a world of meaning
in the memory of trees
unlocks the green door
"In ancient Celtic belief trees had spirits within them and were considered sacred. They were the keepers of memory and lore. The Druids, the men of knowledge, used to record their wisdoms by means of a secret alphabet called Ogham, which is also called the 'Tree Alphabet'. Ogham is named after the God Ogma, the God of poetry and eloquence."
The Memory of Trees, Only Time - The Collection by Enya, Roma Ryan
"Ogham is an alphabet of carved grooves. Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, single or grouped. Notation for music; a visual code for sounds. These sounds become names and stories and folklore. Prehistory is the world before words. Ogham breaks that spell. Ogham is the first sound-byte."
The Alphabet Stone, Derek Hyatt
Ogham is an ancient Irish alphabet that was used in inscriptions on stone monuments found in Ireland and Britain, possibly to indicate land ownership. It is also a mnemonic system and a symbolic language that may be used for communication, divination and magic.
The Ogham alphabet comprises 20 original letters (feda) in four groups (aicmí) of five letters. The first three groups contain consonants and the fourth group contains vowels. Five supplementary letters (forfeda) were added at a later date.
Each Ogham letter is associated with a sound, a letter name and words starting with the same sound from various categories (trees, animals, birds, colours, occupations, tools, people, places, etc.). Several of the letter names are also the names of trees and today the Ogham alphabet is primarily associated with the native trees of Ireland and Britain. Studying the Ogham as a symbolic language means learning about the physical characteristics, mythology, folklore and customs relating to these trees.
I have summarized the meaning of the original Ogham tree-letters based on my studies below, including three key symbolic meanings that capture the energy of each letter for me. Note that deciduous trees which lose their leaves in winter are generally associated with the warmer seasons and fertility, while evergreens are generally associated with winter and immortality.
Each tree-letter (fid) is drawn as x lines relative to a central stemline (druim), where x is the number of the letter within each group (aicme) from one to five. The orientation of the lines relative to the stemline differs for each group. As Ogham script was usually written and read vertically from the bottom up along the natural edge of a stone, I have described the letters from a vertical viewpoint below. (Note that Ogham was also used as a sign language, with the fingers of the hand displayed similarly about one's shinbone, the ridge of one's nose, etc.)
The short tree descriptions provided are extracts from The Royal Horticultural Society Plant Selector (RHSPS), The Woodland Trust A-Z Tree Guide (WTTG) and the The BBC Gardening Plant Finder (BBCGPF), where indicated. Any seasonal months quoted apply to the northern hemisphere. The tree substitute suggestions provided are from The Celtic Wisdom Tarot companion book (CWT) by Caitlín Matthews. The status of the plants in southern Africa is from Biodiversity Explorer (BE), an illustrated online guide to the web of life in southern Africa.
I have used the Old Irish tree-letter names from A Guide to Ogam by Damian McManus (Source: The Names of Ogham). I have decided not to include the supplementary letters as there is much less documentation about them. Note that there are differences of opinion about the trees associated with specific letters. I have posted a selected bibliography and further illustrations by Cicely Mary Barker on my Ogham studies page.
"beithe, b, is from the birch of the forest for the first letter on the path of the Ogham alphabet"
Auraicept na n-éces (The Scholars' Primer, Calder translation)
Laat ons wandel...
The Birch Path: B L F S N (x straight lines to the right of the stemline)
Tree-letter #1 (1-1): B-Beithe-Birch (Afrikaans: Berkeboom)
Common name: Silver birch
Botanical name: Betula pendula (member of Betulaceae, the birch family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Betula pendula is an elegant medium-sized deciduous tree with slender drooping twigs. Bark white, becoming black and rugged at base. Leaves ovate, yellow in autumn. Flowers in catkins. (RHSPS) ♣ The silver birch is a graceful and attractive tree with its light airy foliage and distinctive white peeling bark. It has been an inspiration to writers, poets and artists in every season throughout the centuries. (WTTG) ♣ The plain silver or common birch, sometimes called "the lady of the woods" because of its outstanding elegance, is a great landscape feature, especially in autumn and while still young - older trees can become enormous, but without dominating or shading the garden too much. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: The first tree to put on leaf after the winter, or trees associated with cleansing (CWT)
Status in SA: 11 Betula species cultivated including Betula pendula (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Birch was traditionally associated with fertility, new life and purification (a fresh start, spring cleaning, turning over a new leaf). ♣ Birch is a fast-growing pioneer and nurse species, providing a canopy and compost enabling other plants to grow in woodlands. ♣ Birch was one of the trees used to make maypoles for the annual Beltaine fertility festival. Lovers met under birch trees and birch wreaths and twigs were given as tokens of love and encouragement. Birch was used to make cradles for babies. ♣ The bodies of the dead were covered with birch branches and birch bark with blessings written on them, to represent rebirth. ♣ Birch was used to make besoms (broomsticks). Birch rods and switches were used to drive out "evil spirits" from children, criminals and lunatics and for "beating the bounds", an annual custom of marking parish boundaries and driving out the spirits of the old year during New Year celebrations. Birch twigs were carried on one's person for protection and birch branches were placed over cradles to protect babies. ♣
Symbolic meanings: beginnings, purity, beauty
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Tree of Beauty
"The Silver Birch is a dainty lady,
She wears a satin gown"
Child's Song in Spring, Edith Nesbit
"Beneath yon birch with silver bark,
And boughs so pendulous and fair,
The brook falls scatter'd down the rock:
And all is mossy there!"
The Ballad of the Dark Ladie, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"And hark, the noise of a near waterfall!
I pass forth into light - I find myself
Beneath a weeping birch (most beautiful
Of forest trees, the Lady of the Woods)"
The Picture or the Lover's Resolution, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"THE BIRCH TREE
Government and virtues: It is a tree of Venus."
Culpeper's Complete Herbal and English Physician, Nicholas Culpeper
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Tree-letter #2 (1-2): L-Luis-Rowan (Afrikaans: Lysterbessieboom)
Common name: Rowan, Mountain ash, Quicken
Botanical name: Sorbus aucuparia (member of Rosaceae, the rose family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Sorbus aucuparia is an upright deciduous tree with pinnate leaves turning yellow in autumn, and flat clusters of white flowers in late spring, followed by orange-red berries in early autumn. (RHSPS) ♣ The rowan is an attractive, slender tree with silvery-brown bark, creamy-white spring flowers and clusters of brilliant scarlet autumn berries. (WTTG) ♣ The mountain ash or rowan is a native European tree, especially in high altitudes where its robust hardiness ensures its survival. Once credited with magical powers and often planted near dwellings as an insurance against misfortune, it is widely planted in gardens, both as the species and in its many varieties. The trees tolerate a wide range of soils and sites, regularly producing huge crops of bright red berries in dense pendent bunches, which attract birds of all kinds. It succeeds particularly well in town gardens, and also when planted closely as a screen or informal large hedge. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Berry-bearing tree associated with magic (CWT)
Status in SA: 6 Sorbus species cultivated including Sorbus aucuparia (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Rowan was traditionally associated with light, protection and magic. ♣ The red colour of the berries is associated with fire and light and hence protection from danger and illness. The association with magic may be as a result of the fruit's star seed pattern resembling the pentagram, an ancient symbol of good fortune and magic. Rowan was believed to provide protection against malevolent witches and faeries, "the evil eye" curse and lightning. Rowan trees were planted near gates and front doors of homes and in churchyards. Protective charms were made by forming an equal-armed cross from two rowan twigs tied together with red thread. Rowan twigs and protective charms were carried on one’s person, attached to the tails of cattle, and placed above entrances of homes, barns, stables and cowsheds. Sheep and goats were driven through hoops made of rowan branches. Rowan was believed to prevent witches from stealing milk and turning it sour. Rowan twigs were attached to milk pails, and butter churns and churn handles were made from rowan to ensure successful butter-making. ♣ Rowan is associated with music and poetry and is known as the "Tree of Inspiration" in the Bardic tradition. This may be as a result of it being associated with the goddess muse Brigid and fire, which is also a symbol of creativity, and it being an attractive tree popular with songbirds. ♣ Rowan was used to make rune staves, magic wands and dowsing rods for metal divining as well as spindles, spinning wheels, tool handles and walking sticks. Druids used rowan in rituals, focussing their incantations on rowan bonfires before important battles and sleeping on a platform known as "the wattles of knowledge" made from rowan in order to divine information in their dreams. ♣ Rowan's contrasting bright green and red colours are said to have inspired Scottish tartan patterns. ♣ In Irish legend, serpents and dragons guarded rowan trees. ♣
Symbolic meanings: illumination, vitality, protection
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Witch Tree
"Rowan-tree and red thread
Make the witches tyne their speed."
