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> From: [log in to unmask] [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > > Dear Ron, > I believe Giraldus Cambrensis notes the existence of yews in Irish > cemeteries in the 12th century. I remember reading somthing about > this years ago (of course, I forget the source), but they are also > apparently found in Brittany. Yews are also apparently impossible to > date very easily, because the way they grow does not result in a > complete pattern of tree rings. > Irish sources earlier than Giraldus cite the existence of great yews at sacral sites. Trees were an important part of such sacral sites and yews (Irish e/o) were one of the sacred tree-types of Ireland. The Yew of Ross was particularly noted. Each tribal territory had a bile--a large, sacred tree that represented the tribe. One of the most offensive acts of vengeance or attack one could inflict was to cut down one's enemy's bile. Many a bile was a yew. (see Anne Ross, _Pagan Celtic Britain_ among others; Mary Low's _Celtic Christianity and Nature_, the published version of her dissertation, also explores the topic in terms of both Christian and pre-Christian symbolism) Such trees were frequently planted near ancestral burial grounds which also were considered religious sanctuaries. Many of these in turn became churchyards--in fact, Pope Gregory, in response to Augustine's feedback on how the conversion of England was going, specifically suggested adopting the existing sanctuaries and talismans--including trees--as foci of Christian worship. Richard Morris discusses the English aspects of the subject in his _Churches in the Landscape_. He (p. 78) notes that J.C. Loudon's influential treatise, "On the laying out, planting and managing of cemeteries" (1843) encouraged the planting of yews in the nineteenth century. Morris also has some nice data on the possible ages of known yews of great size. Isn't it possible that Christian religious leaders and thinkers found ways to justify, rationalize, and "sain" the existence of natural features--such as trees--that were already a part of the sacral landscape? Francine Nicholson %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%