Rowan mythology and folklore

The Rowan Tree · Jean Redpath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xi2GmlHzDw 

 

 

The Rowan Tree 

The rowan was denoted as a tree of the Goddess or a Faerie tree by virtue of its white flowers.

Poem by  Carolina Oliphant, also known as Lady Nairne.

 composed in 1822 by Carolina Oliphant, also known as Lady Nairne (1766-1845)

Oh! Rowan Tree Oh! Rowan Tree!

 

Thou'lt aye be dear to me,

Entwined thou art wi mony ties,

O' hame and infancy.

Thy leaves were aye the first o' spring,

Thy flow'rs the simmer's pride;

There was nae sic a bonny treeIn a' the countrieside

 

오! 로완트리 오! 로완트리!

당신은 나에게 사랑받을 것입니다
당신은 많은 인연으로 얽혀 있습니다.
오 고향과 유아기.
네 잎사귀는 봄의 시작이었어.
당신의  꽃은 여름의 자랑입니다.
온 나라에 그렇게 아름다운 나무는 없어요

 

 

Oh! Rowan Tree Oh! Rowan Tree!

 

How fair wert thou in simmer time,

Wi' a' thy clusters white

How rich and gay thy autumn dress,

Wi' berries red and bright.

On thy fair stem were many names,

Which now nae mair I see,

But they're engraven on my heart.

Forgot they ne'er can be!

 

오! 로완트리  오! 로완트리!


그대는 여름에 얼마나 아름다웠는지요,
우리는 그대의  흰색 무리입니다
그대의 가을 드레스는 얼마나 풍성하고 화려한지요,
우리 열매는 빨갛고 밝습니다.
그대 아름다운 줄기에는 많은 이름이 있었고
지금 나는  더 이상 볼 수 없어요.
하지만 그것들은 내 마음속에 새겨져 있습니다.
절대 그럴 수 없다는 걸  잊어주소서

 

Oh! Rowan Tree Oh! Rowan Tree!

 

We sat aneath thy spreading shade,

The bairnies round thee ran,

They pu'd thy bonny berries red,

And necklaces they strang.

My Mother! Oh, I see her still,

She smil'd oor sports to see,

Wi' little Jeanie on her lap,

And Jamie at her knee!

 

오! 로완트리   오! 로완트리!

우리는 당신이 드리운 그늘 아래 앉았습니다.
당신 주위로  아이들이 달려갔고,

그들은 아름다운 베리를 빨갛게 뿌렸어요
그리고 그들이 꽉 조아 맨  목걸이.
나의 엄마!  오, 아직도 엄마가 보여요
무릎 위에 어린 Jeanie가 있고,
그리고 무릎옆에ㄴ Jamie가 ~

 

 

Oh! Rowan Tree Oh! Rowan Tree!

 

Oh! there arose my Father's pray'r,

In holy evening's calm,

How sweet was then my Mither's voice,

In the Martyr's psalm;

Now a' are gane! we meet nae mair

Aneath the Rowan Tree;

But hallowed thoughts around thee twine

O' hame and infancy.

 

오! 로완트리   오! 로완트리!

오! 나의  아버지의 기도가 일어났으니
거룩한 저녁의 고요 ​​속에서,
그때 내 어머니 목소리는 얼마나 감미로웠던가?
순교자의 찬송가-기도에서;
이제 모두 사라졌네!  우리는 더는 만날 게 없어요.

 

마가목 아래;
하지만  당신 주위에ㄴ 신성한 생각들이 얽혀 있어요.
오, 고향과  유아기.

Meaning of unusual words:
simmer=summer
sic=such
bairnies=children

 

EVERY ROWAN TREE HAS  A STORY ...

Posted on October 05 2021

 

 

The Rowan Tree · The King's Own Scottish Borderers Military

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M6rcVxKW1I 

 

 

 

Rowan mythology and folklore

 

The rowan is steeped in folklore and was seen very much as a tree of protection.

It has had a wide range of popular folk names, the most well-known being mountain ash. Its old Gaelic name from the ancient Ogham script was Luis from which the place name Ardlui on Loch Lomond may have been derived. The more common Scots Gaelic name is caorunn (pronounced choroon, the ‘ch’ as in loch). This name crops up in many Highland place names such as Beinn Chaorunn in Inverness-shire and Loch a’chaorun in Easter Ross. Rowan was also the clan badge of the Malcolms and McLachlans.