Popular Rhymes of Scotland, Robert Chambers
("tyne" means "lose")
"Margaret Barclay, who was a young and lively person, had hitherto conducted herself like a passionate and high tempered woman innocently accused, and the only appearance of conviction obtained against her was, that she carried about her rowan-tree and coloured thread, to make, as she said, her cow give milk, when it began to fail. But the gentle torture - a strange junction of words - recommended as an anodyne by the good Lord Eglinton - the placing, namely, her legs in the stocks, and loading her bare shins with bars of iron, overcame her resolution; when, at her screams and declarations that she was willing to tell all, the weights were removed ... This unfortunate young creature was strangled at the stake, and her body burnt to ashes, having died with many expressions of religion and penitence."
Letter 9, Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, Sir Walter Scott
A rowan charm was considered damning evidence in the witchcraft trial of Margaret Barclay in Irvine, Scotland in 1618. Barclay had been involved in a dispute with her husband's brother who later died when the ship that he was the skipper of was wrecked after she was heard cursing its voyage. Barclay and an alleged accomplice were executed and two other alleged accomplices died in custody.
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Tree-letter #3 (1-3): F-Fern-Alder (Afrikaans: Elsboom)
Common name: Black alder
Botanical name: Alnus glutinosa (member of Betulaceae, the birch family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Alnus glutinosa is a deciduous tree to 25m, broadly conical in habit when young, with grey-purple buds and young catkins conspicuous in winter, and rounded bright green leaves. (RHSPS) ♣ A native of Britain, but also found throughout the rest of Europe as far as Siberia, alder is a characteristic tree of wet places, marshes and stream-sides. (WTTG) ♣ Anyone looking for a suitable tree for damp or wet soil will find the common alder makes an ideal choice. It makes a handsome, medium-sized tree that stands around 25m tall and is often grown as a multi-stemmed specimen. It has lustrous green leaves with serrated edges and attractive male catkins which decorate the bare branches from autumn to spring. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Water-loving, leaf-shedding trees (CWT)
Status in SA: 7 Alnus species cultivated including Alnus glutinosa (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Alder was traditionally associated with war and battle. Sections of alder trunks were used as round shields and the wood was used to make high quality charcoal and gunpowder. ♣ Being resistant to decay when submerged under water, alder was also used to make among other things drinking vessels, milk containers, clogs, boats and piles supporting waterside buildings and structures including bridges. ♣ As alder wood appears to "bleed" when cut, it was considered bad luck to cut an alder tree. ♣ Alder was used to make whistles and pan flutes, and to produce dyes of various bright colours. ♣
Symbolic meanings: courage, resistance, support
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Tree of Bran
"Why is the alder purple?
Because Bran wore purple."
Taliesin riddle
"Sure-hoofed is my steed impelled by the spur;
The high sprigs of alder are on thy shield;
Bran art thou called, of the glittering branches."
"Sure-hoofed is my steed in the day of battle:
The high sprigs of alder are on thy hand:
Bran by the branch thou bearest
Has Amathaon the good prevailed."
The Mabinogion, as translated by Lady Charlotte Guest
"Bendigeid Vran came to land, and the fleet with him by the bank of the river. 'Lord,' said his chieftains, 'knowest thou the nature of this river, that nothing can go across it, and there is no bridge over it?' 'What,' said they, 'is thy counsel concerning a bridge?' 'There is none,' said he, 'except that he who will be chief, let him be a bridge. I will be so,' said he. And then was that saying first uttered, and it is still used as a proverb. And when he had lain down across the river, hurdles were placed upon him, and the host passed over thereby."
Branwen the Daughter of Llyr, The Mabinogion,
as translated by Lady Charlotte Guest
Alder is associated with the god, giant, king and hero Bendigeidfran (Bran the Blessed) in Welsh mythology. Bran is said to have used his giant body as a bridge to span waters and, after being mortally wounded in battle, his decapitated head had oracular and protective powers. Bran’s totem animal is the raven.
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Tree-letter #4 (1-4): S-Sail-Willow (Afrikaans: Wilgerboom)
Common name: White willow
Botanical name: Salix alba (member of Salicaceae, the willow and poplar family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Salix are deciduous shrubs and trees of diverse habit, with simple leaves and tiny flowers in catkins, male and female usually on separate plants. Some are valued for their brightly coloured winter shoots, others for their foliage or showy male catkins. (RHSPS) ♣ Large trees are found in wetter areas but this wild version is rarely planted now that there are so many horticulturally created varieties available. (WTTG) ♣
Tree substitute: Trees that fringe rivers and creeks (CWT)
Status in SA: 1 native species Salix mucronata (Silver willow), 3 naturalized Salix species and 13 Salix species cultivated including Salix alba (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Willow is strongly associated with water and the Moon. As willow is usually found at boundaries between land and water, it was considered a gateway to the Otherworld in Celtic mythology (other such boundaries are the transition points in time between seasons, between waking and sleeping, and between life and death). ♣ Willow was used as a funerary herb, planted on or near graves, and a sprig of willow was worn pinned to one's hat or clothing as a sign of mourning or a broken heart (referred to as "wearing the willow"). ♣ Willow was traditionally used to make Celtic harps. ♣ As willow branches are very pliable, they were used to make among other things wicker furniture, baskets, fish traps, fences, screens, wattle-and-daub walls and timber frames that were covered with animal skins to make coracles (small traditional fishing boats). ♣ Soft branches were knotted when casting wishing spells and willow strands were used to bind besoms and charms together. ♣ Willow bark contains salicin which is metabolized into salicylic acid in the human body and relieves pain, the observation of which led to the development of synthetic Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). ♣
Symbolic meanings: emotions, flexibility, subconscious mind
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Tree of Waters
"Choose the willow of the streams,
Choose the hazel of the rocks,
Choose the alder of the marshes,
Choose the birch of the waterfalls.
Choose the ash of the shade,
Choose the yew of resilience,
Choose the elm of the brae,
Choose the oak of the sun."
Carmina Gadelica, compiled by Alexander Carmichael
"WILLOW TREE
Government and virtues: The Moon owns it."
