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Rowan Tree Day (Beltane Eve)
"Rowan tree, red thread,
Holds the witches all in dread."
~ Traditional Scottish
On the eve of this Beltane and May Day, when bonfires are still being prepared in keeping with old customs, the rowan tree —often called mountain ash in the United States and dogberry in parts of Canada, appears again and again in the folklore of the British Isles and beyond.
Rowan is often listed among the traditional woods used in Druidic Beltane fires. Accounts of the “nine sacred woods” vary, but commonly include rowan alongside oak, birch, hazel, willow, holly, ash, pine (or fir), and yew. Rowan was especially esteemed and treated as a protective tree. Cutting one down without cause was avoided, and a tree growing near a house or byre was often left in place.
Across Scotland, Ireland, and northern England, small crosses of rowan tied with red thread were hung over doorways or in barns to guard against witchcraft and the evil eye! Cattle were driven between smoking Beltane fires for protection against the coming season.
Artisans also crafted the rowan wood into milk-stirring sticks to prevent spoilage (often attributed to fairies), pocket charms to shield against rheumatism and dark forces, and divining rods to seek out hidden treasures! Simple twigs were carried as charms, staffs were cut for walking sticks, and trees were planted beside homes for protection. If you are lucky enough to have a Rowan tree in your vicinity, give it a nod this Beltane and take all necessary precautions for the coming year! Happy Beltane! ❤️ 💜 💛 🌳 🌳 🌳
The ancient festival of Beltane held most often between April 30th and May 1st is about halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.
Beltane marked the beginning of summer when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures.
Spirits or fairies were thought to be especially active at Beltane, similarly at Samhain, and the goal of many Beltane rituals was to appease them.
One of the main protective devices used were sprigs from the Rowan tree. So powerful were the branches of this tree thought to be, that the collection of them, on the eve before Beltane festivities, came to be known as Rowan Tree Day.
Sprigs of Rowan were often tied with string dyed red from the Rowan berries to cows' tails and horses' halters as protection, and sheep were made to jump through Rowan hoops. Crossed branches of Rowan were often placed in cowsheds and stables for the same purpose, and milking stools and pails were sometimes made of Rowan wood.
Witches (often in disguise as hares) were reported to steal milk from cows (and butter) during Beltane.
Necklaces of Rowan berries with red thread, or sprigs of rowan worn in the hair or on clothing, were often worn for protection by Highland women.
A rowan tree which took root in the fork of an existing tree where old leaves had accumulated, such as another rowan, oak or a maple, was called a "flying rowan" and thought of as especially potent against witches and their magic, and as a counter-charm against sorcery.
For more on the Rowan tree and its uses in Scottish folk traditions, click the bird eating rowan berries!