isn't holly also evergreen? It certainly has red berries. And the
Christmas carol suggests that there were holly trees, not just
bushes, in England.
Meg
> Try this one: yew trees are ever green. They link to the scriptural themes implicit in the first psalm, and Ezechiel 47 (esp v12). And red berries (I think they have red berries) link to the passion/redemption. It was probably not conscious, but in the
> Anselm Cramer OSB
> Ampleforth Abbey, York
> [log in to unmask]
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron Hornsby <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 27 September 1999 14:49
> Subject: Re: Yew trees
> Yes, Paul, that had been my understanding until I
> read the entry in Collins. However, there were
> always contradictions in my prior understanding.
> Perhaps the purposes that you list are merely
> hind-sighted rationalisations. Why should Christian
> churchyards be the instruments of the production
> of weapons of war? How did this come about?
> By Royal decree? If so, where is the evidence?
> And surely not with Papal blessing?
> To be of any use the trees would need to be planted
> a great many years ahead of the envisaged war time.
> Who did thinking on that kind of timescale in the MA?
> And again the trees would need to be planted on
> a large scale to provide weapons for an army. Yet
> there is only the odd one in churchyards. Wouldn't
> there need to be commercialisation involved ? I've never
> heard of groves of yew trees in churchyards! Or
> vicars claiming a tithe of a farmer's yew crop! I think
> it more likely that the bow-men of the time
> found their supplies growing wild in the forests.
> And what about the harvesting of the tree limbs?
> Whilst it probably wouldn't involve clambering
> over gravestones (it seems that gravestones didn't
> become numerous until after the MA -most seem
> to be dated from 1700 odd) inhumation did take place
> and extensive tree lopping seems a curiously inappropriate
> activity for a churchyard. And although there were
> many clerical grumbles against ball games in churchyards
> in the MA I have never come across a complaint against
> lumberjacking in them.
> And in a pre-enclosures, open world, a tree with attractive
> red berries that spell doom to children and animals would
> be the last thing the villagers would want around on any scale.
> However, if you wanted to keep children and animals away
> from a hallowed area, then what better way to engender
> respect for the dead than to develop an aura of solemnity by
> associating the area with death in the form of a prominent,
> gloomy looking tree?
> All in all, I think that Collins's explanation is a good one.
> Ron Hornsby
> Burton upon Stather
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Paul Spice
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Monday, September 27, 1999 07:00
> Subject: Re: Yew trees
> Dear Ron Hornsby,
> Although I have no references to hand, my understanding was that yew trees were planted in churchyards for the following reasons.
> 1 They were used to make the longbow, a weapon of strategic importance to England (e.g. Agincourt), therefore a continuous supply needed to be assured.
> 2 Being poisonous to animals, and of no food value, they needed to be planted in a secure area.
> 3 Churchyards were ideal places because they were widespread and not used for grazing anumals.
> Thus I have no knowledge of any association with death or funery rites.
> Paul Spice.
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<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=4>Try this one: yew trees are ever green. They
link to the scriptural themes implicit in the first psalm, and Ezechiel 47 (esp
v12). And red berries (I think they have red berries) link to the
passion/redemption. It was probably not conscious, but in the
atmosphere.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Anselm Cramer OSB</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT><FONT color=#000000 size=4>Ampleforth Abbey, York
<BR><A
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><B>-----Original Message-----</B><BR><B>From:
</B>Ron Hornsby <<A
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A>><BR><B>To:
</B><A
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A>
<<A
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A>><BR><B>Date:
</B>27 September 1999 14:49<BR><B>Subject: </B>Re: Yew
trees<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Yes, Paul, that had been my understanding until I
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>read the entry in Collins. However, there
were</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>always contradictions in my prior
understanding.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Perhaps the purposes that you list are
merely</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>hind-sighted </FONT><FONT
size=2>rationalisations. W</FONT><FONT size=2>hy </FONT><FONT
size=2>should Christian</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>churchyards be </FONT><FONT size=2>the </FONT><FONT
size=2>instruments </FONT><FONT size=2>of the production </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>of weapons of war? </FONT><FONT size=2>How did this
</FONT><FONT size=2>come about? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>By Royal decree? If so, where </FONT><FONT size=2>is the
evidence?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>And</FONT><FONT size=2> surely not with Papal
blessing? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>To be of any use the trees would need to be planted
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>a great many years ahead of the envisaged war
time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Who </FONT><FONT size=2>did thinking on that kind of
timescale in the MA?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>And again the trees would need to be planted
on</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>a large scale to provide weapons for an army.
Yet</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>there is only the odd one in ch</FONT><FONT
size=2>urchyards. Wouldn't</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>there need to be commercialisation involved ? I've
never</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>heard of groves of yew trees in churchyards!
Or</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>vicars claiming a tithe of a farmer's yew crop!
</FONT><FONT size=2>I think</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>it more likely that the bow-men of the time </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>found their supplies growing wild in the
forests.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>And what about the harvesting of the tree
limbs</FONT><FONT size=2>?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Whilst it probably wouldn't involve
clambering</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>over gravestones (it seems that gravestones
didn't</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>become </FONT><FONT size=2>numerous until after
the MA -most seem</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>to be dated from </FONT><FONT size=2>1700
odd) inhumation did take place</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>and extensive </FONT><FONT size=2>tree
lopping seems </FONT><FONT size=2>a curiously inappropriate
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>activity for a churchyard. And although there
were</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>many clerical grumbles against ball games in
churchyards </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>in the MA I have never come across a complaint
</FONT><FONT size=2>against </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>lumberjacking in them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>And in a pre-enclosures, open world, a tree with
attractive</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>red berries that spell doom to children and
animals would</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>be the last thing the villagers would want around on any
scale.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>However, if you wanted to keep children and animals
away</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>from a hallowed area, then what better way to
engender</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>respect for the dead than to develop an aura of solemnity
by </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>associating the area with </FONT><FONT size=2>death
in the form of a prominent,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>gloomy looking </FONT><FONT size=2>tree?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>All in all, I think that Collins's explanation is a
good one.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Ron Hornsby</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Burton upon Stather</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:[log in to unmask]" [log in to unmask]>Paul
Spice</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]"
[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, September 27, 1999
07:00</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Yew trees</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Dear Ron Hornsby,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Although I have no references to hand,
my understanding was that yew trees were planted in churchyards for the
following reasons.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>1 They were used to make the longbow, a
weapon of strategic importance to England (e.g. Agincourt), therefore a
continuous supply needed to be assured.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>2 Being poisonous to animals, and of no
food value, they needed to be planted in a secure area.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>3 Churchyards were ideal places because
they were widespread and not used for grazing anumals.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Thus I have no knowledge of any
association with death or funery rites.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Paul
Spice.</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
Margaret Cormack [log in to unmask]
Dept. of Philosophy and Religion fax: 843-953-6388
College of Charleston tel: 843-953-8033
Charleston, SC 29424-0001
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