Culpeper's Complete Herbal and English Physician, Nicholas Culpeper
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Tree-letter #5 (1-5): N-Nin-Ash (Afrikaans: Esseboom, Essenhout)
Common name: Ash
Botanical name: Fraxinus excelsior (member of Oleaceae, the olive family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Fraxinus excelsior is a vigorous deciduous tree to 25m, with pale brown bark, dark green, pinnate leaves and small deep purple flowers, followed by conspicuous bunches of winged fruits in late summer and autumn. (RHSPS) ♣ Ash is the fourth commonest tree species in Britain and is sometimes the dominant tree in a wood. It is found across Europe from the Arctic Circle to Turkey. (WTTG) ♣ This deciduous tree has attractive, dark green, divided leaves, usually with nine to eleven oval leaflets and a smooth, pale brown bark. It likes a sunny position in fertile, well-drained soil. It's often found growing on hillsides, and is quite easy to identify in the wild in winter because it is the only native tree to have black buds. In autumn the leaves turn a rich yellow before dropping. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Tall, straight, leaf-shedding tree with seed-cases or pods (CWT)
Status in SA: 10 Fraxinus species cultivated including Fraxinus excelsior (BE)
Highlights: ♣ The tall, straight trunk of the majestic ash tree makes it a suitable symbol of the axis mundi, the central column or spine of the world connecting the heavens and earth. As a symbol of the World Tree, ash represents life, the universe, interconnectedness, the integration of different levels of existence in time and space, and the macrocosm reflected in the microcosm ("as above, so below"). ♣ The oak, ash and (haw)thorn are known as the Faery Triad, trees that were traditionally believed to be especially popular with faeries. ♣ Ash was believed to have strong healing powers and ash trees were used in various healing rituals. People especially children in need of healing were passed through clefts in ash trees. Ash and hawthorn trees were planted near sacred healing wells ("clootie wells"), where they are known as "rag trees" as pilgrims tied pieces of clothing or fabric representing prayers for healing or other assistance to their branches. ♣ Ash was believed to have power over water. Ash timber was incorporated into boats to prevent sinking and pieces of ash wood and equal-armed crosses made of ash were carried in sea crossings to provide protection from drowning. ♣ Ash is associated with the Welsh magician and hero Gwydion and ash is often the wood of choice for a magician's wand. ♣ Ash wood is hard and strong and was used to make among other things handles for striking tools such as hammers and axes, spears, bows and arrow shafts, oars, walking sticks and sports equipment. ♣ Ash wood is considered the best firewood. ♣
Symbolic meanings: authority, perspective, interconnectedness
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Sacred Trees
"In the mythical history of Ireland, a giant 'as high as a wood' with yellow hair down to his thighs and surrounded by a shining crystal veil once came out of the setting sun bearing a golden branch. On the branch grew apples, nuts, and acorns at the same time, and he gave some of the fruit to be planted in the five provinces of Ireland, where they grew into five sacred trees: the Ash of Tortu, the Yew of Ross, the Oak of Mugna, the Bough of Daithi (also an ash), and the branching Ash of Uisnech, which stood next to the Stone of Divisions, the sacred navel of the country. Here they grew to great height and girth as guardians of the land until they fell in the seventh century."
The Tree of Life, Kindling the Celtic Spirit, Mara Freeman
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The Hawthorn Path: H D T C Q (x straight lines to the left of the stemline)
Tree-letter #6 (2-1): H-hÚath-Hawthorn (Afrikaans: Haagdoring, Meidoring)
Common name: Hawthorn, Whitethorn, Thorn, May
Botanical name: Crataegus monogyna (member of Rosaceae, the rose family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Crataegus monogyna is a small, rounded deciduous tree with glossy, deeply lobed leaves and flat sprays of cream flowers, followed by dark red berries in autumn. (RHSPS) ♣ Hawthorn is one of the most common species of tree found in hedgerows and woodland throughout Britain. (WTTG) ♣ The thorny stems of hawthorn make it an ideal boundary hedge that will help keep unwelcome visitors out of the garden. This deciduous tree produces fragrant white flowers in late spring, followed by glossy dark red fruit. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Flowering, berry-producing trees that herald summer (CWT)
Status in SA: 2 Crataegus species naturalized in Free State and Eastern Cape including Crataegus monogyna and 6 Crataegus species and one hybrid cultivated (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Hawthorn was traditionally associated with summer and fertility and used in decorations for the Beltaine fertility festival. Hawthorn garlands were often placed at the top of maypoles or living trees at the centre of the May Day festivities. ♣ The oak, ash and (haw)thorn are known as the Faery Triad, trees that were believed to be especially popular with faeries. ♣ Ash and hawthorn trees were planted near sacred healing wells ("clootie wells"), where they are known as "rag trees" as pilgrims tied pieces of clothing or fabric representing prayers for healing or other assistance to their branches. ♣ It was considered very unlucky to cut a hawthorn tree, or to bring its blossoms indoors, except for May Day celebrations. ♣ Hawthorn was used to make small objects such as knife handles, combs, trinket boxes, brooches and talismans. ♣ Hawthorn was associated with the art of satire (the sharp thorns are symbolic of sharp wit and cutting remarks). Bards used hawthorn in sympathetic magic while cursing their enemies such as kings who did not reward them for their services. ♣ The word "haw" is etymologically linked to the English word "hedge" as well as the English word "hag" and the Afrikaans word "heks" meaning a witch or village wise woman. The word "hag", derived from haegtessa meaning "hedge-rider", may have arisen since witches often lived before or after the hedge enclosing a village, or because they were thought to straddle both this world and the unseen world. ♣
Symbolic meanings: sexuality, restraint, fulfilment
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Trees of Summer
Welcoming the summer,
Beltaine,
Natural Magic: A Seasonal Guide,
Paddy Slade
"Everyone brings about twenty yards of coloured ribbon, which we attach to a hawthorn garland. This in turn is attached to the oak, as high as we can manage. Then we do the weaving dance, plaiting the ribbons together as we weave summer, warmth, and good growth into the tree. There is music and singing, and once all the coloured ribbons have been woven together we tie them at the bottom with another, red, ribbon. Finally, we all join hands and dance – for as long as we have breath – sunwise round the tree to the familiar rhythm of ONE-two-three, and to the music of pipe and drum."
Weaving the summer, Beltaine, Natural Magic: A Seasonal Guide, Paddy Slade
"Oak and May and Beltaine fire
In these we know but one desire
May all good people on the Earth
Come to Love and Health and Mirth."
Spells, Beltaine, Natural Magic: A Seasonal Guide, Paddy Slade
"Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight,
Or he would call it a sin;
But - we have been out in the woods all night,
A-conjuring Summer in!
And we bring you news by word of mouth -
Good news for cattle and corn -
Now is the Sun come up from the South,
With Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!"
