Tree lore Special- Five Sacred Trees part 2

Guardians of Ancestral Lore

Tree lore Special- Five Sacred Trees part 2

In this special edition we shall bring into focus five sacred trees, I hope that you enjoy the article. If you wish to start with part 1 of a tree lore special please click HERE

Birch- The Tree of New Beginnings

The birch in folklore represents a fond love as well as being the tree of birth, initiation and gentle strength. Imagine yourself in the birch grove allowing the flow of feelings and creative thought to arise. You see trees of silver bark and black branches, with dainty catkins and slender branches, and yet they grow in the harshest conditions and are often the first to colonise.

In the spring the leaves unfurl in a delicate bright green and its sap when tapped is refreshing and healing. It is known that the cylindrical trunks of what we now call ‘silver’ birch (Tennyson was the first to describe her thus) are ideal to make cots for new- born babies and the stiffer branches of the downy birch ideal for brooms. The tiny twigs and its bark both contain volatile oil which is perfect to light a new fire. The bark can also water proof roofs and make containers. All of these practical qualities paint a picture of a gentle tree of new beginnings, strong and dynamic and yet graceful and short-lived like the sting of young love.

The Ogham name Beithe means being, or a Being, and the birch grove in ancient stories and traditions is a place to connect with Other-worldly visitors. This connection is further enhanced as it is said to be the first Ogham inscription that was written to warn Lugh Lamfada that his wife was being taken to faerie land.

Birch being the first letter inscription also makes sense when we also realise that the first books may have been created and written on birch bark. An example of this is preserved in the Bodleian library in the form of the Bakhshali manuscript dating from the 3rd or 4th century inscribed on 70 pieces of birch bark.

The birch is the tree of the north where the landscape is dramatic, windswept and icy cold. It decorates the great lochs of Scotland and its graceful gentle presence belies its hardy tenacious manner.

This quality may have helped our ancestors to reflect on the power of gentleness, the ability to have courage in a gentle yet persistent way. To start afresh or to begin a new venture or even a new way of being takes an unyielding strength, the strength of gentleness. For gentleness allows us the freedom to go forth at our own pace forgiving any mistakes we make.

This ‘gentle persistence’ is reflected in birch due to the fact it was the first tree to appear after the last Ice Age, and still today has a continuous presence in the Scottish Lochs that has lasted over 9000 years.

Further south in England is a wood called ‘Birkland’ in Sherwood forest whose name implies the Vikings recognised it as a birch wood over a thousand years ago.

Falling in love speaks of this gentleness, for it takes such courage to be tender and exposed, to trust, and allow another soul to touch your own. Diarmaid and Grainne shelter in the birch grove for protection from the jealous rage of Fionn McCuail; this is a beautiful tale of unconquerable love. As Diarmaid and Grainne fled across Ireland they built Dolmens at each place they spent the night. Dolmens are two massive lime stones parallel to each other over which is placed a third stone, the cap stone, creating a crude kind of shelter. Still today you can see the Dolmens all across Ireland which are still known as the “bed of Diarmaid and Grainne”, bringing the passion of love into the landscape for eternity just like birch. It is in the birch grove Diarmaid and Grainne consolidate their love and begin their adventure together.

Ecology of Birch:

Mature birch wood is often a light airy place supporting a myriad of many types of fungi (beech wood also supports fungus). It casts little shade and one can often observe redpolls and tits flitting and feeding amongst the canopy. These birds will use the seed as a food source and the leaves are a food source for the mottled umber caterpillar.

There are two classes of flora for birch wood:

1. Blaeberry (Vaccinium mrytillus) rich birchwood

2. Herb-rich birchwoods with a grassy floor.

There are also two main species of birch in Britain and a third species specialist to the Scottish Highlands:

1/ Betula pendula, Silver Birch

2/ Betula pubescens, Downy Birch.

3 / Betula nana, Dwarf Birch (specialist species of the Scottish Highlands).

The main two birches were formally recognised in 1791 as mentioned in the introduction. The downy birch is more associated with ancient woodlands, has stiffer twigs which do not droop (better for brooms) and leaves which have less ragged teeth and are hairy on the underside with a triangular base.

