Dear Ron,
I still cannot fully agree that yew planting was religious rather than for
strategic arms dealing. The tree has no other commercial value other than
longbow-making. In 1242 Henry II decreed that all men making 2-5 pound
sterling a year must be armed with a longbow (R.Wilkinson-Latham, Phaidon
Guide to Antique Weapons). In 1359 the Tower of London (Central Armoury)
received 20,000 longbows and in 1360 received 10,000 longbows. (R. Hardy,
Longbow: A Social & Military History). This would require considerable
harvesting, and an ensured future supply of yew trees, which are relatively
slow growing. Planting them in churchyards is a very good solution.
However, here may be a good trail to follow. The longbow came to England via
Wales. The Welsh got it from the Vikings. So, there would have been no
"longbow" incentive to plant trees in English churchyards before
approximately 1000/1100AD, because the longbow was not of strategic
importance to the English.
Were there yews in churchyards before 1000/1100. If there were, I concede
the religious connection, and the arms dealing one latched on to an existing
fact, and merely re-inforced the planting in churchyards. From there, the
religious reason may have been forgotten and overshadowed by the arms
dealing / commercial one.
By the way, and purely for weird interest only, Napro Biotherapeutics
Company markets an anti-cancer drug obtained from yew trees.
Dr. Paul Spice
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