A Tree Song, Puck of Pook’s Hill, Rudyard Kipling
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Tree-letter #7 (2-2): D-Dair-Oak (Afrikaans: Eikeboom, Akkerboom)
Common name: Pedunculate oak
Botanical name: Quercus robur (member of Fagaceae, the beech family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Quercus robur is a large deciduous tree developing a magnificent, broad crown, the leaves with shallow, rounded lobes, turning reddish-brown in autumn. Inconspicuous yellow-green catkins among the young leaves. (RHSPS) ♣ The common, pedunculate, or English, oak is the commonest tree in southern and central British broadleaved woods. In fact, throughout Europe it has been the predominant timber tree since prehistoric times. (WTTG) ♣ This oak is familiar to anyone who knows the English countryside. It's thought that trees can grow to more than 1,000 years old and their huge silhouettes dominate the landscape. The lobed leaves clothe the bare branches from late May or June. Acorns appear in summer, turning brown before they fall to the ground in autumn when the leaves turn yellow and follow them. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: The strongest tree (CWT)
Status in SA: Quercus robur naturalized in Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Oak was traditionally associated with the sun and good fortune. ♣ Acorns were carried on one's person and used for decorative purposes to attract good luck and good health. ♣ The oak, ash and (haw)thorn are known as the Faery Triad, trees that were believed to be especially popular with faeries. ♣ Oak is struck by lightning more than any other tree. ♣ Oak is the sacred tree of Dagda, the chief deity of the pagan Irish, Lugh, the Irish sun god, and Taranis, the Celtic god of lightning and storms. ♣ Oak is the tree most associated with the Druids, who performed their rituals in sacred groves of oak trees. ♣
Symbolic meanings: strength, establishment, prosperity
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Noble Trees
"The Winter Solstice is the time when the waxing Sun overcomes the waning Sun, and this is symbolized by the struggle between the Oak King and the Holly King in some traditions. The Holly King is the death aspect of the God, and the Oak King is the aspect of rebirth, the Divine Child ... The Yule Log is selected early in the year and set aside. It is traditionally of oak. Early in the season as you begin decorating the house with great sprays of fir and sprigs of holly, you might wish to adorn the Yule Log with traditional and symbolic greens as well. The bright green needles of fir represent the birth of the new year that is about to begin. The dark needles of yew symbolize death, in this case the death of the waning year. Trailing vines of ivy represent the Goddess as the female element, as do bare branches of birch, whose wintry appearance actually promises the return of Spring. Sprigs of holly with bright red berries represent the Holly King of the dying year, while the oak log itself represents the Oak King of the new year."
December, Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life, Pauline Campanelli
"The Lord is Holly and is Oak
Two sides of one - so say our folk.
The Oak Lord goes, the Holly stays
To help us through the winter days."
A Chant for Samhaine Eve, Samhaine,
Natural Magic: A Seasonal Guide, Paddy Slade
"Hail to the returning Sun.
We drink to the Old Gods,
To the Holly, and the Oak, and The Lady.
A Merry Yule to all."
Closing the rite, Winter Solstice,
Natural Magic: A Seasonal Guide, Paddy Slade
Brehon Laws, Ireland's native legal system prior to it being replaced with English common law in the 17th century, provided protection for 28 trees with penalties for harming them based on their status: "nobles of the wood", "commoners of the wood", "lower divisions of the wood" and "bushes of the wood". Oak, hazel, holly, yew, ash, pine and apple were classified as "nobles of the wood", also known as "chieftain trees".
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Tree-letter #8 (2-3): T-Tinne-Holly (Afrikaans: Huls, Without)
Common name: Holly
Botanical name: Ilex aquifolium (member of Aquifoliaceae, the holly family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Evergreen
Tree description: ♣ Ilex aquifolium is a medium-sized evergreen tree, slow-growing when young, with dark, glossy green, undulate and usually strongly spiny leaves. Small, dull white flowers in spring are followed by bright red berries, on pollinated female plants. (RHSPS) ♣ Holly is our commonest native evergreen tree, it is so popular that it is widely grown in gardens and there are numerous cultivated versions grown for their colour. (WTTG) ♣ Common holly is a useful evergreen shrub that can be grown as a specimen tree, clipped bushes or as a hedge. There are dozens of varieties, many with variegated leaves. Plants are either male or female. Both sexes are required for the female plants to produce their winter berries, which appear from late autumn to mid-winter. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Evergreens with shiny leaves (CWT)
Status in SA: 1 native species Ilex mitis (African holly) and 9 Ilex species cultivated including Ilex aquifolium (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Holly was traditionally associated with the cold winter months when its shiny dark green leaves and red berries were especially noticeable. ♣ Holly was believed to provide protection from harmful witchcraft and lightning, and it was considered unlucky to fell a holly tree. ♣ Holly wood is very hard, heavy and white, and is suitable for carving. ♣
Symbolic meanings: permanence, challenge, endurance
*N.B. BERRIES ARE SOMEWHAT TOXIC*
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Holy Tree
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
'Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la ...
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la ..."
Deck the Halls, traditional Yuletide carol
"The holly and the ivy,
When both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir ..."
The Holly and the Ivy, traditional Yuletide carol
"Clearly this refers to the Sun God in his aspect of the Holly King ... The reference to the running of the deer suggests the God in his aspect as the Horned God of the Hunted, the Lord of Death."
Yule, Ancient Ways: Reclaiming Pagan Traditions, Pauline Campanelli
Holly was traditionally paired with ivy, with the holly and the ivy representing complementary masculine and feminine energies respectively.
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Tree-letter #9 (2-4): C-Coll-Hazel (Afrikaans: Haselaar, Haselneutboom)
Common name: Hazel
Botanical name: Corylus avellana (member of Betulaceae, the birch family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Corylus avellana is a large, spreading deciduous shrub or small tree, with rounded leaves turning yellow in autumn, and yellow male catkins in early spring, followed by edible nuts in autumn. (RHSPS) ♣ A very common woodland tree or shrub that grows under the canopy of other woodland trees. Its history is intertwined to ours through the multitude of uses for the wood. (WTTG) ♣ Often grown as a large, multi-stemmed shrub rather than a tree, the common hazel has large, rounded, leathery leaves. Plants bear attractive, long catkins in spring which are followed in autumn by edible nuts. It responds well to coppicing and the resulting straight stems can be woven into screens and rustic plant supports. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Quick-growing, nut-bearing trees whose wood is useful (CWT)
Status in SA: Corylus avellana and Corylus maxima species cultivated (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Hazel was traditionally associated with wisdom and spiritual enlightenment. ♣ Hazel was used to make staffs, magic wands (especially wishing rods) and dowsing rods for water divining also known as "water witching". ♣
Symbolic meanings: insight, inspiration, nourishment
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Tree of Wisdom
"The hazelnuts of knowledge are dispensed over the healing well of Segais, near the source of the River Boyne, where the salmon of wisdom feeds."
Celtic Wisdom Sticks, Caitlín Matthews
Irish mythology includes several tales related to a well surrounded by nine hazel trees and the salmon of wisdom who feed on the nuts that fall from the hazel trees into the sacred pool below. The red spots on the skin of the salmon were believed to be the result of eating nuts or berries, considered food of the gods.
In the tale Echtrae Cormaic ("Cormac's Adventure in the Land of Promise"), King Cormac mac Airt discovered the well of wisdom and described it as a fountain with five streams flowing out of it and five salmon swimming in it feeding on the hazelnuts. He encountered the sea-god Manannán mac Lir who explained that his vision means that knowledge must be obtained via the five senses and also from the well of inspiration.
In the tale Macgnímartha Finn ("The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn"), the young Fionn mac Cumhaill acquired the thumb of knowledge while serving as an apprentice to the Druid Finnéces who sought to catch and eat the salmon of wisdom at Fec's Pool in order to acquire poetic wisdom. Fionn mac Cumhaill was tasked with watching the salmon roasting over the fire and accidentally burnt his thumb which he put in his mouth to soothe it, inadvertently tasting the juices of the salmon and acquiring the salmon's wisdom for himself.
