Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
infertile. The Erythrina tree is accorded magical properties in curing mumps
in children. It is true that some of these ideas are just superstitions - stories
without a sound empirical base. But drawing the line between what may
only be an unfounded superstition and something with more than a degree
of truth is not easy.
In Britain, most folklore about plants and animals has its roots in
Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Norse traditions that date from 1000
to 2000 years ago. Some trees are associated with magic, such as the oak,
and others with repelling witches, such as the holly (or iron tree), which
is also a protector against lightning and fires. Other important trees
include elder (a sacred tree in Celtic religion), ash (well known for curing
illnesses), birch (for protection against witches), hawthorn (for good milk
yields and lightning protection), and yew (with its associations with death
as a graveyard plant).
In his Flora Britannica , Richard Mabey suggests that at least 500
churchyards in England and Wales, out of 12,000 surviving churches,
contain yew trees that are at least as old as the church itself. 35 Such ancient
trees, living for up to 1000 years, are associated with the accumulation
of many memories and customs. The oak, of course, has special signif-
icance: the shanty 'heart of oak are our ships, heart of oak are our men'
has been part of national folklore for over two centuries. Oak leaves garland
and disguise carvings of the pagan 'green man', still seen in many churches.
Some uses of plants are tied to collective and family customs, particularly
gathering bilberry, also known as whortleberry and whinberry, with
families from Devon, Somerset, Shropshire, Surrey, the Isle of Man and the
Pennines travelling up to the moors in August to gather berries for home
use. People engaged in these activities take great care. One west country
woman says: 'we gathered it carefully, not haphazardly, remembering there was a
tomorrow' .
Wild plants may no longer have livelihood relevance; without them,
most Britons would not suffer hunger, or lack for medicines. But they still
retain an encouragingly deep cultural significance. We may buy plastic-
wrapped fruit and microwave meals, where food is not much more than
a commodity; but many wild plants still have a wider significance. As
Mabey puts it:
Plants have had symbolic significance as well as utilitarian meanings since the
beginnings of civilization. They have been tokens of birth, death, harvest, and
celebration, and omens of good (and bad) luck. They are powerful emblems of place
and identity, too, not just of nations, but of villages, neighbourhoods, even personal
retreats.
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