The silver birch is more associated with wood pasture and is more useful for timber due to a more cylindrical trunk. Its branches droop and its leaves have a straight base and are not hairy.

In Scotland and in other parts of Britain, birch has many uses. Commercially it was used for reels and bobbins as well as the commonest fuel used for the ironworks in the weald. Locally its bark was used for roofing and making shampoo.

Herbal remedies

Birch sap collected in March can be used for kidney/bladder stones and rheumatic diseases as well as for a cleansing mouthwash and is excellent for the skin. Birch bark can be used as diuretic, antiseptic and anaesthetic enabling nerve endings to lose sensations and relieve muscle pain.

Birch leaves help cystitis and are an excellent diuretic, mouthwash and can help dissolve kidney and bladder stones. They can also offer relief from rheumatism and gout.

Simply dry the leaves in brown paper bags and add a heaped teaspoon to a cup of boiled water to make an infusion. Please consult a qualified herbalist before using any herbal concoction as you may have an adverse reaction to plants you are not used to.

Alder- Tree of the Wetlands

‘Alder carr’ is the name given to the habitats alder creates along the waterways. Alder doesn’t like stagnant anaerobic water or severe prolonged flooding but prefers moving oxygenated water and is associated with plants of fertile soil due its nitrogen- fixing properties. In a mixed wood it associates itself with lime, birch, chestnut and hornbeam growing in soils varying from 3.3ph- 7.3ph.

There are three main woodland types of alder:

Fen- low level ground on floodplains of rivers and streams.

Valley- Growing along narrow fringes to streams or climbing flushed slopes especially in Western Britain.

Plateau- level uplands often on a watershed. Alder generally will colonise new sites, its seeds dispersed by water and to a lesser extent wind.

As land has been drained for farming the alder tree has suffered and although it can grow in drier soils its seed needs a prolonged period in water to germinate. Our wetlands and ancient woodlands suffered immensely in the enclosure acts of 1750- 1850, the wild uncultivated areas seen as an affront to progressive civilisation.

The huge commons and wetlands such as the fens were affected and the landless poor suffered. The rural workers of our countryside that understood the land intimately are no different from the indigenous tribes across the world who were removed or denied access to their way of life.

A poet whose life was intricately linked with the time of the enclosure acts was John Clare, whose poetry implores us to care and love nature:

‘And long, my dear valleys, long, long may ye flourish, Though rush-beds and thistles, make most of your pride; May showers never fail the green’ s daisies to nourish, Nor suns dry the fountain that rills by its side. Your flat swampy valleys unwholesome may be; Still, refuse of nature, without her adornings Ye are as dear as this heart in my bosom to me. ‘

John Clare (1793- 1864)

Folklore of Alder

Alder, the van of warrior bands for thereof are the shields. Shield of warrior bands. Protector of the heart, the shield. Guardian of milk.

Book of Ballymote 1391

The alder is a beautiful tree which can develop into a large canopy tree up to 70ft high. In the spring the tree is striking producing reddish brown catkins and at the same time is laden with last year’s tiny black cones.

Fringing wetland habitats it stands as Spring goddess of fertility and hope which is perhaps why the Norsemen called March ‘Lenct’ ( to become Lent) which means ‘the lengthening month of the alder’.

The kennings above connect alder to the shield which is made from alder and the willow, both trees of the water ways. The lime tree was also used for making shields. This is due to the wood needing to be light, strong and flexible.

The two key deities one could associate with alder are Bran and Morrígu both of which are ferocious in battle and are guardians of the land. Bran went into battle because his beloved daughter was being mistreated and his severed head ended up being buried at White Hill in London to protect the land from invasion. The ravens are there to do his bidding and if ever they are to leave Britain will fall. The ravens currently reside at the Tower of London which brings this story into current times. Bran is considered to be a formidable giant in Welsh mythology which therefore puts him in that role of protecting our sacred land. In the stories he is depicted as a moving landscape of wood, mountain and lake bringing alive that incredible power recognised by the Celts of the land itself.

The female counterpart in Irish mythology is the Morrígu who in the Second Battle of Moytura guards the land with unstoppable malice.

In the stories we can see how these battles are connected to the very sanctity of the land. When invaders actions work in harmony with the land, new plains and rivers form and when the land is not considered, chaos is ensured!

