Sinister Yet Helpful: A Celtic Tree Paradox

It is said that nothing grows in the shadow of a yew tree, Still, the Celts also saw it as a symbol of longevity and rebirth.

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In ancient Celtic societies, cutting a tree down could result in a death sentence. Yes, you read that right. Now, this severe penalty only occurred in the case of specific types of trees. For example, in Scotland, cutting down an aspen was considered the equivalent of killing a human. But even when felling a tree didn’t result in execution, the guilty party could still face a devastating fine, for example, a milk cow or two.

Don’t laugh. The Celts took their cows almost as seriously as they did trees. With good cause. The cows provided food and indicated social status. To learn more, read my “Counting Cows.”

Many trees could be cut and used to build houses, boats, spears, and other useful things. So, why the prohibitions and fines against certain trees? Some, like oaks and hazels, were sacred. Then there were others that, if injured, could cause danger to the community.

Irish folk belief taught that alder trees were guarded by angry spirits. If an alder were cut, the spirits would retaliate by burning down all nearby houses. So, cutting these trees was prohibited and punishable by a fine of a prime milk cow. Your neighbors would not be too happy with you either!

The Value of Trees

     I’ve started with these stories to emphasize the importance of trees in Celtic culture. The druids created a system to classify trees, giving them labels such as Nobles of the Woods and Commoners of the Woods, that indicated their value.

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Trees provided more than building materials. Some, such as the willow, offered healing. Its bark contains salicin, a natural pain reliever. Others, according to folk belief, provided protection. Celtic folklore recommends planting a rowan in your yard to protect your house from lightning. Also, rowan blossoms placed on the windowsill are said to protect your home from malign spirits.

Some trees had spiritual value. The druids taught that ash trees connected the earth to the sky. Hawthorns were a portal to the Otherworld.

But some trees had a bad reputation. The elder tree was said to have a bad temper, a spirit of mischief, and hostility towards children. But the yew tree seems even more ominous. It is associated with death. With good cause. Every part of the gnarly-looking tree is poisonous to some degree. It grows alone and, according to folklore, nothing grows in its shadow. Ivy, on the other hand, seems filled with life. It stays green throughout the winter and, in general, is difficult to kill. Despite all those positive attributes, the druids considered ivy sinister.

Why is it, then, that the Celts also thought each of these trees was beneficial, inspirational, and / or protective?

Celtic Mindset

To understand why Celts might have thought a sinister or hostile tree could be beneficial to humans, you first have to understand two important tenets of Celtic belief: balance and the infusion of the divine. Modern people in Western culture have a tendency to view reality in terms of opposites: light and dark, night and day, male and female. For the Celts, there was more to it than that. They believed in a male energy and a female energy. But they also believed a third energy existed between these two opposite and equal forces, and that it brought about balance, like a third leg on a stool.

Contemporary thought may say that night turns into day, but the Celts paid attention to dawn, when the sun isn’t quite up yet. They also noticed that daytime transitioned to twilight. Night fell only after twilight. These two liminal times—dawn and twilight—were considered highly magical, as were all in-betweens.

Two women talking in an in-between space at twilight.

A boundary line, marking where one property ended and another began, is infinitesimally thin. Nevertheless, this in-between was a place where one could encounter the supernatural or slip into the Otherworld. To the Celtic mind, reality was much more complex than modern thought, with its emphasis on scientifically-proven data, tends to allow. To the Celts, a tree might have a menacing dark side, but there was more to it than met the eye.

It is also important to note that Celtic spirituality taught that everything was infused with a spark of the divine. Everything—person, animal, tree, or even a tool—was blessed. But that term needs to be explained in context. Today, people bless things to consecrate them. Something that is blessed is set aside for a sacred purpose. The word is also used to describe someone who has been gifted by God.

For the Celts, a person, an animal, or a broom (or whatever) did not need to be blessed. It already was blessed by the presence of divinity within it. So, even a tree that was hostile to children contained a divine gift. One simply had to discern that gift.

Let’s look more closely at how ivy, elder, and yew illustrate this Celtic perspective.

