INTRODUCTION TO THE OGHAM PART II
- casey8404
- Apr 12, 2023
- 11 min read
Updated: Apr 13, 2023
THIS POST PICKS UP FROM MY PREVIOUS POST: INTRODUCTION TO THE OGHAM PART I.
THE HAWTHORN
Unlike the majority of the trees in the ogham script, the Hawthorn was associated with bad luck and potential harm. This could be because, in Europe, spirits and fairies met at the Hawthorn. However, as is customary with sacred symbols, the Hawthorn also represented positive things like virginity, chastity, and the "miraculous virgin conception." It also reportedly protection against sorcery and was sacred to Hecate (which is conflicting, in that she is the goddess of witches and the underworld), Flora, Hymen and Maia (Cooper: 1978). Additionally, placing Hawthorn and other thorny plants on barn thresholds to keep witches out was a tradition associated with Walpurgis night (Porteous: 1996).
The Hawthorn was closely linked with many taboos. An Irish proverb, "to cut down a hawthorn tree is to risk great peril," was clearly supported by anecdotal evidence. According to the Radfords, two brothers cut down a whole grove of Hawthorn trees on their property so one of the brothers became "fairy stricken," and this condition was uncurable (Radord & Mona: 1945). Another Garrglass farmer cut down one Hawthorn and therefore suffered disastrous results. He lost all of his cattle, his children died, and he could no longer afford to live on his farm. "Two generations of successors at the farm are said never to have prospered," the Radfords wrote.
The Hawthorn also represented chastity; it was forbidden to marry during the month of May, which was the month of the Hawthorn in the ancient world. It was also the month of purification, when all of Vesta's temples were swept clean. However, over time, the Hawthorn and the month of May became associated with the goddess Flora, Maypole dancing, and sensuality.
The Glastonbury thorn, or Hawthorn, with its Christian legend of Joseph of Arimathea striking his Hawthorn staff in the earth and the staff growing into a mature tree, was most likely the result of the Church canonizing the tree "to discourage the orgiastic use of Hawthorn blossoms" (Graves: 1948).
Certain folk medicinal canon has also been passed down through the ages in connection with Hawthorn. In the 1920s, some Utah residents believed that bringing a flowering Hawthorn into the home would result in the death of the family. However, those in Arkansas believed that wearing Hawthorn as a necklace was a sure cure for rheumatism.
In the 1920s and 1930s, folklore throughout the west and southwest of the United States said, "If you want to be beautiful, you must wash your face in the dew of the Hawthorn on the first of May" (UCLA). Such connections to Mayday are significant. A similar ritual was reported in the 1920s in Canada. For "rosy cheeks" you had to sit near a Hawthorn at dusk with a red silk ribbon, touch the cheek with the ribbon, and then walk three times around the hawthorn reciting a certain "formula” (Cantero: 1929).
The boundaries of the fairy world were said to be marked by Hawthorn trees growing on hills or near certain holy wells.
THE HAZEL
The most sacred tree in the Druid grove was Hazel, which represented wisdom, magic, divination, inspiration, and chthonic powers. The Hazel was associated with fertility and divination in England. It was widely known as the Celtic Tree of Life and was linked to the Mother Goddess. Those who ate Hazel nuts would gain wisdom, but only a sacred few were permitted to do so. "All knowledge of the arts and sciences was bound up with the eating of these nuts," Graves wrote (Graves: 1948). The "nine Hazels of poetic arts" that grew near Tipperary's Connla's well were said to fruit and flower simultaneously.
Hazel was also valued for its ability to create powerful wands. It was known as the Wishing or Divining Rod and was used in magic as well as finding hidden springs and treasure. Additionally, Hazel was known as a "lightning shrub." It was thought to serve as a lightning rod and was frequently attached to door or window frames for added protection during storm (Thompson: 1932). "Wishing Caps" were once made of hazel twigs and when they were worn, they could grant any wish (Radford: 1949). Even ship captains wore them because they believed it would help their ship weather any storm.
HOLLY
The Holly was a symbol of health and happiness for the Roman god Saturn. It is also a sun god's attribute, and in Christianity, it is the symbol of the tree used to build the cross, "its spiked leaves representing the crown of thorns and the passion, and its red berries representing Christ's blood" (Cooper: 1978). Please await a future post on Jesus as a sun God.
