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The Fae Trees of Britain

Written by 8people







Norse traditions quite like the tree (On a recent Viking reading bonanza I went on!) I learnt that the first woman was made from the rowan and it was a tree that saved Thor by bending over a river in the underworld so he could cross it. It is a preferred wood for runes and staves. In britain it is considered a tree of protection and enchantment, in part because of their vibrant red berries (Reminiscent of the Red Thread topic that mentions red being protective, only source I've found seems to be Scottish on the matter "Rowan Tree and Red Thread, Tines witches in their stead) the wood is good for dowsing rods and used for wands frequently, it is supposed to repel storms and lightning and also planted near graves to prevent the dead from rising to haunt the living. Like the Elder tree it is beneficial for dairy farmers and cattle herders as the rowan wood was supposed to repel cattle targetting magics.

The bark and berries are used for dyes (blacks usually) and there is much taboo about burning the wood of the Rowan, it's use aside from berries expected to only be used in ritual and purposeful manner. There is an accepted ruling that using a knife against a rowan tree is forbidden throughout much of britain where tree lore is still observed and respected.

The berries can apparently be a substitute for coffee beans as a drink, the berries are used in jams and jellies that have a slightly tart flavour that compliments game. Like Elderberries they are also used in wines and alcoholic beverages to give flavour. They should not be consumed raw as not only is the flavour improved by cooking, but the acids that cause indegestion and can damage the kidneys are broken down into safe variations.

The final in the trio, Hawthorn is one of the trees which is most commonly associated with the Faerie Queen, having strong enough ties to the underworld and the fae realms that she may appear next to one the easiest of the three trees. The plant is named after the month of may which is when it flowers, so it is sometimes used in maytide celebrations - However, it is noted also that as the plant is so associated with death that it is not good to bring the flowers into the home. The plant produces the scent of decaying flesh (including being blamed for the plagues in britain at one point in hitsory [from a scientific point of view there is a chemical in the blossoms that is also present in decaying animal tissues])

Aside from the fearful flowers the leaves, berries and even blossoms were made into wines, jellies, jams and teas. The leaves and flowers supposed to help stabilise blood pressure. The berries can be dried and used as a digestive aid throughout the year as necessary (which is interestingly paired with the raw berries of Rowan causing digestive distress.) Too much hawthorn infusions ingested can lead to very low blood pressure and arrhythmia, if you feel nausea or sedated after consuming hawthorn products reduce or cease the consumption to allow your system to level out again.

In contrast to Rowan, Hawthorn is a wood that is popular for carving and creating handles for tools and decorations. It grows in soil of very varied qualities and grows well in clay sodden soils making it good for areas where water conservation is difficult (It is even being used by forestry commissions for such a purpose)

It is also rarely burnt, and supposed to be avoided, but can't find any specific references right now as to the reason why.

The Trio
In celtic folklore the three are considered feminine trees. However in some regions of britain (including what I follow) will attribute a mix of male and female qualities to the plants.

All three trees are commonly found in areas significant to modern pagans and older heathens usually arranged in rings (sometimes even naturally forming circles that are surprisingly even) they are supposed to be associated with the goddess and goddess worship.

Within my own faith and craft the trees as a triple are considered the flourishing embodiments of elemental aspects of the air and the concsious and subconcious mind. They are useful in combination or singularly for dream interpretation, exploration and understanding of the self. The trees in part form a timeline of events, Elder as the inception and beginning, Rowan as the action and middle, Hawthorn as the conclusion and end. All three have attibutes with death as well which with their aspects of the mind (if you find such attribute makes sense to your work) are a useful focus in contemplation of death and for preparing yourself for any necromantic or death oriented magics, rituals or practices. As well as steeling the mind if one attends to work with the fae who enjoy to play tricks of perception and convoluted logic.



Do you follow the school of thought and place in lore regarding flowering and non-flowering trees of the Isles?

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That depends, which school in particular you are referring to ;)

I've heard plenty of attributes over the years for flowering and non-flowering plants so you might have to elaborate a little for me, I like to answer as accurately as possible :)
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It is just trees i am referring to, non-flowering=no, flowering=yes, generally speaking.
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