Ivy: Sinister, Magical, and Persevering

Let’s start with the obvious. Most of us wouldn’t think of ivy as a tree. It’s a vine. The druids, however, classified a plant with a woody stem as a tree.

Why did they consider ivy sinister? If you’ve ever gotten Irish or English ivy in your garden—or even your yard—you know the answer. These plants are not only invasive; they’re killers. They take over, smothering the ground cover. They wind themselves around trees, eventually depriving the tree of vital sunlight. Also, their berries can be toxic to animals such as dogs, cats, and cattle.  At the same time, ivy is hard to kill and, even if you cut it away, it will grow back.

The druids considered ivy sinister, but Irish folklore taught that ivy growing near (or on) one's home protected the family and brought good luck.

Still, the druids admired the plant’s perseverance and believed, because of its evergreen nature, that it contained powerful magic that kept it alive during winter. The druids sometimes wore a circlet of ivy on their heads for clarity of thought. Bards wore it to increase their creativity. Everyday Celts associated ivy with good luck. If it grew near their house, it would, according to folklore, protect the family from dark forces. But if it fell—or worse—died, that was a sign of imminent catastrophe.

During the winter, Celts brought ivy into their homes in the hopes that the magic that kept the plant alive during winter would protect them as well. And they were on to something. Modern science has discovered that ivy is a natural air purifier. It has been shown to reduce the spread of colds and viruses, as well as reduce allergies.

So, unchecked, this plant is a destroyer. The Celts, however, found a way to tap into its gifts.

Elder: The Bad-Tempered Healer

Elderberry is popular today as a way to increase the immune system. This is not a folk belief. The berries are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, both of which are known for helping the body fight off disease. Clinical studies have shown that elderberry syrup can reduce the symptoms and duration of colds and flus, as well. In addition, the berries have an anti-inflammatory property, and often are used in herbal medicine to reduce pain from arthritis, sciatica, and neuralgia. 

Is it any wonder Celtic folk medicine considered the elder’s fruit an essential part of the healing toolbox? But since raw berries are toxic, the healer had to know how to cook and process them to make them safe to take. (Note: it’s still important that you only take elderberry products made by a reputable manufacturer or herbalist.)

According to Irish folklore, making a crib of elder wood is inviting faeries to steal your baby,

Despite the elder’s invaluable help to Celtic health, it was associated with death and endings. Folklore said the tree had a bad temper and a spirit of mischief. The lore warned that any child or animal hit with a stick of elder wood would stop growing and, therefore, die. Irish folklore claims that placing a child in a crib made of elder wood is only inviting the faeries to steal the child.

Even so, the tree had its protective side. According to folklore, planting the tree in your yard will protect your house from lightning. It also is said to prevent dark spirits from sneaking into your home. Associated with that thought is the belief that the elder has banishing properties. Its flowers were hung over barn doors to protect the animals from faerie mischief and other possible harms. To learn more about the folklore associated with elder trees, read my post, “It’s Elder Time!”

Yew: The Death Tree as a Symbol of Longevity

The twisted-looking yew tree can be a blood-chilling sight. Its appearance provides an appropriate warning. Every part of this tree is, to varying degrees, poisonous. The Celts used to dip their arrows in its toxic sap.  Frequently found in graveyards, the yew became known in Irish folklore as the Guardian of the Dead. The truth is the tree was there before the graveyard.

Yews are extremely long-lived, often living for thousands of years. Also, they have the ability to regenerate.  New branches form within dying ones. As a result, the yew also came to be a symbol of longevity and rebirth.

The Celts also saw the yew as a symbol of strength, wisdom, and mystery. Druids made rods for divination from yew wood. Some made their wands from this tree as well. They believed that voices from the Otherworld could whisper to presiders during sacred rituals.

The paradox of a tree associated with death being a symbol of long life as well as rebirth highlights the Celtic attitude towards life. When faced with something dark and ominous, look to see how this thing—be it a tree or a situation—can be a blessing. The Celts believed that darkness moves towards light, and death moves towards life. So too, a difficult or painful experience can result in growth and benefit.

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All artwork for this post (except for the Ukranian flag and the GIF) by Christine Dorman via Bing Image Creator.

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