Holly was the plant of death and renewal for the Druids, and it was sacred to Hel, the goddess of the Underworld. Decorating the home with Holly and ivy boughs dates back to the Dionysian solstice festivals and was condemned by the early Church when Christians chose to continue the practice [deck the halls with boughs of Holly?]. In 563 CE, the Council of Bracara condemned it as well, saying that no Christian should bring Holly into his or her home because it was a custom of "heathen people" and yet ;)
Contrary to Christian belief, the red berries symbolized the female blood-of-life color. Holly, like many other sacred trees and plants, possesses a dual personality. It is said that German witches frequently used Holly wood for ritual wands, but other lore claims that Holly was used to safeguard properties and animals from witchcraft (Franklin: 2005). According to Franklin, "no witch or fairy can cross a holly wood threshold, and a holly hedge keeps them off the property." “That witches hate it,” wrote Ronald Millar “is a strong indication that it is a Druidical charm far older than its Christian association” (Miller: 1997.)
THE ROWAN
The name "Rowan" is derived from the old Norse word "runa," which means "charm."
Rowan, like hawthorn, holly and several other sacred trees, was thought to keep witches at bay if planted near the entrances to homes and barns. In Germany, the Rowan must be cut on Ascension Day for the boughs to be useful against witches. It was gathered on May day (Beltane) in Scotland.
As with many sacred trees and plants, there is a range of folklore traditions having to do with the Rowan. The crimson berries were thought to have magical life-extension properties in Nordic folklore. According to legend, the berries had the "animating influence of the deity" (Mackenzie: 1996). According to Midwest American mythology, if a lady waved a Rowan branch over her sleeping area three times and then tossed it beneath the bed, she would not be able to conceive. However, according to Finnish folklore, if the Rowan berries are abundant in the fall, many illegitimate children will be born the following year.
The Rowan was also used to heal wounds and in transference rituals. The ailment was not transferred to the tree, but to Rowan berries, which were then hung on bushes along a walkway where pedestrians could touch them, thereby receiving the disease and releasing the original individual who had been afflicted (Black: 1883).
The Rowan was commonly employed throughout Britain for protection against lightning and witchcraft charms by the Druids (Graves: 167). In Ireland, it may have even be hammered through a corpse to pin its ghost into the grave. Rowan wood was the most powerful and widespread charm used throughout Scotland to keep the Evil Eye away from cattle, people, and dwellings, as well as to keep diseases, witches, and fairies away from livestock. Rowan wood was also used to make shepherd's crooks in Estonia and Sweden (Radford: 1949). "Flying Rowan," (a Rowan found growing on walls, high mountains, or between the limbs of other trees) was thought to be exceptionally effective against witchcraft. Because it does not grow on the ground, witches were said to be helpless against it (Frazer: 1981).
The Rowan was revered in many Slavic countries, and the sun goddess Saule was believed to sit atop a birch or rowan tree (Jones & Pennick: 1995).
"
That Rowan is frequently found growing near standing stones is considered significant," Millar writes, "and that rowan gave protection against witchcraft might be a factor here" (Millar: 1997).
THE SILVER FIR
Pan and Odin, as well as the Moon Goddess Artemis, revered the fir. The Fir was a sacred tree to Artemis and since she was the goddess of birthing; the Fir was regarded as the principal birth-tree across Northern Europe.
The ancient technique of transference was used in several rites. Gout sufferers in Germany would go to a young Fir tree, tie a knot on one of the twigs, and say, "God guard thee, noble fir tree, I bring thee my gout" (Radford: 1949).
Poachers observed a more nefarious practice of swallowing seeds from a Fir cone spotted growing upwards before daybreak on St. John's Day, turning the poacher invisible.
THE WHITE POPLAR
The poplar is referred to as "a tree of the waters” (Cooper: 1978). The White poplar (also known as Aspen) represents the Elysian Fields in Greco-Roman mythology, whereas the black represents Hades and the underworld. To be more empathetic to the Black poplar, I will add that it was revered by Mother Earth and served as a funerary tree in pre-Hellenic Greece.
