The Ogham alphabet is the most ancient Irish writing script. There, every letter of the alphabet is associated with the name of a tree, and for this reason, ogam is sometimes known as the Celtic tree alphabet.
The ogham script was a secret means of communication for the druids and also a key to the spirit world.
There are roughly 400 surviving orthodox inscriptions on stone monuments throughout Ireland and western Britain, the bulk of which are in southern Munster. The largest number outside Ireland are in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Details of the Celtic tree calendar are as follows:
B for Beth (Birch) - December 24th - January 20th
L for Luis (Rowan) - January 21st - February 17th
N for Nion (Ash) - February 18th - March 17th
O for Onn (Golden Gorse) - March 21st Spring Equinox
F for Fearn (Alder) - March 18th - April 14th
S for Saille (Willow) - April 15th - May 12th
H for Huath (Hawthorn) - May 13th - June 9th
D for Duir (Royal Oak) - June 10th - July 17th
U for Ura (Heather) - June 21st Summer Solstice
T for Tinne (Holly) - July 18th - August 5th
C for Coll (Hazel) - August 5th - September 1st
Q for Quert (Apple) - September 2nd - September 29th
E for Eadha (Aspen) - September 21st Autumn Equinox
G for Gort (Ivy) - September 30th - October 27th
Ng for Ngetl (Broom) - October 28th - November 24th
Ss for Straif (Blackthorn) - Samhain/Hallowe'en
R for Ruis (Elder) - November 25th - December 21st
I for Idho (Yew) - December 21st Winter Solstice
A for Ailm (Pine) - December 23rd Birth of the Divine child
“Mountains overawe and oceans terrify, while the mystery of great forests exercises a spell peculiarly its own.”
—Algernon Blackwood, The Willows
The above quotation is from Algernon Blackwood’s 1907 preeminent horror novella, The Willows, a story that’s stayed with me since I first read it years ago. I'm a huge fan of anything that falls under the category of “Spooky Nature” (if you haven’t figured that out by now!) and Blackwood’s novellas and short stories like The Willows and The Man Whom The Trees Loved hold a special place in my creepy, tree-hugging heart. When I sat down to write this, I wanted to take a cue from Algernon Blackwood’s book (quite literally!) and write something about cursed and/or haunted trees. HOWEVER, during the course of my deep-dive into the Vegetable Kingdom (as Blackwood referred to it in his many writings) I found that all of it super Cursed— yes, Cursed with a capital C, because we’re talking Serious Business here. So, I’ve expanded my original idea beyond trees to include a variety of frightening flora, and I’ve chosen four plants to discuss: Elder Trees, Parsley (you’ll be surprised! Parsley is exceptionally Cursed), Hemlock, and of course, The Willow. I hope you’re prepared to take a casual stroll through the deep, dark woods. Take caution, however; there may be something foul and eldritch hiding in the underbrush…
Elder
In his book Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics, Richard Folkard relates an incredible Russian proverb: From all old trees proceeds either an owl or a devil. If there was a tree from whence the devil sprung forth from the fiery depths of hell, it would be the Elder. The nefarious reputation of the Elder dates back thousands of years, and in pre-Christian Europe, the Elder Tree was associated with magic and witchcraft. A type of dryad known as Hylde-Moer, or The Elder Tree Mother, was said to inhabit the Elder Trees of Denmark. One must always ask the permission of Hylde-Moer in order to cut down her tree and use her wood. If a wood chopper did not ask permission, the Elder Tree Mother herself would stalk those who took her wood and used it without her consent, giving them no rest. When Christianity was introduced into Europe, it was a common belief that the tree Judas hung himself from after betraying Jesus was an Elder. Some people even claimed that it was elder wood that built the cross that Jesus was crucified on.
Elder trees are inherently linked to witches and witchcraft. There is a story told in Northamptonshire about a father who cut off a branch from an Elder for his son, only to watch in horror as the tree started to bleed. As they made their way home after the terrifying incident, they came across a woman in town who was said to be a witch… a fresh bandage wrapped around an injured arm. In Ireland and the British Isles, many claimed that witches would ride broomsticks and use wands made of elder wood. It was also a common belief that witches could transform into Elder Trees (like in the tale from Northamptonshire) and there were even stories in Denmark of Elders creeping around at night, peering into the windows of unsuspecting homes. However, because apparently fighting fire with fire does work, Elder is a common counter-charm to battle witchcraft. One sure-fire protection against witchcraft were elderberries picked on— you guessed it— St. John’s Eve (because this wouldn’t be a folklore article about plants if I didn’t mention St. John’s Eve at some point).
Parsley (and Celery?)