This is maybe why the Roman armies confounded the Celts over a long period of time for their warfare cared not for the landscape or for acts of valour as heroic deeds were second to mechanical warfare and the land was utilised in whatever way the battle could be won.

This again brings us back to the guardians of the earth in Celtic stories for although they are formidable and take the form of terrifying beasts at times, their loyalty is to safeguard the land and test the heart’s strength and purity.

The wood, as already discussed, was used to make a shield, and a fiery red dye obtained from the bark called ‘roeim’ (that which reddens the face) which may have been used like woad to strike fear into the enemy. In the Welsh triads they speak of crimson-stained warriors of the alder cult. Dyes can also be obtained from the flowers (green) and the twigs (brown).

However, let us also acknowledge the gentler aspects to alder and the waterways as the Morrígu calls for peace in the Battle of Moytura, and Suibhne sings the alder’s praises.

The third kenning from the book of Ballymote refers to alder as the ‘protector of the heart’. The shield after all is first and foremost for protection (of the heart) encouraging us to go forth and is not a weapon as such.

Alder grows on wetlands which are prized by a nation of birdwatchers. Britain is a major refuge for winter migrating birds as they especially flock here in extreme winters. One of our largest inland wetlands, the Somerset levels, sheltered up to 50,000 widgeon and 70,000 lapwings in the winters of 2010/11. Some species are rising whilst others are in decline due to wider issues but most certainly, we are learning to care for these important habitats.

The Uses of Alder

The Latin ‘Alnus’ may have been derived from the phrase ‘Alor Amne’- I am nourished by the stream. The leaves can help relieve weary feet and put into duvets and cushions etc., to give rheumatic relief. The leaves can also be used to tan leather and the bark can be placed on burns and inflammations including the neck if inflamed.

Alder wood is not durable unless immersed in water so is an ideal wood for water pipes, troughs, canal lock gates etc. Much of Venice is built on alder piles and the wood in Britain would have been used as foundations for ‘Crannogs’- villages built on waterways in ancient times.

Willow- Tree of Poets

The woodland willow stands, a lonely bush of nebulous silver, There the spring Goddess cowers in faint attire of frightened fire.

Robert Bridges 1844-1930

Whilst the woodland is still stark, the wind cold and the ground hard we witness a tree with golden yellow blossom as if it is reminding us that the sun is returning. The sallow or pussy willow produces silver catkins first and then the catkins of the male tree laden with pollen turns gold, thus providing a valuable source of early pollen for the bees.

The rest of the year the woodland willow is probably unnoticed by most merging back into the dense woodland as just another small tree with green leaves.

The other two tree species of willow (the crack and the white willow) are huge forest trees with branches growing low and high creating a dominating bush-like structure of abundant leaves in the summer. The crack willow is our most common large willow growing over many a waterway with shiny green leaves on top and silvery beneath.

The white willow can grow up to 80ft covered with silvery leaves on both sides creating an impressive sight in low-lying districts.

Willow is intrinsically linked with the waterways, invoking a feminine presence which breaks up the skyline and encourages wildlife where the land meets the water. The beauty of our rivers, brooks and streams is a joy to behold and one can see why our ancestors gave names to the rivers linking them to the Goddess. The terrible pollution of our waterways is in direct contradiction to the tradition and the importance of their function.

This is a universal concept as seen in the river Ganges in India, named after the great Mother Ganga. In Europe the Goddess takes form as Danu in the river Danube, Sequana of the river Seine, Nimue and Diana in the lakes of Brittany, in Britain as Sabrina of the Severn, Vaga of the Wye, Sulis of the springs of Bath and in Ireland as Boann of the river Boyne.

In Celtic lore the Goddess is seen as three in the Matronae and as nine in the form of the gifting mothers or muses. Ultimately the source of inspiration in Celtic lore is seen as flowing from the cauldron of life which overpours into the waterways, offering inspiration to all who drink from its source. Geoffrey of Monmouth (author of The History of the Kings of Britain 1136AD), recognises this concept in his writings as he notes the importance of the three main trading rivers of Britain in the Thames, the Severn and the Humber. These could be seen as the arms of the Matronae in Britain, the Triple Goddess giving life, abundance and fruition to the beauty of the landscape. Geoffrey of Monmouth (Vita Merlini 1150AD) explores this further with the nine sisters which are prevalent throughout Celtic lore.

