English summer begins with elder flowers and ends with elder berries
Elder takes up 4 pages in the little book "Discovering The Folklore of Plants" by Margaret Baker. With so many sayings and superstitions attached it's an important tree in the countryside.
Autumn is definitely here, and except for the ones I turned into syrup all the Elder berries have been stripped by the pigeons. I researched this post a few weeks ago and it's time it was published.
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| The Elder page from the Readers Digest Book of Trees |
The book says
"The ambivalent character of Elder makes it at once beneficent and malevolent; kindly and spiteful"
These are just a few of the Elders effects that have been recorded around Europe.............
- It is thought the Elder is inhabited by Lady Elder or the Elder Mother and her permission must be asked before the tree was touched.
- To burn elder wood brought death and disaster and if elder was added by mistake to a fire already burning the fire would promptly go out.
- Elder growing near a well taints the water.
- Elder used in a cradle would make the child pine away
- Elder used as a meat skewer would make the meat bitter
- Whipping an animal with an elder wand stunted its growth
- The scent of elder flowers will poison anyone who falls asleep under the tree.
- Adders are attracted to the tree roots of the elder
- Food cooked over an elder wood fire would not be fit to eat
- A pregnant woman who stepped on elder leaves might suffer a miscarriage
- Witches conjured rough weather by stirring a bucket of water with an elder twig
But on the other hand there were counter charms that could be used to evoke the Elders positive character
- Elders planted around a property would keep witches away
- Drying clothes on an elder bush would bring good luck to the wearer
- A twig of elder in a riders pocket would save him from saddle-sores
- Elder leaves picked on the last day of April could heal wounds
There is hardly a disease from the head to foot but it cures. For headaches, for ravings and wakings, hypocondriack and mellancholly, the falling-sicknesse,catarrhes,deafnesse, faintnesse and feacours.
My sources
Back Tomorrow
Sue
I think I suffer with most of those ailments mentioned in the folklore quotes! (except perhaps feacours, don't know what that is). Love the new header, Sue.
ReplyDeleteWe've got a lot of Elder trees in our woodland. I will be very careful :-)
ReplyDeleteYou should be well witch-proofed
DeleteOld cottages used to have it planted by the back door to keep flies out of the kitchen, and as kids, when we were riding on a hot day, we would put a sprig of that in the horse's mane to keep flies away.
ReplyDeleteand it kept the witches away from their back doors too!
DeleteThere is also the story about the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire. It is said that in ancient times there were many kings who each ruled a different part of the country and were always at war with one another. One king and his men were travelling through Oxfordshire onto their next battle when he met a witch near Great and Little Rollright. She told him that if he could see Long Compton at a particular point then he would become King of England. Unfortuntely he was unable to see Long Compton as a mound of earth suddenly rose up in front of him. The witch laughed and then cried:
ReplyDelete'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 shall be none.
Thou and thy men all stones shall be
And I myself an elder tree'.
I find folklore and myths fascinating and always look forward to the things you find in your many books.
Oh thank you for that Joan, I hadn't come across that story in the books I have
DeleteApparently, if anyone tries to count the stones no matter how they do it, they never come up with the same answer twice!
DeleteI only know of the story because my paternal ancestors come from Great Rollright, so obviously I have an interest in that area. About ten years ago I went to the village and wandered around leaving flowers on some ancestors graves, but never got to visit The Whispering Knight, which I would loved to have done.
Harry Potter had one too: Wand of elder, never prosper.
ReplyDeletexx
I didn't know that, have never got around to reading HP
DeleteLove your posts like this! Folklore really interested me. I love the look of the Folklore of Plants book.
ReplyDeleteIt's a small book packed full of information
DeleteI some elder cuttings this summer and they are growing in a pot. I don't know whether to plant them this fall or over winter in the pot. I'm guessing they are deciduous.
ReplyDeleteYes deciduous. I would wait 'til spring I think
DeleteWell the Elder around our cottage and in the wood must be doing its job as we are not in the least bit troubled by any witches!!
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I said many years ago when I wrote a piece like this for the Suffolk Smallholders Newsletter. There were several elders around the hedges and in 23 years we ever once saw a witch!
DeleteHmm, guess I should have kept some elder branches in my work office to keep a few of the "witches" away. Luckily, I retire this year. :)
ReplyDeleteHa! loved that!
DeleteOne of the reasons that I love the blogging world, you learn something new every day.
ReplyDeleteI love looking things up in all my books and writing about interesting stuff
DeleteI am sure there are still old country people around Sue who believe many of these superstitions.
ReplyDeleteI always used to apologise to Elder if I had to cut any and I'm hoping the elderberry syrup will keep me well. That's enough superstition for now
DeleteLots of folklore around elders! I will have to research and see if any are suitable for planting here. There are a few "witches" I would like to keep away.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I'm not sure how widespread they are, would be interesting to know
Delete