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:
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!
This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
I should like to see some crimson catkins.......
;)
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.
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
How lovely! Thank you.
So beautiful! Brought a smile to my face as I read it. :) Thank you - I always look forward to your tree lore. Theresa
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