Folklore of the Willow

As the white willow stands an indomitable presence shining with silver leaves she embodies a feminine strength flowing with the waters of life. As she produces her golden catkins and attracts bees and supports more invertebrates than any other tree except oak it’s not hard to see why our ancestors would have looked to her as both noble and a muse for the poets:

‘The noble willow, burn not, a tree sacred to the poets. Within his bloom bees are a- sucking all love his little cage.’

Iubdan the Leprachaun (Ancient Irish Tales)

Willow takes us into the creative world of the poet who in ancient times was the remembrancer of the tribe who travelled into the inner landscape. Poetry is one of the key components of the British traditions as it can be used to explore the depths of the soul, giving voice to original thought and thus awakening a deeper understanding of life. This importance of the soul was reflected in the poets of the nineteenth century such as Keats and Claire who had tragic, painful lives which perhaps enabled them to explore such depth through their poetry.

John Keats tragically short life was filled with loss and his choice to dedicate his life to poetry over a medical career was brave indeed, especially as he failed to experience his success and recognition in his own lifetime. However maybe the joy of following his true path transcended many of his woes as he states in his poem Sleep and Poetry:

‘O for ten years that I may overwhelm Myself in poesy; so I may do the deed That my own soul has to itself decreed’

John Keats

In the Celtic tradition we discover the poet was exalted above any other profession and even Chiefs, Kings and Queens bowed to their supremacy - why?

The value of the soul was paramount and poetry was considered to be its expression taking us to the fruits of immortality in the Otherworlds.

The kennings of the willow tree take us into the realms of death linking willow to bees, grief and loss:

Willow, the colour of the lifeless one owing to the resemblance of its colour to a dead person. Hue of the lifeless. Beginning of loss, willow. Strength of bees.

Book of Ballymote 1391

Bees represent a connection to the Otherworlds and also are considered an inspiration to community life as they work together as a whole to benefit the swarm. The Queen bee represented the Great goddess in Classical traditions, often referred to as ‘birds of the muses’ bestowing eloquence and honeyed words. Bees as knowers of ancient lore are connected to the underworld. The female power and poetry they represent are not just about beauty and love but also take us deeper into the mysteries.

In Celtic lore the old women of wisdom may be gnarled and twisted just like a willow but command respect and bestow wisdom. In fact, it is the old crones like the Cailleach and the Morrígu who are the guardians of wisdom and the mysteries of death.

The early poet’s initiation into their arts was through a deep connection to darkness and the deep wisdom of the earth. Willow invites us to acknowledge our grief and suffering and be aware of the destruction we unleash onto the green world. Owning up to the part we play in harming nature need not be a depressing or guilty process but an empowering, compassionate and ultimately freeing process.The poet’s art was learned in the dark side of the year once the harvest was gathered in. The arduous training was conducted in dark cells sometimes likened to imprisonment. It is only by entering the darkness, feeling grief and truly acknowledging the darker aspects of ourselves that we can discover the strength of bees which is the entrance to the ‘Delightful land of honey and wine.’

This land is the perfection of your own inner light within you that the Irish call the Glefiosa, the bright knowledge, the dawning of which can be helped through willow and a tranquil mind.

Celtic traditions encouraged willow trees to be planted at burial sites so that the spirit of the corpse can rise into the sapling above, willow probably being a preferred choice as it is said to ease the passage of the soul at death, a psychopomp- a guide for the soul to find their place after death.

To wear willow is to grieve openly and the tree I suspect encourages us to be open to our deeper emotions.

Gypsies cut willow on Green George day (23rd April) to propitiate water spirits, bless the crops, herds, and pregnant women, and to heal the young and old.

Women were warriors and leaders in Celtic Society and often trained the young men in battle. The old adage of the Willow bending in the wind rather than resisting itcomes to mind as we recognise the power of the feminine source.

Ash- Tree of Initiation

The ash is the tree of warriors associated strongly with the Vikings, the Aescling (Men of the Ash) as well as the tree of Celtic warriors in the old Irish texts. As with all tree lore it is borne out first in its practical use as a weapon from the primitive spear and bow, through to the cavalry lance and even the mosquito aeroplane of world war one. Its wood is light and flexible yet inherently strong capable of bearing more weight than any other British timber.

