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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 > > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%