Celtic Tree Lore - The Mythology and Folklore of Reed/Broom

he Reed or Broom has always been associated with music, mainly because of its use in the making of pipes and flutes. The Greek God Pan for example played a Reed pipe. In mythology we know the story of Pan and Apollo who entered into a contest with one another to determine who could play the sweetest music. Pan played his panpipes while Apollo played his lyre. Pan was chosen as the winner which in turn angered Apollo who in his rage turned Pan into half man and half goat.

Pan is thought to be the offspring of Hermes. He was thought to haunt the woodlands, hills and mountains. Pan was known for dancing through the woods playing his pipes. He was somewhat of a lusty leader of the satyrs and loved nothing better than to chase nymphs. He was often associated with Dionysus for this reason. Pan’s symbol was the phallus and of old he was invoked for the fertility of flocks or an abundant hunt.

In folklore the Pied Piper of Hamelin also played a magical tune on a pipe made from reed. It was this song that was said to rid a town of a plague of rats. It was said that in 1284 the Pied Piper was hired to rid the town of Hamelin of a plague of rats. He walked through the streets playing a magical tune on his pipe. When the rats heard the music they would follow him. The piper then led the rats all the way to the banks of the river Weser where all the rats fell into the water and drowned. The town council then refused to pay the piper for his work.

The piper then walked the streets again only this time he played a different tune. On hearing the music he played, all the children in town began to follow him as he led them out of town and into the foothills of the mountains. They were led to a secret entrance into the mountains where they entered and vanished never to be seen again. After this disappearance the spirits of the piper and the children are to forever haunt the town of Hamelin.

The Legend of the Jack - O - Lantern

The custom of the jack-o-lantern came from Ireland and was first made out of holloed out turnips and beets. It was the immigrants to eventually ventured to America that later used the pumpkin and squash. According to the legend, the Jack-O-Lantern derived its name from a man named Jack. He was a mischievous lad who escaped the devil’s attempts to steal his soul on many an occasion. When Jack died, it was said that he could not get into heaven because of his naughty ways. He then went to the gates of hell, and the devil also refused him entrance.

The devil then tossed a piece of coal out to Jack as a jokingly way of offering him a means to find his way in the dark. Yet Jack was not that dumb. He placed the piece of coal into a carved out turnip creating a makeshift lantern which provided him light enough as he wandered about purgatory.

The placing of a light in the hollowed out pumpkins and squash today is a means to ward off the dark or any unwanted spirits. The pumpkin is to be placed at the front door or in any passageway in need of protection or light.

If you would like an extra entry for my Samhain giveaway. Go to the link and post a comment with the word Jack-o-lantern. 

Celtic Tree Lore - Ivy Mythology and Folklore

t was the ivy leaves which formed the poet’s crown so of course it was important to the ancients. Ivy was dedicated to the Greek God Dionysus, the god of intoxication. He is often seen with a wreath of Ivy on his head and holding a thyrsus or wand which is entwined with ivy and vine leaves.

Ivy leaves were thought to prevent intoxication and the binding of the brow with ivy was seen as a counterbalance to the vine. It was thought that the effects of wine could be removed by a handful of ivy leaves which have been gently bruised and boiled in wine and drank.

Ivy is also associated with the Egyptian god Osiris, god of the sun, agriculture and health. In legend Osiris had an evil brother, Seth who was the god of the desert. Seth was jealous of his brother because he ruled the fertile lands while he had to rule the barren desert land. He convinced Osiris to get into a large chest or sarcophagus which he then closed and threw into the Nile River. The coffin floated down the river and into the Mediterranean Sea. Yet the coffin was carried to the port of Byblos where his wife Isis recovered his body. Isis was overjoyed for it was a general belief that there could be no life after death without a physical body.

Once again Seth retaliated and re-seized the coffin and cut the corpse of Osiris up into 14 pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt. Once again, Isis searched for her husband, finding each piece except for his genitals which were said to have been devoured by fishes. As a reborn god, Osiris didn’t return to earth but instead stayed in the Underworld. In this story we see the association with ivy as a plant of life, death, and re-newal and also equated with fertility.

Celtic Tree Lore - Vine in Mythology

n Greek mythology Dionysus is the god of nature and the god of wine and inspiration. He was also the god of ecstasy and his cult was one of the mystery religions. It was said that it was Dionysus who first produced wine from the fruit of the vine. He is also known for spreading the art of how to tend the grapes properly.

His nature reflected very much the nature of wine. On one had he could bring joy and unbelievable ecstasy. On the other hand he could bring unthinkable rage which often led to brutality.

Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele. Semele was a mortal. It was said that Zeus came to Selmele one night invisible. She recognized her experience only as that of a divine presence. She knew she was a lover of a god, yet she did not know which god it was. It was Hera (Zeus’s wife) who eventually confronted Semele disguised so that she would not be identified. She convinced Semele to see who her lover really was. When Zeus came to her once again, Semele made him promise and swear on the River Styx that he would reveal himself. Because of his love for Semele, he could not deny her request, although he knew that what would happen to her. When he revealed himself to her, she instantly was struck dead due to the fact that she was mortal and could not stand to see him in all his glory. Zeus then took their unborn son Dionysus from her womb and sewed him into his thigh until he was ready to be born. When the time came, Dionysus was born from Zeus’s thigh perfectly formed. He was known as the twice born god associated with death and rebirth.

Dionysus wandered the world and was accompanied by his maenads who actively encouraged his worship and what became known as cult. The maenads were wild women often flush with wine. Their shoulders would be draped with fawn skins and they carried with them wands made of hazel tipped with pinecones. No temples were erected to Dionysus, instead they worshipped in open and free in the woods. It is here they would worship until they reached states of frenzied ecstasy.

When Dionysus is depicted he wears a crown of ivy and is usually covered with vine leaves and grape, an image similar to the Green Man.