The tree like the warrior lives a short time (compared to other forest trees of its stature) and its properties speak of progress and speed in the above uses named, as well as in the structure of the early car which most definitely has changed society drastically.

The most known association of ash in European tree folklore is in its form as Askr Yggdrasill, the centre of the universe around which everything moves. Its roots represent the Underworld and are said to be guarded by a huge serpent, the trunk represents this world and its canopy the Upper worlds upon which sits an eagle and goats browse on its leaves. The spring, at its base, is where the Norns reside, who rule over the destiny of us all.The World Tree or Tree of Life seems to reflect a universal concept replicated in traditions all across the world from the Cotton tree in Mayan Culture and the great centre pole of the tepee in Native North American culture made of the Cotton Wood tree. In Siberia the World Tree is the birch. All of these forms seem to follow the pattern of a totem bird at its top and a well or pool at its base with some form of reptile as a guardian of the Underworld.

This is further enhanced in Christian lore in the form of the apple tree and its serpent. The apples represent the receptacle of the hidden knowledge and the serpent its guardian. The reptiles take us back to the oldest life forms inhabiting the land connecting us to our primal earth-bound roots. The Underworld in Norse Mythology is called Hel, the origin of the word for Hell and is the place of the dead. The dark depths of life where serpents and insects dwell and our primordial instincts stem from need not be marked as evil. Often the beings of this world are the recyclers, cleaners and messengers of the natural kingdom to which all so-called higher species depend on.

In Earth spirituality this connection is encouraged and sought out as being rooted in the world enables us to then ground ourselves in reality and accept all aspects of ourselves as discussed earlier.

The wells and springs (or indeed the apples), connect us to our depths of memory, fate and true knowledge which is well protected as only those who are ready and are of a pure heart can drink from them.

In Celtic Irish lore ash is also known as the warrior’s tree as an Ash spear is wielded by the solar hero Lugh Lamfada and the early race of men in Irish stories called the Fir bolgs (men of spears) were also said to wield superior ash spears. The spear and the sling were the only long range weapons used by the Irish Celts in the Bronze and Iron ages.

There were said to be five sacred trees planted in Ireland and three of them were ash for the warriors.

Ash, a check on peace is Ash for of it are made spear shafts by which the piece is broken. Checking of peace. Flight of beauty, a weaver’s beam. Flight of beauty.

Book of Ballymote 1391

Nion, the Ogham name for ash means, ‘a thing produced’ possibly implying a more subtle use of ash. The spear (especially when referred to as the weaver’s beam) can also be a magical tool to help heal and move people on in their lives.

Sick children have been passed through split ash for healing and it is said a shrew was buried in an ash tree to bring about healing e.g. ash by the church in Selborne in Hampshire. Ash wood juice has been used to protect infants from harm. Ash crosses are made for sea protection and the Vikings were thought to use Ash as a magical implement. In the past ash roots were carved into magical images.

In Celtic lore the tree of life stands in the Otherworlds as a beacon of light with acorn, fruit and nut on its boughs. It is covered in beautiful song birds and often also has a spring at its base. The tradition continues where we acknowledge faerie trees by waterways and honour them by tying rags and wishes upon their boughs.

In Irish Celtic lore we have the nine hazel trees of Connla’s well situated along the river Boyne and in the first tales of Merlin brought to us by Geoffrey of Monmouth we have hazel shrubs surrounding a fountain. The hazel tree therefore is a good candidate for the tree of life.

The five sacred trees of Ireland consisted of ash, oak and yew. They played a pivotal role in the structure and qualities of Ireland.

Not only were they key assembly points for the Druids and for Ireland’s armies they marked the five provinces of Ireland representing the five key qualities ( knowledge, battle, prosperity, music and kingship) and ultimately the five key elements ( fire, earth, air, water and ether). This knowledge was passed down toFintan mac Bochna the oldest living poet in Ireland via a branch which bore the three fruits of nuts, apples and acorns. Fintan being the oldest person alive at this time had the role of remembering the stories and the wisdom of the land enlivening the oral tradition at a time when it may have been lost. The branch was given to him by Trefuilngid Tre- eochair a giant that claimed to control the rising and setting of the sun, bringing once again the knowledge of the land into the province of its guardians- the giants.

