I found a nice Scottish air called Rowan Tree. Anyone out there with a Dictonary or
any knowledge of what a ROWAN tree is?
Thanks
Lolly
The Rowan tree is also known as the European Mountain Ash or the Mountain Ash. The Celtic word is An Caorthann. An even older name of the tree is “luis”, which corresponded to the second letter of the alphabet.
Rowan Tree takes its name from Celt and Scottish legends that tell of the magical Rowan tree symbolizing beauty, privacy, peace and sanctuary. This tree was one of high magic, and was supposed to have magical powers. Its round wattles, spread with newly-flayed bulls’ hides, were used by the Druids as a last extremity for compelling demons to answer difficult questions.
According to tradition, the tree would normally be planted at the door of the house for protection from evil spirits and give the occupants privacy, peace, and refuge. Also twigs might be placed over the byre door. Necklaces of rowan berries with red thread worn for protection by Highland women.
best wishes
Robert
Wow, Cool Robert,
Thanks for all the great info!
Loren
Another little FYI; people I have met from Scotland pronounce rowan so that the “row-” part rhymes with “cow” and not “row” (as in row your boat). Funny this post should be here when I arrived home. I just got back from visiting my brother on the other side of the state. We played a few tunes together and also for each other. One bit I did was to sing “Rowan Tree” while playing harmony on the smallpipe.
Cheers,
David
[ This Message was edited by: Feadan on 2001-12-29 21:19 ]
Branches from Rowan Trees were used by the Celts (and others) as walking sticks - it was believed that the “magical power” of the tree would protect the bearer from evil and ensure her safe return home.
The berries and leaves (which are both very fragrant) were dried and burned as incense for protection from evil.
Coincidentally, I’m actually making some walking sticks from branches I trimmed from a Rowan Tree in my front yard - its lovely wood to work with and from a practical perspective is well-suited for walking sticks.
Happy new year,
Gary
Geeze, who’d a thought one could learn so much about trees around here. This message board never ceases to amaze me…
Loren
YES, Thank you for your quick and informative replies about a tree, of all things. Now I know I can call an Album
by this name and everyone will know the meaning. ALl I have to do is find a nice
one now for an album cover…and then record
the album, ha ha…but at least I have a
Title for it now.
Lolly
Grannymouse, where’s that poem “The Whustle Wuman” Didn’t she make her whistle from the rowan tree? It seems I read once that the branches have a soft center that can be carved easily to make a hollow tube, thus a whistle.
Mack
To add to the Rowan tree lore, here is the first verse of the song ”Oh Rowan Tree" by Lady Carolina Nairne which I found in “Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales” Edited by William Cole. It may be the same song that Lolly mentioned. It seems to be written in that Scots dialect that I’m sure you’ll appreciate Mack.
Oh rowan tree, oh rowan tree, thoul’t aye be dear to me,
Entwin’d thou art wi’ mony ties, o’hame and infancy.
Thy leaves were aye the first o’spring, thy flowr’s the simmer’s pride;
There was nae sic a bonnie tree, in all the country side.
Best wishes, Tom
if anyone is interested, you can also make some great rowanberry wine and (jam) as we call the preserve, from the berries.
goes well with turkey
On 2001-12-30 17:40, Mack.Hoover wrote:
Grannymouse, where’s that poem “The Whustle Wuman” Didn’t she make her whistle from the rowan tree? It seems I read once that the branches have a soft center that can be carved easily to make a hollow tube, thus a whistle.
Mack
On a side note, I’ve heard that Elder works very well for whistles too… I think I have instructions somewhere in a pile of papers!
All the best,
Andrea ~*~
On 2001-12-31 12:11, aderyn_cyrdd wrote:
On a side note, I’ve heard that Elder works very well for whistles too… I think I have instructions somewhere in a pile of papers!
Just as a precaution, Dr. Kenneth Lampe, in The AMA Handgbook of Poisonous Injurious Plants writes that children sometimes get sick from "playing with elderberry whistles or blowguns."
However, I've often found the above book to be more than a little on the conservative side when it comes to the possible dangers of plants and herbs. I've personally never had any sort of reaction to elderberry wood, but perhaps one might want to be careful about letting kids near it.
And, on the subject of plant lore,
Dreaming about Elder was believed to herald illness
Picking Elder on the last day of April and hanging it in your house will keep witches away
Elder supposedly provided the wood for the Cross (but then again that’s said about the Oak, the Dogwood, etc. etc!)
\
~Firefly
Edited for creative use of HTML tags.
[ This Message was edited by: Firefly on 2001-12-31 16:08 ]
Here’s that poem; Grannymouse shared it with us a year or so ago.
'The Whistle: by Charles Murray
Adapted for the Ceilidh and renamed and dedicated to Betty Gault
The Whustle Wumman:
She cut a sappy sucker from the muckel rodden(rowan) tree,
She trimmed it, an’ she wet it, an’ she thumped it on her knee;
She never heard the teuchat (lapwing) when the harrow broke her eggs,
She missed the craggit (long-necked) heron nabbin puddocks (frogs)
in the seggs; (reeds)
She forgot to hound the collie at the cattle when they strayed ~
But ye should hae seen the whustle that the wee wumman made!
She wheepled on’t at morn, an’ she tweetled on’t at nicht,
She puffed her freckled cheeks sae big her nose sank oot o’ sicht;
The kye (cattle) were late for milkin’ when she piped them up the closs;
An’ Larry got nae supper, an’ he was beddit boss! (empty to bed)
She cared nae doit nor docken what they thocht, or did, or said ~
T’was the comfort o’ the whistle that the wee wumman made!
She blaw them rants(tunes) sae lively ~ schottisches, reels, an’ jigs;
the foalie flang his muckle legs an’ capered ower the rigs.
The gray-tailed futt’rat (weasel) bobbit oot to hear ain strathspey;
The bowd came louping frae the corn to “Corn Pease Strae”(Strathspey)
The feet o’ ilka (every) man an’ beast gets youkie (itchie) when she played ~
Hae ye heard the like o’ whustle that the wee wumman made!
Anyone know the (or a) tune for The Whustle Wumman?
It sounds like 4/4 time to me, so it might be a reel. I’d like to see a tune, too!
Mack
(You’re gonna hate me for this.)
Glancing at the lyrics, try the melody to Gilligan’s Island. It fits.
(I warned you.)
Sorry, Gary, am I missing something?
The Gaelic alphabet is traditionally taught to students by naming all the trees that were widespread all over Ireland, before the British Empire cut most of them down to build their bloody navy, three centuries ago. Luis (pronounced lish) is the rowan tree, in Irish Gaelic. Read its interesting story here:
On 2002-05-15 20:23, brian_k wrote:
The Gaelic alphabet is traditionally taught to students by naming all the trees that were widespread all over Ireland, before the British Empire cut most of them down to build their bloody navy, three centuries ago. Luis (pronounced lish) is the rowan tree, in Irish Gaelic. Read its interesting story here:
Brian:
I’d be interested to know where you got the information regarding Ireland’s deforestation. I was told (old college professor) that it began during the Neolithic period, and then a second wave happened during the Monastic period. (not trying to unseat Peter or Roger as resident pendant).
Teri
I’ve read in several places (can’t remember where at the moment, but I’ll cogitate on it) that Britain cut down the forests for 3 reasons: for wood for their navy, to deny the guerrilla bands of the time the forests in which to hide, and to make it harder for them to cook their food as easily (but the Irish adapted by using turf for fuel). What I’ve heard is that one thousand years ago Ireland was 95% forested.