by the Spanish around La Pochota,
Ceiba pentandra, according to tradition. Founded in 1838, the
Puerto Rican town of
Ceiba is also named after this tree. The
Honduran city of
La Ceiba founded in 1877 was named after a particular
Ceiba tree that grew down by the old docks. In 1898, the Spanish Army in Cuba surrendered to the United States under a
Ceiba, which was named the
Santiago Surrender Tree, outside of
Santiago de Cuba.
Ceiba is also the
national tree of
Guatemala. The most important Ceiba in Guatemala is known as La Ceiba de Palín Escuintla which is over 400 years old. In
Caracas,
Venezuela there is a 100-year-old ceiba tree in front of the San Francisco Church known as La Ceiba de San Francisco and is an important element in the history of the city. The towering specimen near the town of
Sabalito,
Costa Rica, is a
relict tree called "la ceiba" by residents and a survivor of one of the highest terrestrial rates of tropical deforestation.
Ceiba pentandra produces a light and strong fiber (
kapok) used throughout history to fill mattresses, pillows, tapestries, and dolls. Kapok has recently been replaced in commercial use by synthetic fibers. The Ceiba tree seed is used to extract oils used to make soap and fertilizers. The Ceiba continues to be commercialized in Asia, especially in
Java,
Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Ceiba pentandra is the central theme in the book titled,
The Great Kapok Tree by
Lynne Cherry.
Ceiba insignis and
Ceiba speciosa are added to some versions of the hallucinogenic drink
Ayahuasca.
Pablo Antonio Cuadra, a
Nicaraguan poet, wrote a chapter about the Ceiba tree. He used it as a symbol of the Nicaraguan ancestral roots, a cradle for the nation, and source during the people's exile. == Species ==