"Here in this light-sphere ever one are we,
And ever wakeful, in our Selves eterne.
But, still life's debtor, you must bear again
The body's burden and the dreaming state
Beside the outer Boyne. Yet through the dream
Will flower a sweeter fate.
Control your will,
Peer often deep within the pool of Fec,
Peer often deep within the pool of thought,
And you will harmonize the wandering mind,
Recover sunken secrets of yourself,
Find love and light without you, as within,
And wake new wonder by the banks of Boyne."
The Song of the Salmon-God, William Patrick Ryan
"I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun."
The Song of Wandering Aengus, William Butler Yeats
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Tree-letter #10 (2-5): Q-Cert-Apple (Afrikaans: Blomappel, Appelboom)
Common name: Crab apple (Malus sylvestris), Orchard apple (Malus domestica)
Botanical name: Malus sylvestris, Malus domestica (members of Rosaceae, the rose family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Malus are small to medium-sized deciduous trees with showy flowers in spring and ornamental or edible fruit in autumn; some have good autumn foliage colour. Malus sylvestris is a small, rounded tree with ovate leaves and clusters of pink-tinged white flowers to 5cm across in late spring, followed by yellow-green, sometimes red-flushed fruits 2-3cm across. (RHSPS) ♣ The crab apple grows singly, sometimes woods will only have one tree. It is found throughout Europe and Asia Minor and can be easily confused with domestic apple trees which have escaped from cultivation and become naturalised. (WTTG) ♣
Tree substitute: Fruit-bearing trees (CWT)
Status in SA: 9 Malus species and 2 hybrids cultivated (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Apples are associated with the gods, immortality and the Otherworld in Celtic mythology. The word "apple" has historically been synonymous with fruit in general, and the word "paradise" derives from a Greek word paradeisos originally used for an orchard. ♣
Symbolic meanings: abundance, health, bliss
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Tree of Plenty
"They rowed forward for a long time till there was shown to them a wonderful island, and in it a great grove of marvellous beauty, laden with apples, golden coloured and sweet scented. A sparkling rivulet of wine flowed through the midst of the grove; and when the wind blew through the trees, sweeter than any music was the rustling it made. The O'Corras ate some of the apples and drank from the rivulet of wine, and were immediately satisfied. And from that time forth they were never troubled by either wounds or sickness."
The Voyage of the Sons of O'Corra, Old Celtic Romances, Patrick Weston Joyce
The Voyage of the Sons of O'Corra is one of several Irish tales of a sea voyage (imram) to the Otherworld, believed to lie across water to the west, representing a spiritual quest or journey.
In Celtic mythology, an apple or a branch from the Otherworld apple tree known as the "silver bough" or "silver branch" served as a passport to the Otherworld for heroes seeking spiritual enlightenment. The silver bough ensured safe passage, provided sustenance and made enchanting music when shaken leading to sleep and forgetting. Irish bards carried a branch with nine silver bells attached to it as a token of the mythical Otherworld apple tree.
Avalon, the final resting place of King Arthur in Arthurian legend and the British counterpart of the Irish Otherworld, means "Isle of Apples". Avalon is associated with Glastonbury in the Somerset county of England which is famous for its apples and apple cider.
Apples, harvested in autumn and considered the food of the gods and the dead, are associated with the Samhain final harvest festival at the end of autumn when the veil between worlds is believed to be thin.
And God bless you, and send you
A Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year."
The Wassail Song, traditional Yuletide carol
The word "wassail" derives from the Old Norse ves heill meaning "be healthy", "be whole" or "be well". Apple trees were traditionally wassailed during winter to bless the trees and encourage good crops in the following harvest season. This custom entailed drinking a communal toast of mulled cider, beer or wine to the health of the tree's spirit, singing and reciting poems, and pouring a libation of cider on the tree's roots.
The tradition of wassailing households in a similar fashion evolved into the custom of door-to-door Christmas carolling and later exchanging Christmas cards, and there are also similarities between the tradition and trick-or-treating at Halloween.
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The Vine Path: M G NG ST R (x downward sloping lines across the stemline)
Tree-letter #11 (3-1): M-Muin-Vine (Afrikaans: Wingerdstok)
Common name: Grape vine
Botanical name: Vitis vinifera (member of Vitaceae, the grape family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Vitis are vigorous deciduous climbing shrubs with tendrils and attractively lobed leaves, insignificant green flowers followed by often edible fruits; some have excellent autumn foliage colour. (RHSPS) ♣ This grape vine is a vigorous, high-powered tendril climber, which can easily cover a house wall if left unchecked, covering it in large, lobed, bright green summer leaves up to 15cm long. The tiny green summer flowers are followed by late summer bunches of small grapes. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Thorny, rambling shrubs (CWT - based on the alternative tree association of Bramble)
Status in SA: Vitis vinifera originates from Orient and northwest India and is widely grown for production of table grapes, grapejuice, wine and vinegar (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Wine was traditionally drunk at important ceremonies, to honour the dead, and used as a libation (ritual offering to the gods). ♣ Celtic interlacing knotwork may have been inspired by vines. ♣
Symbolic meanings: achievement, indulgence, celebration
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Tree of Pleasure
"And we came to the Isle of Fruits: all round from the cliffs and the capes,
Purple or amber, dangled a hundred fathom of grapes,
And the warm melon lay like a little sun on the tawny sand,
And the fig ran up from the beach and rioted over the land,
And the mountain arose like a jewell'd throne thro' the fragrant air,
Glowing with all-colour'd plums and with golden masses of pear,
And the crimson and scarlet of berries that flamed upon bine and vine,
But in every berry and fruit was the poisonous pleasure of wine;
And the peak of the mountain was apples, the hugest that ever were seen,
And they prest, as they grew, on each other, with hardly a leaflet between,
And all of them redder than rosiest health or than utterest shame,
And setting, when Even descended, the very sunset aflame;
And we stay'd three days, and we gorged and we madden'd, till every one drew
His sword on his fellow to slay him, and ever they struck and they slew;
And myself, I had eaten but sparely, and fought till I sunder'd the fray,
Then I bad them remember my father's death, and we sail'd away."
The Voyage of Maeldune, Alfred Lord Tennyson
(based on Imram Curaig Maíle Dúin)
"VINE-TREE
Government and virtues: This is a fine plant of the Sun. The dried fruit, as it comes to us from abroad, under the names of raisins and currants, is good in coughs, consumptions, and other disorders of the breast. Wine is a product of the grape, and of this there are several kinds used in medicine ... used dietically, they are of service to the aged, the weak, and the relaxed ... but in opposite circumstances, they are improper, and, used to excess, highly prejudicial."
