Some ancient beliefs about the powers of certain trees have since been proven scientifically. Yet, folk traditions in Ireland and England claim that the ash tree is the first tree to be struck by lightning. In the Scottish Highlands, newborn babies were fed the sap that oozed out the end of a burning green stick of ash. Noted for their strong and flexible timber and the delicacy of their leaves, ash trees also had associations with healing and fertility through their symbolic link with water and wells. Mature ash trees were thought to be a symbol of the wellbeing of the land itself. With its shiny white bark, birch also featured in many summertime festivals. And birch branches were put over cradles to protect babies in the Scottish Hebrides.
OGHAM FEWS FOUND ON TREE BRANCHES MAC
The word for oak in both Irish and Welsh means a chief and oak trees were often found near ancient royal sites across Ireland.īeith, the Irish word for birch is found in the Kerry town of Glenbeigh – Gleann Beithe, or glen of the birch – and the Dublin suburb of Terenure is derived from Tir an Iuir, or land of the yew.īirch trees featured strongly as a symbol of love in Celtic times, according to Mac Ciotir.
“The oak is a symbol of kingship because of its connotations of strength and fertility,” writes Mac Coitir. Kildare – Cill Dara – is church of the oak. For example, Derry city, in Irish is Doire Cholmcille, Colmcille’s oakwood. The oak was a very important tree to the Celts and several well-know Christian sites are associated with oak groves. Charles Nelson in his book, Trees of Ireland, recorded over 1,600 townlands in Ireland containing the word “doire” or oakwood which reflected how widespread oak forests once were. The significance of trees in people’s lives can also be seen by the number of place names across the country derived from trees. For example, twigs of mountain ash were placed around milk churns or on the tails of cows to protect the milk from the fairies. “One of the things which surprised me most in my research was the strong emphasis on how trees were used to protect the livelihood of farmers and particularly to protect their cattle and dairy products,” says Mac Ciotir. “I researched the folklore collections at University College Dublin and studied local history and local folklore books including books by William Butler Yeats and Lady Gregory,” explains Mac Coitir. Mac Coitir, who works full-time in the planning department of Fingal County Council, spent four years researching the folklore of Irish trees. And, there was not a split – as there is now – between folklore and natural history. In ancient Ireland and across Europe, mythology and folklore were an integral part of the knowledge surrounding each tree, according to Niall Mac Coitir, the author of Irish Trees – Myths, Legends & Folklore (Gill Books). The importance of trees for shelter, food and clean air as well as for their aesthetic and amenity value is prominent in global debates about natural solutions to climate change and urban spaces for pedestrians and cyclists.īut trees have always been a part of human consciousness, and our connection to trees was celebrated in mythology and folklore long before their scientific and environmental values were proven. Our appreciation of trees seems to peak in the autumn months as we witness the splendorous colour of leaves falling from broadleaf trees.
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