FOLKLORE
Britain's Sacred Trees Surveyed: Oak, Rowan, Hawthorn and Holly Take the Stand
A Spooky Isles feature on the folklore, magic and pagan calendar of the nation's woodland a sturdy cast of characters.
THE BRITISH ISLES — A feature published by the website Spooky Isles turns its attention to the trees of Britain, which it describes as sacred, and promises readers a tour of their folklore, magic and place in the pagan calendar.
According to the brief summary accompanying the piece, the survey begins with the mighty oak, a tree it treats with evident respect. The article then moves on to the rowan, which the summary describes as protective.
The hawthorn follows, characterised by the publication as fairy-haunted, a description that will surprise no one acquainted with country tradition. The evergreen holly completes the list named in the summary, though the full article may well include further species.
Only the introductory summary was available to this correspondent, and the detailed claims, customs and dates within the full article cannot be reported here. Readers wishing to learn which tree is said to guard which threshold, or which season belongs to which bough, are directed to the original at Spooky Isles.