Culpeper's Complete Herbal and English Physician, Nicholas Culpeper
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Tree-letter #12 (3-2): G-Gort-Ivy (Afrikaans: Klimop)
Common name: Ivy
Botanical name: Hedera helix (member of Araliaceae, the ivy family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Evergreen
Tree description: ♣ Hedera are evergreen climbing shrubs clinging by aerial roots. Clusters of small yellow-green flowers are followed by usually black berries. Foliage of flowering shoots is often less deeply lobed than that of the sterile, climbing shoots. (RHSPS) ♣ A single English ivy plant can find many uses all round the garden. It can be used to cover a wall in shade where few other plants thrive, it can be trained to climb up or spread out along a low wall. Being evergreen, it is perfect for covering pergola poles, or creating a leafy backdrop under clematis and climbing roses that provides winter interest. Or use young plants to train around the outsides of winter hanging baskets. English ivy can be trimmed into shape at any time of year. It is a valuable plant for wildlife, particularly for providing berries for birds in winter when most others have been eaten. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Creepers, climbers, lianas, and so on (CWT)
Status in SA: Hedera helix is commonly grown as a garden climber (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Ivy was traditionally associated with marriage and femininity. ♣ Ivy was included in wedding bouquets and bridal wreaths as a symbol of everlasting love and fidelity. ♣ Ivy was a symbol of the vine and wine. Taverns used to decorate their signboards with an ivy bush or picture of one to advertise a high-class inn serving wine. ♣
Symbolic meanings: affection, partnership, perseverance
*N.B. BERRIES ARE SOMEWHAT TOXIC*
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Tree of Marriage
"Three trees are good in nature:
The holly, the ivy and the yew,
which keep their leaves throughout their lives:
I am Trystan's as long as he lives!"
A Welsh Tristan Episode, Tom Peete Cross
In the love story of Trystan and Essylt (one of many versions), the Welsh hero Trystan and King Mark competed for the affections of Essylt who was married to King Mark but was in love with Trystan. King Arthur intervened and declared that one man should live with her when the trees were in leaf and the other when they were bare. King Mark chose first, choosing the latter because the winter nights are longer, but Essylt cited the evergreen trees that keep their leaves throughout the year enabling her to stay with Trystan always.
"A Combined Vocabulary
Ivy: friendship (Latour, Shoberl), reciprocal tenderness (Delachénaye), fidelity in friendship (Phillips), matrimony (Wirt)"
The Language of Flowers: A History, Beverly Seaton
Ivy was traditionally considered a symbol of marriage as a result of its clinging habit and evergreen nature.
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Tree-letter #13 (3-3): NG-(n)Gétal-Broom (Afrikaans: Brem, Besembos)
Common name: Broom, Besom
Botanical name: Cytisus scoparius (member of Fabaceae, the legume family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: Cytisus scoparius is an erect deciduous shrub with slender green shoots bearing small, ternate leaves and axillary clusters of pea-like bright yellow flowers in late spring. (RHSPS)
Tree substitute: Any reed, rush or grass (CWT - based on the alternative tree association of Reed)
Status in SA: Cytisus scoparius naturalized (declared Category 1 weed) and a further 8 Cytisus species and one hybrid cultivated (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Broom's flexible stems were traditionally used to make besom brushes for household brooms and baskets and used for thatching.♣
Symbolic meanings: cleansing, healing, domesticity
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Trees of Cleansing
"The original household broom was a bunch of the actual broom plant ... tied round a stick. 'Broom! Green broom!' was an old street cry, used by vendors of broom-bunches for this purpose ... When broomsticks or besoms began to be made of more durable materials than the broom plant, the usual combination of woods for them was birch twigs for the brush, an ashen stake for the handle, and osier willow for the binding. However, in the Wyre Forest area of Worcestershire, the traditional woods are oak twigs for the sprays, which is the makers' term for the broom part; hazel for the staff; and birch for the binding. All of these trees are full of magical meanings of their own, and feature in the old Druidic tree alphabets of Ancient Britain. The ash is a sacred and magical tree; the oak is the king of the woods; the hazel is the tree of wisdom; the willow is a tree of moon-magic; and the birch is a symbol of purification."
The Broomstick or Besom, An ABC of Witchcraft, Doreen Valiente
"Another tool useful in magic is the besom, or Witches' broom. Traditionally, it is made of an ash handle, a bunch of birch twigs, and bound around with willow. This besom, the broomstick of the flying crone, is primarily used for symbolically sweeping the magic Circle clean. It is also a symbol of domesticity. In some traditions a couple would step or hop over a broomstick as part of a marriage ceremony. The besom is a symbol of sexuality, and for the woman, stepping over the broomstick represented a transition from the Maid to the Mother."
March, Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life, Pauline Campanelli
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Tree-letter #14 (3-4): ST-Straif-Blackthorn (Afrikaans: Kersieboom)
Common name: Blackthorn, Sloe
Botanical name: Prunus spinosa (member of Rosaceae, the rose family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Prunus spinosa is a small thorny deciduous tree with dark green, ovate leaves, and small white flowers in early spring, followed by ovoid, bloomy black fruits 1.5cm across. (RHSPS) ♣ Blackthorn is a common species of the North European countryside with its dense spiny branches and familiar sloes in autumn. (WTTG) ♣ This deciduous, spiny shrub is an excellent choice for a natural, informal hedge. It provides interest throughout the year and makes a good barrier against livestock. If left unclipped, plants eventually form a small freestanding tree, suitable for a large informal garden. It produces a mass of white flowers during early spring, followed by mid-green, oval leaves. In autumn, spherical, black fruits are produced called sloes, which are particularly attractive to birds and often used to flavour gin. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Spiny flowering trees or shrubs bearing fruit (CWT)
Status in SA: 1 native species Prunus africana (red stinkwood), 2 Prunus species naturalized and 23 Prunus species and at least three hybrids cultivated including important commercial crops such as almonds, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Blackthorn was traditionally associated with faeries and witchcraft and was also believed to provide protection from harmful witchcraft, ghosts and evil spirits. It was considered unlucky to cut blackthorn on 11 May and 11 November (the old dates for Beltaine and Samhain). ♣ Apart from being grown in hedgerows, blackthorn twigs wound around the tops of fences served the same purpose as barbed wire does today. ♣ Blackthorn was used to make the Irish shillelagh, a walking stick with a knob at one end (similar to the African knobkierie). The shillelagh is considered a symbol of Ireland and officers of the Irish Guards in the British Army and some Irish regiments in Commonwealth countries are still issued with them today. ♣
Symbolic meanings: hostility, boundaries, complications
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Trees of Hedges
"An eldern stake and black-thorn ether
Will make a hedge to last for ever."
Dictionary of Plant Lore, Donald Watts
("ether" means "header", a rod placed along the top of a hedge to keep it in place)
"The best hedge-plant is undoubtedly the hawthorn, commonly called 'quickset.' ... A hedge should be an effectual barrier against every kind of live stock; and to be so, it must be thick and close at bottom, rigidly stiff, and, including the bank, at least five feet high. This, while it gives perfect security against all trespassers, neither shades the land, nor checks the drying currents of the air; and whatever may be the manner in which it is made, it should be brought and kept as near to this standard as possible ... As has been already stated, there is no better plant than the hawthorn, because of its uniform growth, hardiness, hostility, tractableness, and durability."
British Husbandry, John French Burke
"Another thing that you will find out there is the sloe berry. I am going to give you the recipe for sloe gin, which I have to admit is something that we tend to make up for Christmas and it is lovely! It is the fruit of the common blackthorn which you will find in most hedges and a lot of the woodlands ...
You will need:
1 lb of sloes, trimmed and washed
2 pints of gin
4 oz sugar
a few drops of almond essence
Using a large needle, prick the sloe berries all over. This will let a lot of flavour out into the gin. Place them in a large mixing bowl and pour the gin over them. Mix well and add the sugar and almond essence. Stir it well until it is blended. Pour the mixture into a large jug or crock and cork it tightly.
