Thursday, March 24, 2011

Celtic Tree Lore - The Alder



The Song of the Alder Fairy
by Cicely Mary Barker

By the lake on river side
Where the Alders dwell,
In the Autumn may be spied
Baby catkins, cones beside -
Old and new as well
Seasons come and seasons go
That's the tale they tell.

After Autumn, Winter's cold
Leads us to the Spring;
And, before the leaves unfold,
On the Alder you'll behold
Crimson catkins swing!
They are making ready now
That's the song I sing.

  
Alder is a charm to be used against not so good fairies.
Water sprites are said to protect Alder trees;
So think twice before doing any harm to one.

7 comments:

eimear brennan said...

That's gorgeous,im just sitting here, the sun is pouring in through the window, a beautiful spring morning, and just read that beautiful poem, thanks!

Alexis Kennedy said...

This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing!

Mimi Foxmorton said...

I should like to see some crimson catkins.......
;)

~ Jayne ~ said...

Alder is anciently regarded as a "faerie tree" for its ability to grant access to the realm of faerie. Alder branches are carved into pipes & whistles to call ravens and to "whistle up the wind".Alder leaves & flowers make a green dye,while the bark yields red and black.

Lilac SilverFox said...

I absolutely adore this!! So pretty. I've been wanting to look further into Celtic tradition, so this sort of picks my spirits on it :D

Anonymous said...

How lovely! Thank you.

Theresa MacNaughton said...

So beautiful! Brought a smile to my face as I read it. :) Thank you - I always look forward to your tree lore. Theresa