Hi All,
I run a website which has a growing section on Tree Folklore and History. and I'm looking for things of interest like the below to put on it. If you know of any woodland, tree folklore I would be very pleased to put it on our website

Lime trees: Rope was made from the inner bark of the Lime tree.
It is known in the trade as basswood, particularly in North America. This name originates from the inner fibrous bark of the tree, known as bast (Old English language). A very strong fibre was obtained from this by peeling off the bark and soaking in water for a month; after which the inner fibres can be easily separated.

Oak tree: In Celtic mythology the Oak tree is the tree of doors, believed to be a gateway between worlds, or a place where portals could be erected, the trees were widely spread replacing the lime tree as the main sacred tree.)
Britain has more ancient oaks than any other country in western Europe
Oaks don't usually bear acorns until they are about 20 years old.

Sycamore: Celts introduced the Sycamore tree from Gaul where they used the ground down seeds to make a flour or gruel from. Although not a native species, the sycamore and its helicopter seeds has become a feature of many local cultures. In Wales, clogs and love-spoons are made from sycamore. In the West country harvest cakes were baked upon sycamore leaves. The most famous sycamore tree is the Martyrs' Tree on Tolpuddle Green in Dorset. In the 1830's the Tolpuddle Martyrs formed the first agricultural trade union beneath this famous tree, as meetings of this kind were illegal in the 1830's so they were deported to Australia. The tree still survives and is currently cared for by the Trades Union Congress.

Are you looking for UK specific, or worldwide?

Kingfisher

I really like the sound of your website treetops - I did a years research project for my MA in Fine Art on the Scots Pine - so trees have always been a fascination of mine.

I have quite a few books on folklore of trees & keep discovering new & wonderful things about them:

Beech: The wood has no smell or taste & so it has been using for making children's toys & kitchen utensils. Beech nuts can be eaten, used for making vegetable oil & the leaves can be distilled to make liquor.

Elder - useful for dyes, making the colours of green, purple & black.

Hazel - the nuts high in protein & were found in baskets collected by Neolithic Man thousands of years ago. Lots of Hazel in a hedgerow means that the hedgerow is ancient, as Hazel was one of the first trees to plant in creating a hedge. When the branches were burnt the charcoal was used for making gun powder.

Holly - the branches were once thought to protect houses from lightening & men from witchcraft. It was thought to be unlucky to cut one as it was the favourite tree of fairies.

Maple - Field Maple in a hedge means that the hedge is over 400 years old, as each species represent 100 years, & Maple will not grow unless there are at least 4 species well established.

Rowan - in Scotland there was & still is that where a Rowan grows it conveys health & wealth to the household.

Yew - deadly poisonous to livestock, usually these days only found in churchyards as it was planted to prevent plague.


When I find more, I shall add forthwith - I can look back at my Scots Pine notes & see if I can find anything exciting - but then I'd probably write an essay!

Wow! thanks Skylark, That's just the type of thing I'm looking for and I look forward to any thing ells you or other readers can add.

We are hoping to build our tree Folklore page into a really good read one day and we hope it will hold a comprehensive list of trees and there history's.

I cant wait to add the other things to our website but before I add Maple, have you any idea why Maple wont grow without at least 4 species? I have read that Brazil nuts Trees cant be commercially grown outside of the forests and they don't know why, is this the same with Maple or is there a simple reason for this?

Hi Kingfisher, Initially we are concentrating on trees growing in the UK but I'll be happy to get any interesting folklore or history on worldwide trees, you never know were thing will go next and I wouldn't like to miss out on any good stuff that's out there.

How about the use of alder wood for clogs because the wood is water resistant.

Thank Richard!!

That's another good one. This true story about clogs might make you laugh it still make me smile. When I was a kid my family was short of cash and one day my mother was give an old pair of children's clogs that fitted me, against my better judgement they convinced me to wear them to school. Off I went clipperty clog down the hill to school and when I got there all the kids laughed at me, but clogs have very slippery bottoms and I could slide farther than any one ells, boy are they slippery!!

I wounder was I the last child to wear clogs in the UK, this would have been about 1963.

This post was last modified: 27-11-2007 08:32 PM by treetops.

Hey well the only reason I have been able to find about the Maple is what I had typed how it will only grow if their are already at least 4 species established, I think this is as the seedlings need shelter - like the Spindle Wood too, the hedge has to be 600 years old before it successfully grows, as it needs thick shelter for its seedlings! Plus a child passing through a split Maple could look forward to a long life.

Apparently Sycamore was very popular in the 18th Century as it was deliberately planted for it's beautiful appearance.

Poplar - the leaves are forever moving because it was punished for being the wood that made Christ's cross & it's other name is 'Shiver-tree'. In some countries they are known as 'Devil's Fingers' as they are unlucky to touch as they would bring calamity to the unfortunate person.

Sweet Chestnuts - were used in divination ritual. Girls set named nuts on the fire bars to:

Maidens, name your chestnuts true.
The first to burst belongs to you!

I used to wear traditional wooden clogs when I worked for the National Trust as an estate warden, they were hard wearing and ideal for kicking things when necessary. I put hobnails in them for better grip.

ehhh, what kind of things were you kicking there, wild canon?

Kingfisher

Members of the public visiting? . . . Ouch! hehehehe . . .

Usually sheep who didn't want to be rounded up off the moors! but also posts that we were trying to get out of the ground, tourists that had died on the tops and wouldn't take themselves home, landrovers that wouldn't go, the list is endless

Usually sheep who didn't want to be rounded up off the moors! but also posts that we were trying to get out of the ground, tourists that had died on the tops and wouldn't take themselves home, landrovers that wouldn't go, the list is endless

I think when I next visit, we need to get up a meet and greet in Buxton, just so that we can ALL meet wild canon!

Although, we won't allow him to wear clogs . I would not want to be one of the tourists who died and would not go home!

Kingfisher

just registered today so i could join in hope no one minds! I still wear my clogs very comfortable for walking and working mine are also fitted with hobnails did you try crushing things with yours - great for the re cycling i,m 56 now so i think the clogs will see me out then i guess i will pop my clogs that's if my wife won't let me be buried in them

just registered today so i could join in hope no one minds! I still wear my clogs very comfortable for walking and working mine are also fitted with hobnails did you try crushing things with yours - great for the re cycling i,m 56 now so i think the clogs will see me out then i guess i will pop my clogs that's if my wife won't let me be buried in them

No, we don't mind a bit that you joined! Plastic clogs appear to have taken over the market, so it's nice to hear that there are still people out there wearing clogs with hobnails. Have long have you had them?

Welcome to Wildlife UK .

Kingfisher