According to Robert Graves, the white poplar is "the tree of the autumn equinox and old age" (Graves: 1948).
We are also reminded by Philpot that Zeus was born beneath a tree in Crete (Philpot: 2004).
Because of its "trembling leaf" the Aspen has been allocated specific roles in Christian lore. According to Porteous, the most famous mythology is "that the Aspen was one of the trees chosen to furnish wood for the Cross, and that its leaves have trembled ever since" (Porteous: 1996). Evidently, in the early attempts of the Christian Church to smear the sacred symbols of paganism, many of the trees sacred to ancient traditions were described as having given wood for the Cross. Not just the aspen, but also the oak, mistletoe, fig, ash, and the elder have legends associated with them.
THE WILLOW
In her virgin state, the Willow was one of the goddess Hecate's symbols. The Moon Goddess, Europa, Kwan-yin, Artemis, Hera, Tammuz, and Esus all revere this charmed tree. The Cosmic Tree of Accadia was a willow.
Willow wands played an important role in the ceremonies of numerous Middle Eastern religions, notably Dionysus', and were included into the Day of Willows feast, subsequently known as the Feast of the Tabernacle (Walker: 1996).
Due to the alleged magical characteristics of Willow, it was also valued as a source wood for the production of divining rods. These rods may not only lead to hidden treasures, but also drive away "powers of darkness, serpents, and other evils" (Porteous: 1996).
Cooper writes that it is especially precious to the Ainu since they believed that "the first man's spine was made of willow" (Cooper: 1978). The Ainu culture and mythology originated between the 9th and 13th century.
The village hedge witches in Britain utilized Willow bark for the treatment of fevers and arthritis, which was beneficial because of its aspirin properties, however, according to legend, animals struck with a Willow rod "will be seized with internal pains" (Burns: 1996), and youngsters struck with it, like older people, were believed to stop growing (Simpson & Roud: 2000).
In other lore, the Willow's relationship with magic stems from its natural habitat near water; it is thought to symbolize the passage to the underworld. "Willow" may be derived from the Old Norse word vigger, from which "wicker" is also derived.
THE YEW
The Yew is the final tree in the ogham.
The Yew is not considered as a death tree for causing death (though some tradition suggests that death will shortly follow if particular yews are irreverently plucked), but rather as a "gentle guardian of the dead." In Greece and Italy, the Yew is devoted to Hecate, and it is known as the "death tree" in all European countries. For this reason, it is a common churchyard tree. "In Brittany," said Graves, "churchyard yews are said to spread a root to the mouth of each corpse" (Burns: 1914). The Yew was also one of Ireland's Five Magical Trees and to the Welsh it was considered sacrilegious to burn or cut down a yew (Radford: 1949). Because of its association with death, it was considered bad luck to bring a yew into your home.
Like many of the other trees I've mentioned, the Yew has dual symbolism. While it represented loss and sadness, it also represented immortality to Christians and Celts. According to the researcher Gale Owen, "the yew-tree can be either an optimistic or a pessimistic symbol; as an evergreen, its branches may be used in ceremonies. Winter fertility rituals serve as a reminder of renewal. Despite this, its leaves are quite dark...The Romans connected yew with poison and death" (Owen: 1985).
The Yew was also one of two trees used by the Druids in wand making, the other being the rowan. The utilization of Yew in the creation of power wands was widespread throughout the world. Yew was also used in the "power sticks" of the Tillamook shamans along the Oregon coast.
The Yew, like the other sacred trees and plants, was used to treat ailments and injuries. The use of Yew berries as a therapy for heart palpitations was popular in the seventeenth century. According to Czech folklorist Josef Cizmár, "some regions, blessed twigs of yew-tree are used in smoking cures of eye ailments,"(Cizmár: 1946) and Yew sawdust was used as a rabies cure. Another rabies treatment involves a pretty complicated ceremony: It is necessary to boil savory and Yew, then combine in the extract rye flour (after cooling) and cut a small amount of window lead into the dough. The ingredients should then be cooked into three cakes, which the sick person should consume on an empty stomach. After prayers (Lord Prayer and Ave Maria said five times; Credo, one time), he/she should offer everything to the Five Wounds of Jesus Chris
REFERENCES:
The Hawthorn:
Cooper, J. C. An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. 1978, 80
Porteous, Alexander, The Lore of the Forest. London: Senate, 1996, 257.
