Young Gernika oak tree

This young and well-tended tree is the current ceremonial tree in Gernika, of huge importance to the Basques. It is a grandson of the original ceremonial tree (somehow they are all considered to be boy trees). Prior to the time that the old grandfather tree was used to shade decision-making and oath-taking, important Basques met under oak trees in the forest that was there before the parliamentary buildings were built. Since the 1500s, kings and queens of Spain would go there to take an oath that they would respect traditional Basque laws.