Mystical May in the Hedgerows
The only tree to share a name with a month; the May Tree or Hawthorn, is often seen as a good hedging plant and overlooked as a tree. Around Fingle Woods, you can see it along the lanes where its dense thorny growing habit provides a natural barrier for livestock, marks boundaries and provides a fantastic habitat for a range of insects, birds and animals. Even its name Haw, is derived from ‘hage’, which is the Old English word for hedge and in May its white blossom calls out to us and captures our attention.Hawthorn has a proud mystical tradition that runs throughout Celtic mythology and continues through traditional practices and folklore into the Medieval, Stuart and current day. It stood guard at wells and springs; on the edges between the water and the land; where the human world met the mystical land of fairies and spirits. Acknowledged as a tree of enchantment, Hawthorn was sacred to the Druids and the site of Westminster Abbey was originally called Thorney Island after a sacred stand of thorn trees.Traditionally like other trees with white Spring flowers and red berries, Hawthorn was believed to be protected by the fairies. Its white flowers with their five petals, sometimes tinged in pink, symbolised hope and centuries after the Celtic Pagans had been converted to Christianity, the power of the symbolism remained in folklore. So strong was the association that it was chosen as the name for the Pilgrim Fathers’ ship, the Mayflower.
One of the most famous Hawthorns is the Holy Thorn of Glastonbury and shows the way the symbolism associated with trees has been used across the centuries. The legends claim that Joseph of Arimathea fled Palestine after the death of Jesus and came to Glastonbury. As he pushed his thorn staff into the ground, it grew and flowered. Whatever the origins of the Hawthorns, the legend along with Arthur and the Isle of Avalon made Glastonbury an important centre. By the 1530’s, three Holy Thorn trees were recorded on Wearyall Hill (or Wirral Hill) that flowered at both Easter and Christmas, which isn’t the habit of the native species. Just over a century later during the Civil War, the Holy Thorns had become symbols of superstition and were cut down by Puritan soldiers. ‘Symbolic’ trees, however, have a way of surviving and cuttings from the original trees continue to grow in the Abbey grounds, flowering twice a year in the same way as Hawthorns that are native to Palestine and Israel.As you’d expect from a mystical tree, Hawthorn has many traditional medicinal uses associated mainly with blood pressure, the heart, angina, circulatory disorders and the menopause. As with many other traditional medicines, science has shown that Hawthorn has beneficial healing properties. The fruit contains bioflavonoids, which are strong antioxidants and help prevent or reduce damage to the blood vessels. The flowers can be used as sedatives that help with insomnia, and when used externally can reduce skin blemishes and acne. The fruit ‘Pixie Pears’, are high in Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C and when crushed can be used to treat kidney disorders, dysentery and diarrhoea. As with all forms of traditional cures, advice should always be taken to avoid side effects.It’s not just people who benefit from Hawthorn, their dense thorny growing habit, flowers, fruit and leaves also provides an incredible habitat for wildlife. A Hawthorn can provide food and shelter for more than 300 insects, as well as Hawthorn Shield Bugs, Wood Mice, Slow Worms and Yellowhammers. The leaves are a valuable food source for the caterpillars of many moths such as the light emerald, lackey, vapourer, small eggar and lappet. Birds including, Fieldfares, Thrushes and Redwings feed on the ‘Pixie Pears’ (Haws) and Dormice like to eat the flowers, which also provide pollen and nectar for bees and pollinating insects.Next time you pass a Hawthorn hedge take some time to look out for the wildlife and think about its mystical heritage. You can also watch 'A year in the life of a Hawthorn Tree'.By Jane Halliday, photos from the Woodland Trust Media Library. You can find out more about the mystical beliefs surrounding Hawthorn and its medicinal properties from the following publication and websites.G Kindred: The Sacred Tree 2003 ISBN: 978-0-9532227-5-9https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/till-may-is-out.htmlhttps://treesforlife.org.uk/forest/mythology-folklore/hawthorn/http://www.thegoddesstree.com/trees/Hawthorn.htmhttp://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/haw_thorn.htmhttp://whitedragon.org.uk/articles/hawthorn.htmhttps://www.britainexpress.com/Myths/Glastonbury.htmhttp://www.crystalwind.ca/mystical-magical/earth-enigmas/sacred-places/mystical-glastonbury