Set the jug aside in a dark place and allow the mixture to infuse for about three months, shaking it occasionally. Sterilise and dry two bottles. Pour the mixture through a funnel, lined with a very fine cheese cloth, into the bottles. Squeeze any pulp remaining in the cheese cloth with your hands, to extract the liquid. Discard the remaining pulp. Seal the bottles and set aside for at least six months before drinking."
Sloe Gin, Earth Magic: A Seasonal Guide, Margaret McArthur
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Tree-letter #15 (3-5): R-Ruis-Elder (Afrikaans: Vlierboom, Gouevlier)
Common names: Black elder, Elderberry
Botanical name: Sambucus nigra (member of Adoxaceae, the muskroot family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Sambucus nigra is bushy large shrub or small tree to 6m, with pinnate leaves turning pale yellow in autumn, flat sprays of fragrant cream flowers in early summer followed by small black berries. (RHSPS) ♣ This common tree of hedgerows, woods, chalk downs and waste ground, elder was once regarded as one of the most magically powerful of all plants. (WTTG) ♣ The best place for this vertical shooting, deciduous thicket of a shrub is the wild or cottage garden where it makes a fine hedge. It has sprays of tiny white flowers in early summer followed by small black fruit which can be cooked and eaten, or used to make a refreshing summer drink. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Blossoming, berry-producing trees that grow anywhere (CWT)
Status in SA: Sambucus canadensis naturalized in Zimbabwe and 3 Sambucus species cultivated including Sambucus nigra (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Elder was traditionally associated with faeries and witchcraft and also believed to provide protection from harmful witchcraft. ♣ Elderflowers are edible and are used to make fritters, syrup and cordial. Elderflower essential oils are used to flavour Sambuca liqueur. ♣ Elder stems have a soft white pith centre that can easily be hollowed out to make whistles, flutes, etc. ♣
Symbolic meanings: magic, fate, transformation
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Trees of Magic
"Elder is the most important plant when connections with witchcraft, at least in folklore, are considered. From ancient times, it has been believed that some kind of spiritual being lived in the tree, whether goddess, fairy, witch, or the souls of the dead. That is why, along with hawthorn, there has always been an injunction against cutting elders down, or even lopping off a branch. Permission had to be asked of the being that lived in the tree. But belief went further, for in some cases, the elder actually was the witch."
Dictionary of Plant Lore, Donald Watts
"At certain times of day, when the light is dim, the Rollright circle resembles a group of men, leaning and crouching together, and by the Middle Ages they had gained the popular name of the 'King's Men'. Standing fifty yards south-east of the King's Men is a single monolith, called the King Stone, while 400 yards to the south-west are the 'Whispering Knights', five tall stones leaning together. This scattered pattern of boulders is known collectively as the Rollright Stones, and several poetic legends have grown up to explain them. In 1610 the historian William Camden recorded a rhyming cautionary tale about an ambitious king, a witch and some soldiers, all immortalized by features in the landscape. Camden's story reads like a Cotswold Macbeth. As a king and his army were marching through the hills they met a witch with a tantalizing message for the king:
'Seven long strides thou shalt take, says she,
If Long Compton thou canst see,
King of England thou shalt be.'
Excited by the prospect of gaining the crown, the king set off eastwards, but on his seventh stride he found his view blocked by a hill, and the witch revealed the rest of her tragic prophecy:
'As Long Compton thou canst not see,
King of England thou shalt not be.
Rise up stick and stand still stone
For King of England thou shalt be none;
Thou and thy men hoar stones shall be,
And I myself an eldern tree.'
The prophecy came true as the king was turned to stone where he stood, while his petrified army became a ring of boulders. The witch was transformed into an elder tree, and the Whispering Knights, busy plotting the death of their king, changed forever into a group of leaning stones."
At the Rollright Stones, The Cotswolds: A Cultural History, Jane Bingham
("hoar stones" means "boundary markers")
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The Pine Path: A O U E I (x straight lines across the stemline)
Tree-letter #16 (4-1): A-Ailm-Pine (Afrikaans: Denneboom, Dennehout)
Common names: Scots pine
Botanical name: Pinus sylvestris (member of Pinaceae, the pine family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Evergreen
Tree description: ♣ Pinus sylvestris is a large evergreen tree to 25m, with the upper trunk and branches orange-brown, developing a picturesque, irregular outline with maturity. Twisted grey-green needles are borne in pairs. Cones 5cm in length. (RHSPS) ♣ The Caledonian Pine Forest, in the Highlands of Scotland, is the only true native pine forest in Britain and the Scots pine is the dominant tree. It is a hardy tree and is also found across northern Europe and Asia. (WTTG) ♣
Tree substitute: Conifers or needle-leafed trees (CWT)
Status in SA: 69 Pinus species naturalized or cultivated including Pinus sylvestris (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Evergreen pine was traditionally associated with Yule celebrations and the Christmas tree. ♣ Besides its healing properties, pine was believed to provide protection from evil and harm especially for newborn babies. ♣ Scots pine is the largest and longest-lived tree in the Caledonian Forest and is a keystone species on which many other species depend. ♣ Pine is cultivated primarily for timber (known as "deal") and various products made from resin including turpentine. ♣
Symbolic meanings: objectivity, clarity, awareness
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Tree of Music
"Beautiful are the pines which make music for me, unhired."
King and Hermit, late 9th century Old Irish poem
Music and the Celtic Otherworld: from Ireland to Iona, Karen Ralls-MacLeod
"Where the forest murmurs there is music: ancient, everlasting."
Where the Forest Murmurs: Nature Essays, Fiona MacLeod
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Tree-letter #17 (4-2): O-Onn-Gorse (Afrikaans: Gaspeldoring, Stekelbrem)
Common names: Gorse, Furze, Whin, Prickly Broom
Botanical name: Ulex europaeus (member of Fabaceae, the legume family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Evergreen
Tree description: ♣ Ulex europaeus is a bushy evergreen shrub with very spiny much-branched stems and solitary coconut-scented bright yellow flowers 2cm in length, mainly in winter and spring, followed by slender black seed-pods. (RHSPS) ♣ Also commonly called furze or whin according to locality, this is a western European native of dry sunny exposed heaths, cliffs and moorlands, where the single-flowered form can be found in bloom from spring to autumn. Its double, golden-yellow blooms, marked with red at the base of petals, are fragrant, with the scent of coconut. It's one of the best shrubs for poor dry soils where little else will grow. The sunnier and less fertile the site, the more profuse the vivid yellow blooms. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Brightly flowering shrubs growing on heathland or poor soil (CWT)
Status in SA: Ulex europaeus naturalized in forest areas of the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape (declared Category 1 weed) (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Gorse was traditionally associated with spring, especially the spring equinox. ♣ Gorse was used as fodder for horses and livestock, made palatable by being "bruised" (crushed) with implements such as mallets, mills or whin-stones. Controlled burning also encouraged fresh new growth more suitable for grazing. ♣
Symbolic meanings: optimism, enthusiasm, generosity
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"'When gorse is out of blossom,'
(Its prickles bare of gold)
'Then kissing's out of fashion,'
Said country-folk of old ...
But this will never happen:
At every time of year
You'll find one bit of blossom -
A kiss from someone dear!"