It may come as a surprise, but Parsley is a plant with a particularly Cursed history. From my understanding, Parsley and Celery, both in the family Apiaceae, have been confused for one another as far back as Ancient Greek writings have been studied by Classical scholars. I am not a Classical scholar, however, and it seems like the Celery-Parsley debate was hotly contested well into the 20th century. As a result of this centuries-long dispute, I’ll be using both plants interchangeably. In Ancient Greece, both Parsley and Celery were associated with funerary rites and the dead. The origins of Parsley are attributed to the Greek Hero Archemorus, and it was said that Parsley sprung from wherever Archemorus’ blood seeped into the Earth. Victors of Greek Funerary games were given garlands of Parsley for this reason. Gravesites in Ancient Greece were adorned with Parsley, and Parsey was also associated with Persephone as well as Charon. Ancient Greek philosophers Chrysippus and Dionysus both thought it a grave offense to eat both Parsley and Celery, which should be reserved solely for funerary feasts.
Somewhere down the line, Parsley became viewed as some kind of Spawn of Satan in England and subsequently, The US. It was said that “Parsley grows only for the wicked” and required three plantings— one for the gardener and two for the Devil. In parts of the Eastern US, Parsley was blown on to the seedbed from pages of the Bible. All of this is news to me; I’m a quarter Lebanese and let me tell you, tabouli enthusiasts everywhere (myself included) are probably confused, if not a little horrified. I did some research, and the Ancient Romans did not share the Greek’s grim view of Parsley. In fact, the Roman cookbook Apicius contains many recipes including parsley/celery. I have my own thoughts on this, and will elaborate in the next section. In the meantime.. be careful with planting and transporting Parsley, okay?
Hemlock
Unlike our previous subject matter, Hemlock being on this list should come as no surprise to you. Interestingly enough —and this ties in with my theories about why Parsley became so Cursed— Hemlock is also in the family Apiaceae, much like Parsley. This family also includes popular favorites such as Celery (as I previously mentioned) Carrot, Parsnip, and a ton of other everyday vegetables and herbs. Hemlock has been referred to as “Poison Parsley '' and many other poisonous members of the Apiaceae family are similarly named, such as Fool’s Parsley (Aethusa cynapium) and Spotted Parsley (Cicuta maculatah). Hemlock is a highly poisonous plant, and every inch of it contains the toxic alkaloid coniine— which is fatal even in small doses. Hemlock is most known for being the poison Socrates was made to drink when sentenced to death for impiety and corrupting the youth of Ancient Greece. Again, I’m not a Classical scholar so I don’t know what became of Socrates after his forced suicide (and apparently google doesnt know either) but perhaps a garland of parsley was left on his tomb by one his many followers. This was a bit of a tangent, but I can’t help but feel the association that Parsley has with death and the devil are somehow related to its cousin, poison Hemlock.
But, I digress, back to the folklore. In the northern parts of Europe, most notably England, Hemlock was an important asset in a witch’s pharmacopœia. The root of hemlock, which was “digged in the dark”, was a favorite among all of those who practiced witchcraft, along with nightshade and vervain. The plant and herb were powerful tools of the witch, and must be harvested properly, often in accordance to moon phases. Roots, like the hemlock root, were usually harvested in the dark of the moon, which sounds really cool and witchy, but there is a scientific reason for it. According to LocalUMass.com, “light, and heat from the sun and moon draw a plant’s nutrient-dense fluids (the source of their medicinal properties) upwards and into their stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. Therefore, when it is coldest and darkest, roots are most robust.”
Listen, everything about hemlock is spooky in the best way possible. I will leave you with Hosea 10:4, which makes me think of a quote from Piers Haggard’s iconic 1971 folk horror film, Blood On Satan’s Claw.
“They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.”
Willows
I began this post with a quote from The Willows, and so we have finally made it to the titular Cursed Tree of Blackwood’s masterpiece of Weird Literature. Artists, like Algernon Blackwood, have been writing, painting, and singing about the Willow Tree for as long as mankind has been capable of expressing themselves through art. Throughout this long and storied history, the Willow has been associated with grief, death, wisdom, and longing, as well as being described as a bridge between our world and something else entirely. In Greek mythology, Orpheus carried a willow on his person during his visits to the underworld. Hecate, Greek Goddess of witchcraft ( as well as crossroads, the moon and many other things) is associated with the willow. Like Hecate, the willow tree is analogous with the moon, and is placed under the sign of the moon by astrologers. The Weeping Willow, in particular, has a strong association with death and the other side. In China, where they originate, Weeping Willows are used to mark gravesites.
In her book, Discovering The Folklore of Plants, Margaret Baker comments that individuals traveling through Exmoor have been stalked by willow trees moving on their own accord after nightfall; dark whispers trailing behind travelers on long stretches of solitary road. I can’t help but wonder, were these stories that inspired Blackwood? It brings me back to the Elder Trees in Denmark, peering into dim windows long after the sun has set.
