King Vamba’s Ash Tree

Idanha-a-Velha

In the covered garden, or Chão do Freixo, there remains a leafy ash tree known as King Vamba, mythical symbol of the prevalence of divine plans over human will. There, according to legend, the farmer Vamba, the future Visigoth king, stuck a dry stick of ash into the dirt which then miraculously blossomed at his challenge, demonstrating his monarchical sacredness. Vamba (also known as Bamba or Wamba) was king of the Visigoths between 672 and 680. This legend is part of Indo-European folklore and there are several lands in the Iberian Peninsula that claim it for themselves. The version where it occurs in Idanha-a-Velha appears in chronicles from at least the 14^thcentury onwards.