The Song of the Gorse Fairies,
A Flower Fairy Alphabet, Cicely Mary Barker
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Tree-letter #18 (4-3): U-Úr-Heather (Afrikaans: Heide)
Common names: Heather, Ling
Botanical name: Calluna vulgaris, the only species of genus Calluna previously included in genus Erica (member of Ericaceae, the heather family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Evergreen
Tree description: ♣ Calluna are low-growing or dwarf evergreen shrubs with stems clothed in tiny overlapping leaves, and terminal, spike-like racemes of small, 4-petalled flowers with coloured calyces. (RHSPS) ♣ Calluna vulgaris is the native heather or ling of heaths and moorlands, and it has fathered many lovely varieties for massing in gardens as ground cover. They are generally summer or autumn flowering, and need acid soils and sunny sites for the best colour. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: Low, clustering aromatic plants growing in poor soil or hilly areas (CWT)
Status in SA: 752 native Erica species and a further 2 species cultivated, the greatest diversity is in Western Cape and Eastern Cape (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Heather grows profusely carpeting wild open spaces, hillsides and mountainsides. ♣ Heather flowers have a sweet scent that attract bees in late summer. Heather honey is highly prized and is an ingredient in Drambuie liqueur. ♣ Heather was traditionally used to make beer, colour dyes, ropes, baskets, bedding, thatching, insulation, besoms and fuel among other things. ♣ White heather was considered a lucky charm and used in bridal bouquets. ♣ Carved heather roots were used to make handles for the Scottish ceremonial dagger known as a dirk. ♣
Symbolic meanings: activity, community, accumulation
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Tree of Knowledge
"'Ask the wild bee for what the Druids knew,' and 'ask the children of the heather where Fionn sleeps,' and the like, point to an old association of the wild bee and ancient wisdom."
The Lords of Wisdom, Volume V, The Works of Fiona MacLeod
"Our treasure lies in the beehive of our knowledge. We are perpetually on the way thither, being by nature winged insects and honey gatherers of the mind."
The Genealogy of Morals, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
"Bees access the primordial knowledge in their circulation through the world and its flora. It provides their pollen. They gather it and return to the hive, a fact Nietzsche likens to our greed for information. They are one with the wind, which listeth where it bloweth - which is to say, spirit. They are initiates to ancient culture whose constatements are preserved in myth, legend, fairytale, and folklore, as an excess of charge or moving force that exists over and above the telling."
Foreword, What the Bee Knows by PL Travers, David Appelbaum
"As the myth descends into Time and becomes the tales that old wives tell, we hear of the 'Wisdom of the Bees,' and the 'Secret Knowledge of the Bees', and are counselled, in Scottish Highland stories, to 'ask the Wild Bee what the Druids knew' ...
The Sphinx, the Pyramids, the stone temples are, all of them, ultimately, as flimsy as London Bridge; our cities but tents set up in the cosmos. We pass. But what the bee knows, the wisdom that sustains our passing life - however much we deny or ignore it - that for ever remains."
What the Bee Knows: Reflections on Myth, Symbol and Story,
Pamela Lyndon Travers (author of Mary Poppins)
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Tree-letter #19 (4-4): E-Edad-Aspen (Afrikaans: Abeelboom, Espboom)
Common names: Quaking aspen
Botanical name: Populus tremula (member of Salicaceae, the willow and poplar family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Deciduous
Tree description: ♣ Populus tremula is a small deciduous tree with a broad crown, sometimes suckering freely. Rounded leaves, bronze when young, tremble in a light breeze and turn yellow in autumn. Male trees have woolly grey catkins. (RHSPS) ♣ A beautiful and delicate tree which spreads by suckers off the root system, so creating entire groves of aspen. The Latin name tremula means to tremble and refers to the way the leaves flutter and move in the slightest breeze. (WTTG) ♣
Tree substitute: Any tree whose leaves give the appearance of quivering (CWT)
Status in SA: 4 Populus species naturalized and a further 8 Populus species and 1 hybrid cultivated (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Aspen was traditionally used to make battle shields. ♣ Aspen was used to make a rod known as a fé that was used by undertakers to measure corpses and graves for burial purposes. The fé was a feared object and the word came to mean woe or calamity. ♣
Symbolic meanings: animation, communication, mastery
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Shiver Tree
"Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Thro' the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four gray walls, and four gray towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott."
The Lady of Shalott, Alfred Lord Tennyson
"Aspen tree, aspen tree, I pray thee shiver instead of me."
This old folk rhyme was based on the belief that aspen could cure fevers and shaking disorders (from "like cures like", the basic principle of homeopathy and also the etymology of the word from homeo meaning "similar" and pathos meaning "suffering"). Incidentally, aspen is a member of the Salicaceae family and like willow its bark contains salicin, the forerunner of synthetic Aspirin.
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Tree-letter #20 (4-5): I-Idad-Yew (Afrikaans: Taksisboom)
Common names: Yew
Botanical name: Taxus baccata (member of Taxaceae, the yew family)
Deciduous or evergreen: Evergreen
Tree description: ♣ Taxus baccata is a medium-sized bushy evergreen tree with narrow, leathery, very dark green leaves arranged in two rows on the shoots, and insignificant flowers followed on female plants by fleshy red fruits (RHSPS) ♣ The yew tree is the most ancient of trees with some trees thought to be thousands of years old. In old age they have a distinctive gnarled shape with some branches curving down to the ground and taking root. (WTTG) ♣ Yew is a native British evergreen, whose wood was once used for making longbows. Young plants are bushy and, if left unclipped, they eventually grow into large trees almost as wide as they are tall. However they are rarely allowed to grow naturally, being a firm favourite for classic style hedges and topiary. (BBCGPF) ♣
Tree substitute: The longest-lived evergreen species of tree growing in your region (CWT)
Status in SA: Taxus baccata and Taxus canadensis cultivated (BE)
Highlights: ♣ Yew trees can live indefinitely as the branches reach down and take root in the ground forming new stems that grow up inside and around the original trunk forming multiple separate but interconnected trunks. ♣ Yews are a familiar sight in churchyards and many are older than the church next to them. ♣ Yew was the wood of choice used for making longbows which resulted in overharvesting across Europe for centuries before the invention of firearms. ♣ Yew was used to make magic wands and staves used in magic and divination. In Irish mythology ("The Wooing of Étaín"), a Druid used wands of yew inscribed with Ogham letters to divine the whereabouts of a missing woman. ♣ Yew bark and leaves are used in the manufacture of a chemotherapy drug used in cancer treatment. ♣
Symbolic meanings: death, rebirth, transition
*N.B. MOST PARTS OF THE TREE ARE TOXIC*
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Tree of Immortality
"The Yew is great in age and girth
A symbol of both death and birth.
Endings and beginnings it will spin
At Samhaine, when the veil is thin.
Three times round its girth we tread
Releasing mourners from their dread.
A knife to cut the spirit free
From bonds imposed by family.
A bow to make the spirit fly
To resurrection by and by.
A sprig for mourners all we take,
To give them peace for their own sake."
A Samhaine Spell for A Bereavement, Samhaine,
Natural Magic: A Seasonal Guide, Paddy Slade
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♥ Tree Blessing ♥
"Good is the season of peaceful summer;
The council of the trees gather together,
A band unshaken by the whistling wind,
A green gathering in the sheltered woods;
Eddies swirl the stream,
Good is the warm turf under us."
Blessing of the Seasons, The Little Book of Celtic Blessings, Caitlín Matthews
[The images used in this post were created by Cicely Mary Barker.]
