Hawthorn is a common sight around the UK. With it comes a slew of folklore and superstitions! Its name comes from Anglo-Saxon word ‘hagedorn’, which means ‘hedge thorn’. This refers to its use as a boundary plant. Farmers used hawthorn in their hedges to protect their crops or cattle from witches (Woolf 2015). Some believed […]
Folklore
Elder Trees: Medicine, Protection, and Witches
Elder trees are a common sight in the UK. Their frothy white flowers dip from hedgerows. Then the sprays of dark berries lend themselves to elderberry cordial or wine. But there’s a stranger side to the elder tree. Beloved for its ability to protect one from witches, they’re also believed to be witches in disguise. […]
Churches, Death and Resurrection: The Yew in Folklore
Yew (Taxus baccata) is a very poisonous tree, appearing in both English legend and folklore. Source of the wood for our famous longbows, it also stands guard over churchyards and sacred sites. The trees also grow to ancient ages, with some even believed to be as old as 2,500 years. True, it’s difficult to ‘date’ […]
How to use rowan to protect your house (and livestock)
Rowan trees have long been associated with witchcraft and magic. Its wood acted as an antidote against fairies, the Evil Eye, and even disease. It even bore the name of the “wayfarer’s tree” since it stopped people from getting lost on a journey. Patricia Monaghan notes the tree is often found near ancient monuments, stone […]
Pay a visit to the Dead House!
The name ‘dead house’ conjures up all kinds of ideas, doesn’t it? Is it a house occupied by the dead? Is it a rotten house that no one lives in anymore? Some beliefs posit the idea that the spirit can’t move on until the body is finally at peace. Others explore the notion that the […]
Meet Charon: the legendary ferryman of Greek myth!
Charon, the ancient ferryman of Greek myth, is one of those figures that pops up even where other deities get ignored or forgotten. Sometimes people simply call him ‘the ferryman’ and he loses his name, but we all know who we’re referring to. But who was Charon, and what is the folklore surrounding him? Hit […]