Radford, Edwin and Mona A. Encyclopaedia of Superstitions. New York: Philosophical Library 1949, 145.
Graves, Robert. The White Goddess. New York: The Noonday Press 1948, 176.
UCLA Folklore Archives, Record # 5_6336.
Cantero, Antonio. “Occult Healing Practices in French Canada” in Canadian Medical Association Journal, New Series 20, (1929), 305.
The Hazel:
Graves, Robert. The White Goddess. New York: The Noonday Press 1948, 182.
Thompson, C.J.S. The Hand of Destiny: Everyday Folklore and Superstitions. London: Senate, 219 (A reprint of the 1932 edition published by Rider & Company, London
Radford, Edwin and Mona A. Encyclopaedia of Superstitions. New York: Philosophical Library 1949, 145.
Holly:
Cooper, J. C. An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. 1978, 84
Franklin, Anna. The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Fairies. London: Paper Tiger/Chrysalis Books 2004, 186
Millar, Ronald. The Green Man Companion and Gazetteer. East Sussex: S.B. Publications 1997, 68.
Rowan:
Mackenzie, Donald A. Ancient Man in Britain. London: Senate 1996, 180 (A reprint of the 1922 edition published by Blackie &Son Ltd., London)
Black, William George. Folk-Medicine: A Chapter in the History of Culture. London: Publications of the Folk-Lore Society #12, 1883, 39
Graves, Robert. The White Goddess. New York: The Noonday Press 1948, 167.
Radford, Edwin and Mona A. Encyclopaedia of Superstitions. New York: Philosophical Library 1949, 206
Frazer, James G. The Golden Bough: The Roots of Religion and Folklore, Vol. 1. New York: Avenel Books 1981, 391 (A reprint of the 1890 edition published by Macmillan, London)
Jones, Prudence & Nigel Pennick. A History of pagan Europe. New York: Barnes & Noble Books 1995, 68.
Millar, Ronald. The Green Man Companion and Gazetteer. East Sussex: S.B. Publications 1997, 68
The Silver Fir:
Radford, Edwin and Mona A. Encyclopaedia of Superstitions. New York: Philosophical Library 1949, 206
The White Poplar:
Cooper, J. C. An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. 1978, 134
Graves, Robert. The White Goddess. New York: The Noonday Press 1948, 193.
Philpot, Mrs. J.H. The Sacred Tree in Religion and Myth. Mineola: Dover Publications Inc. 2004, 76 (A reprint of the 1897 edition published by Macmillan and Co. Ltd, New York & London).
Porteous, Alexander, The Lore of the Forest. London: Senate, 1996, 276.
The Willow:
Walker, Barbara G. The Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. Edison: Castle Books 1996, 1076.
Porteous, Alexander, The Lore of the Forest. London: Senate, 1996, 262.
Burns, Charlotte Sophia. The Handbook of Folklore. London: Senate 1996, 32 (A reprint of the 1914 edition published by Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd., London).
Simpson, Jacquelin and Steve Roud. Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2000, 392
Cooper, J. C. An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. 1978, 192.
The Yew:
Burns, Charlotte Sophia. The Handbook of Folklore. London: Senate 1996, 32 (A reprint of the 1914 edition published by Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd., London).
Radford, Edwin and Mona A. Encyclopaedia of Superstitions. New York: Philosophical Library 1949, 264.
Owen, Gale R. Rites and Religions of the Anglo-Saxons. Dorset Press 1985, 56
Cizmár, Josef. Lidové lékarství v Ceskoslovensku. Vol. 2. Czechoslovakia: Melantrich, A.S. 1946, 200
Inspo and bibliography:
Varner, G, R. 2006. The mythic forest, the green man and the spirit of nature: the re-emergence of the spirit of nature from ancient times into modern society, Algora Publishing.
Disclaimer: Besides the authorship of this article, none of this is my original work - nor do I claim that it is. All credit goes to the respective authors in the reference list and bibliography. For PDFs of their ebooks, journal papers and articles etc, contact me on the contact section included on my site. Thank you.
Comments