The rowan features in Norse mythology and legend has it that it saved the life of the god Thor by bending over a fast flowing river in the Underworld in which he was being swept away. Thor managed to grab the tree and get back to the shore.

In Scandinavia, rowans growing out of some inaccessible cleft in a rock, or crevices in tree possessed an even more powerful magic. Such trees were known as ‘flying rowan’. Rowan was furthermore the prescribed wood on which runes were inscribed for divination.

In the British Isles the rowan has a long and still popular history in folklore as a tree which protects against witchcraft and enchantment.

The physical characteristics of the tree may have contributed to its protective reputation. Each berry has a tiny five pointed star or pentagram opposite its stalk. The pentagram is an ancient protective symbol.

People also believed the colour red was the best protection against magic. Thus the rowan’s vibrant display of berries in autumn may have further contributed to its protective abilities. An old rhyme hints alludes to this: “Rowan tree and red thread / make the witches tine (meaning ‘to lose’) their speed”. The rowan was denoted as a tree of the Goddess or a Faerie tree by virtue of its white flowers. The same was true of the hawthorn and elder.

These themes of protection crop up again and again. People carried pieces of the tree to ward off witchcraft. They even used of rowan sprigs to protect cows and their produce from enchantment.

The tree itself was said to afford protection to the dwelling by which it grew, and residents would make sure not to damage them.  To this day rowan trees can be seen growing beside rural dwellings in the Scottish Highlands and Ireland.

On the Isle of Man people wore crosses made from rowan twigs, without the use of a knife. They fastened them to cattle, or hung inside over the lintel on May Eve each year. From Scotland to Cornwall similar equal-armed rowan crosses bound with red thread were sewn into the lining of coats or carried in pockets.

There were strong taboos in the Highlands against the use of any parts of the tree save the berries. However there were exceptions. A threshing tool made of rowan and called a buaitean was used on grain meant for rituals and celebrations. The strength of these taboos did not apply in other parts of Britain it seems. Even so, there were sometimes more widespread rules to be observed in harvesting rowan. One example is the taboo against using knives to cut the wood.

The rowan’s wood is strong and resilient. It makes excellent walking sticks and is well-suited for carving. It was often used for tool handles, spindles and spinning wheels. Druids used the bark and berries to dye the garments worn during lunar ceremonies black. The bark was also used in the tanning process, and people used rowan twigs for divining, particularly for metals.

The berries can be made into or added to a variety of alcoholic drinks. Different Celtic peoples each seem to have had their favourites. As well as the popular wine still made in the Highlands, the Scots made a strong spirit from the berries. The Welsh brewed an ale and the Irish used them to flavour mead. Today rowan berry jelly is still made in Scotland and is traditionally eaten with game.

 

 

 

Mountain Ash or Rowan trees are a popular ornamental species derived from the genus Pyrus. The trees are referred to by both names, though the Mountain Ash moniker is used primarily in North America, while Rowan is the preferred name in Europe. Regardless of what you call the garden tree, its appearance remains the same. The Mountain Ash is an attractive specimen which bears pretty flowers and bright decorative fruit.

 

 

 the Mountain Ash tree serves a number of other practical purposes such as:

• Food: Eating the Mountain Ash's berries raw is an unpleasant experience. However, when cooked, they are delicious in jams, pies, and wine.
• Drink: In Europe, the berries of the Rowan tree were, at one time, used to create a distilled spirit most similar to a beer.
• Medicine: Mountain Ash berries contain high levels of Vitamin C. Some cultures used to squeeze the juice from the berries, and drink it to prevent scurvy. Today, the berries are placed in tea and consumed to treat urinary tract infections and diarrhea. In some cases, the fruit juices are extracted and administered intravenously to treat glaucoma. Centuries ago, the bark from the tree was used as a blood cleanser.
• Wood: Timber from the Mountain Ash is quite durable and is used to make tool handles, walking sticks, furniture, planks, and beams.

 

The main stem of the rowan is bent over into an arch.