I want to end on one more literary passage concerning the subject of Willow Trees, because as I mentioned previously, Willows have been capturing the imaginations of artists for centuries. From Christina Rosetti’s poem The Willow Shade:
Slow wind sighed through the willow leaves,
The ripple made a moan,
The world drooped murmuring like a thing that grieves;
And then I felt alone.
I rose to go, and felt the chill,
And shivered as I went;
Yet shivering wondered, and I wonder still,
What more that willow meant
~
If I’m being honest, I feel like I’ve only really scratched the surface of the wide-ranging, fascinating subject that is Cursed Plants and Witch Trees. But I hope, however, that you have found this interesting, or even a place to start your own research (which I highly recommend you do!) Of course, I will include my sources which can also act as a guide for further reading! (Friends, it has been a hot minute since I’ve written in any kind of MLA format so please let me know if something is incorrect!)
If you take one thing away from this, remember: always ask The Elder Mother before you chop her tree down, and for god’s sake, please make sure you’re consuming parsley and not hemlock!
Bibliography and Further Reading
“As Above, so Below: Digging Roots and Scattering Seeds under the Scorpio Moon.” SUSTAINABILITY, www.localumass.com/blog/as-above-so-below-digging-roots-and-scattering-seeds-under-the-scorpio-moon. Accessed 6 June 2022.
Andrews, Alfred C. “Celery and Parsley as Foods in the Greco-Roman Period.” Classical Philology, vol. 44, no. 2, Apr. 1949, pp. 91–99, 10.1086/363177. Accessed 3 Jun. 2022.
Baker, Margaret L. Discovering the Folklore of Plants. Oxford, Shire, 2008.
Folkard, Richard. Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics, Embracing the Myths, Traditions, Superstitions, and Folk-Lore of the Plant Kingdom, by Richard Folkard ... London, S. Low, 1884.
M Grieve. A Modern Herbal : The Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folklore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs and Trees with All Their Modern Scientific Uses. London England, Tiger Books International, 1998.
Mockler, W. E. “Moon Lore from West Virginia.” Folklore, vol. 50, no. 3, Sept. 1939, pp. 310–314, 10.1080/0015587x.1939.9718183. Accessed 12 Dec. 2021.
“Scholar Tree & Willow Tree | Dartmouth Folklore Archive.” Journeys.dartmouth.edu, journeys.dartmouth.edu/folklorearchive/2018/11/11/scholar-tree-willow-tree/. Accessed 6 June 2022.
“Willow Tree Mythology and Folklore.” Trees for Life, treesforlife.org.uk/into-the-forest/trees-plants-animals/trees/willow/willow-mythology-and-folklore/.
Folktale Week 2019
I participated in “Folktale Week” over on Instagram for the first time this year and had a blast!
4. Smoke - Around 1922, Lady Celia Congreve wrote a poem titled “Firewood Poem.” The poem gathered together a variety of folklore, and describes which types of wood are best for burning. Below is an excerpt from the poem:
“Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills you eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room,
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom.
Oaken logs, if dry and old,
Keep away the winter’s cold.
But Ash, wet or ash dry,
A king shall warm his slippers by.”
There is so much information in this book! It’s really fantastic. There needs to be an audio book version to listen to so I could absorb it more in other ways. I find it difficult to really fully take away all I would like to from reading since having children. That doesn’t keep me from trying. Even if I have to read the same page six times. Part of the reason I’ve been pushing myself to find time to read more lately. A desire to keep my mind more elastic and filling it with new knowledge. I bought this book at the Puget Sound Pagan Pride Day LAST YEAR and just finally finished it. I love that the author lives quite close to me as all she describes I can fairly easily track down. It’s been incredibly helpful already in the time it took me to regularly read a bit each day. I can’t recommend it enough. Especially, if you live in the Pacific Northwest! It’s got folk lore, folk medicinal uses, her personal practices, recipes and “crafting” instructions in each chapter. The appendixes also have more detailed “how to” information that is clear and easy to follow. Love it!
I don’t know why it never occurred to me that you can grow bonsai out of the witching trees.
Some do better than others, but there’s just so much potential to be had. Bonsai trees for deitic offerings, harvesting spell components, drawing power, and portability.
Now, I know what’s going to happen, you’re going to look up how to grow bonsai and it’s a long process. From seed and cuttings, it may take up to three years for you to have a presentable bonsai. It takes patience and care to miniaturize full trees. But that leads to a question.
Are you saying you won’t be a witch in a year? Two? More?
Had I started growing mini witching trees when I first started, I would be so happy. So for the new witches, college and dorm witches, start now. Here are some examples
Blackthorn bonsai, and it actually fruits
Yew bonsai
Hawthorn bonsai
Rowan bonsai
And a personal favorite I’m about to start
Pacific Poison Oak Bonsai
If anyone wants to exchange seeds and cuttings let me know! I’ll determined to get some blackthorn but I’ve got birch and cedar and redwood to start!
