Why were certain plants raised from mere utility to reverence in the collective consciousness of various populations from different cultures? This elevation from purely physical use to the realm of the sacred is apparent in multiple cultures. The lotus flower was used as a symbol for the source of the Brahma which sprang forward from the navel of Vishnu after the sacred word Ohm was uttered in the creation story of Hinduism. The oak tree was associated with Thor as described in the tales of the Norse. The oak was also held sacred by the Druids. This is evident in the legends of the sacrifices of white bulls that were made under the often expansive branches of mature specimens of oak trees. This elevation also occurred with what is perhaps a lesser known plant, the rowan tree, which has also been reported to have been associated with the Druids and the Norse, as well as the Greek legend of Hebe.

Qualities of the Rowan Tree

What quality or trait elevated this tree in the minds of the people? The Rowan Tree ( Sorbus aucuparia ) also known as European Mountain Ash, Witch Tree, or Witch Wood, has been used for making jams, wines, and ales. It can grow up to 15m (49 ft) tall and live up to 200 years. The aforementioned edible products are made specifically using the tart red berries, which are reported to be high in Vitamin C and other beneficial compounds.

Rowan Tree Rituals

This particular species has also been reported to have additional qualities that resulted in a similar elevation from everyday use. It was allegedly used for the carving of rune staves by the Norse. It has also been said to have been used to ward off the effects of witchcraft and other nefarious and ethereal influences. In fact, it has been said that so much reverence has been given to the rowan tree that it was taboo to use it for any other purpose than ritual.

Also, some have claimed that it was believed that when harvesting the wood of a rowan tree, a knife or blade should not be used. There are also some legends that the wood should only be harvested on specific days to maximize the effects; more on that later. The use of the rowan tree was reported as a ward for protecting cattle in Sir James Frazer’s The Golden Bough.

The people believed that on that evening and night (Beltane) the witches were abroad and busy casting spells on cattle and stealing cows’ milk. To counteract their machinations, pieces of rowan-tree and woodbine, but especially rowan-tree were placed over the doors of the cowhouses, fires were kindled by every farmer and cotter.

Rowan tree wood have been used for carving rune staves and for rituals. Rowan tree bark. (debs-eye / CC BY NC ND 2.0 )

Two additional methods of protection related to this tree have been put forward by other sources. The practice of affixing two sprigs of rowan tree wood together with a red twine in the shape of a cross has been reported as a common practice in some parts of Scotland. This charm would then be worn or contained in a pocket. This was used in conjunction with a song that accompanied the charm to aid in the protection from spells and other influences of witchcraft. Others believed that a staff made from rowan wood wards off spirits of the forest from the sylvan wonderer.

A Rowan tree cross originating in Scotland, donated to a museum in 1893 but dating from much earlier. Credit: The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.

Rowan Berries and Pentagrams

Could the physical characteristics be enough to facilitate these beliefs? Some have said that since the ends of the berries appear to be in the shape of the pentagram that this was possibly the reason for the rowan tree’s connection with protection. The ancient symbol of the pentagram may be found in the iconography of several civilizations; some which may not have been connected by trade routes or influenced by invasions or other modes of transfer.

It has been observed in cultures from all of the habitable continents. It is commonly known to be used in Wicca as a means of protection during certain magical operations. Perhaps this has been passed down from the rituals of the Druids - which some have strongly speculated to be the source of some modern day Wiccan practices.

The markings in the Rowan berries are likened to a pentagram, a famous symbol of protection. Pentagram carved in a tree. (Stuart Anthony/ CC BY ND 2.0 )

The Druids are also reported to have utilized the berries for certain lunar rituals to provide a channel for the connection to the rowan tree and to receive it’s protection from surreptitious forces set against the wearer.

Flying Rowan Trees

The berries of the rowan are a vibrant red, a color that is often associated with protection. The color red has also been associated with blood, which in turn has been associated with life force. This may have added to the connection with the rowan tree and protection.

The power of the rowan tree for protection has also been held to be amplified when the tree is not rooted in the earth. This manifestation is known as a flying rowan. The belief that the separation of a plant from the earth will increase the ethereal qualities it possesses is also seen in the reverence that was given to mistletoe:

“Again, the view that the mistletoe owes its mystic character partly to not growing on the ground is confirmed by parallel superstition about the mountain-ash or rowan tree. In Jutland a rowan that is found growing out of the top of another tree is esteemed “exceedingly effective against witchcraft: since it does not grow on the ground witches have no power over it; if it is to have its full effect it must be cut on Ascension Day.””

Beyond protection, the flying rowan tree has been considered to possess another use. Some hold that these places mark portals to ethereal domains . This may explain why some have considered it to be particularly powerful when planted next to stone circles . There are various other uses and beliefs about having a rowan tree in close proximity to dwellings.

There is much more information pertaining to uses and beliefs about the rowan tree and flying rowan. Additional reading can be found in the citation list at http://www.druidry.org/library/trees/tree-lore-rowan.

Top Image: A flying rowan tree in the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Source: John Mcsporran

By James Barr

Updated on July 24, 2020.