Uses of Ash

Ash established itself later than some tree species after the last ice age and especially increased when elm declined in Neolithic times.

Ash timber as well as its wood has been sought after for centuries. It has been used to create early weapons such as bows and spears to the modern cavalry lance. Its other uses are diverse including tools, frames and shafts of vehicles both modern and ancient. It is the second most recorded timber tree in history and is the most commonly used plantation tree since the 17th Century.

Ash casts a light shade and is light-demanding, living no longer than 200 years in normal conditions. If it grows in infertile soils and is thus forced to grow slowly it will live longer and as a coppice stool indefinitely! The largest stool in Bradfield woods is 18.5 feet across and is at least 1000 years old and still has good vigour.

Ash wood is known as the perfect fuel for the fire and was traditionally used as the Yulelog burnt at the Winter Solstice to celebrate this time of year, the birth of the Sun God.

The future of Ash- Ash dieback

In 2012 we discovered the first signs of ash dieback or Chalara in nursery grown ash trees and by 2013 signs were seen in the wider environment. Unlike the elm disease which infected our elms in the 1970s it is likely that the Ash will evolve to cope with the disease although we hope the loss will not be too great whilst this process is occurring.

The current policy is to exercise caution in removing especially older species where the disease has been confirmed. The older trees will resist the disease far more effectively than younger trees. Unfortunately spores from the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus which causes the disease are carried on the wind and now it is looking that we will lose over ninety percent of the ash population.

Hawthorn- Guardian of the Earth

Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna (common hawthorn) Crataegus laevigata (midland hawthorn) Droiheann (old English) Hagaporn (Anglo-Saxon) Huath (ogham)

Huath is Whitethorn. A meet of hounds is White thorn, it is formidable owing to its thorns. Pack of wolves. A difficult night, Hawthorn. Whitening of face.

Book of Ballymote 1391

There are two types of hawthorn known in this country. The first is common and widespread, the second (known as Midland or simply woodland hawthorn) is restricted to the South and East and is an ancient woodland indicator, an uncommon sight. The latter has a bushy habit and shallowly lobed leaves, able to flower in the shade. This distinction was first made in France in 1790.

Hawthorn, especially since the 1500s, has been an important underwood species grown for fuel and its bark used for ink. Before barbed wire hawthorn was our main fencing, and early forestry writers recommend hawthorn as a nurse tree when sowing a new plantation. However the tree can colonise chalk downland too effectively becoming a permanent habitat thus threatening the delicate balance of our Downs. This is known as being ‘bushed over’.

However, the hawthorn is generally welcome, tolerating shade and grazing effectively (although new growth takes three weeks for the thorns to harden up and protect the plant from mammals like deer). The tree supports many insects, birds and mammals providing cover, nectar and fruit.

The hawthorn has two sides to it. On one hand it is a healer of the heart, a tree of protection and supporter of life. A guardian of sacred wells (to which cloth is tied to), a love charm, helping cattle thrive and friendly to travellers as well as a food source for them, which is why it is known as the bread and cheese tree. This is the blossoming spring tree dedicated to the maiden goddess such as Olwen of the White Track.

However, as a tree that protects and harbours the elementals it can also have a sinister side to its nature. Stories of people trying to fell certain hawthorn trees normally ends in tragedy, maybe the most famous being bulldozed by John DeLorean in Ireland. This is the winter thorn standing in the thicket as a speared warrior dedicated to the powerful archetypal earth god such as Yspaddeden Pencawr which means giant hawthorn. Huath, its Ogham name, means frightful or horrible, reminding us of the inevitable backlash our actions can bring. It is said in the old stories devastating satire was pronounced whilst holding the thorn of the tree. Maybe this is why there is a custom of adorning and worshipping hawthorn known as ‘bawming the thorn’.

Uses of Hawthorn

Hawthorn wood is hard wearing making it ideal for knife/dagger handles. Its root wood is also used to make beautiful small boxes and combs. It is also good firewood.

As a herb its berries, leaves and flowers are great for heart problems, especially high blood pressure as well as being good for insomnia and helping one relax.

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