You should try the second edition of the Hoops
too. The article on "Eibe" is in Vol. 6 (1986)
T.C.
On Wed, 6 Oct 1999, Ron Hornsby wrote:
> Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 00:51:24 +0100
> From: Ron Hornsby <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Yew trees
>
> Christian
>
> I hadn't, but I will now. This is splendid stuff!
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> Ron Hornsby
> Burton upon Stather
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Christian Kuster <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, October 02, 1999 04:40
> Subject: Re: Yew trees
>
>
> Have you already consulted the article in "Handwörterbuch des Deutschen
> Aberglaubens" (H. Bächtold-Stäubli) vol. 2/ 1929/30 : This tree has been
> documented as holy for the germanic tribe of Eburones (tree of death and
> dead with a certain role in its cult; see McCulloch: Rel. of anc. Celts
> 1911, 211 ff.)In all European areas of former Celtic settlement you can
> find the yew trees in cemeteries (but, however, the most numerous in Great
> Britain). The specific signification may be explained by its evergreen
> needles (vital power), the poisonous elements of the tree (Hoops : Reallex.
> I 519)or by its scaring-away-effects (so demons, witches etc.). In 1690 old
> fellow Wolff advised (Scrut. amulet. med. p 138)to wear some wood of a yew
> tree directly on the skin in order not to be hexed. In Germany there were
> different ancient customs around yew trees in connection with scaring away
> negative powers(in some regions, after some ritual, yew tree sticks formed
> as a cross were hanged up in rooms and stables to protect against evil. In
> Thuringia there was the proverb
>
> "Vor den Eiben
> kann kein Zauber bleiben" (no magic can stay at a yew tree)
>
> Similar saying in Bosnia...; in Spain the yew trees are considered as a
> protection against lightning; in East Prussian Medecine, a slice of bread
> of butter with a magic sign and some yew tree powder on it was eaten quasi
> as anti-rabies oculation.
> So let's quicken the appetite ! CHRISTIAN
>
>
>
> At 12:56 29.09.99 -0230, you wrote:
> >Dear Graham,
> >
> > I followed up your suggestion about consulting with a colleague, Peter
> >Scott of Memorial's Biology Dept, about the reputed power of yews to
> >absorb noxious vapours. Here is his, basically negative, reply:
> >
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > 'All trees absorb things out of the air but Yew is not remarkable in
> >this respect, as far as I know.
> >
> > I looked through some herb books that I have and found nothing. The
> >generic name, Taxus, is from the Greek for yew-tree so nothing there. I
> >looked through Christian symbology but nothing. My suspicions would be
> >that this is from the Druids. They had very religious feelings about
> >many trees (e.g. oaks and mistletoe) and I suspect that a reverence for
> >yews was transferred into Christianity - there are many examples of
> >this.
> >
> > That's the best that I can do.'
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >Perhaps somebody has further thoughts?
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Martin Howley
> >
> >Martin Howley, Humanities Librarian, Tel: (709) 737-8514
> >QE II Library, Memorial Univ of Newfoundland FAX: (709) 737-2153
> >St John's, NFLD, Canada A1B 3Y1 E-mail:[log in to unmask]
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> >On Tue, 28 Sep 1999 [log in to unmask] wrote:
> >
> >> Don't snigger, now, but I'm going to ask the obvious question. Could
> there be
> >> anything in this? Is there a tree doctor in the house? Seriously, does
> any list
> >> member have a friend in botany who could point us in the right direction?
> >> Where's Oliver Rackham at the moment?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> > Perhaps Geoffrey Grigson's account, which quotes Turner's
> _Botonologia:> The British Physician_, 1664, of the reason yews were
> planted in
> >> > churchyards, will be of interest to you. Turner says that the yew was
> set
> >> > in churchyards not, 'as some superstitious monks have imagined,'
> because
> >> > it could drive away devils, but because it 'attracts and imbibes
> >> > putrefaction and gross oleaginous vapours exhaled out of graves...'
> >>
> >> > Martin Howley
> >>
> >> Graham Jones
> >> Leicester
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
tobias crabus [log in to unmask]
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