The Celtic Tree Alphabet – Part 2 by Eliseo Mauas Pinto

The Celtic Tree Alphabet – Part 2 by Eliseo Mauas Pinto

(Willow) It is used for making baskets, support roofs of straw or leaves, and palisades. Once the trunk was undermined for the construction of the box of Gaelic harp. It is said that witches sailed in willow baskets during the lunar rites. Technical Data: Gender of woody plants of the family Salicaceae, common in wet places, in the cool temperate and boreal regions, of various dimensions as the height and species, or elongated oval leaves, laid; flowers in dioecious amentos; fruit capsule. It highlights the White Sauce that provides wood white, tender, working; Sauce Cabruno common in mountain forests. The Red Willow: provides branches that serve to work weaving (basketry) and its bark is rich in tannin. There are also high mountains species.
(Hawthorn) Common in 7000-6000 BC, and this tree was particularly sacred to faerie beings. During the Beltaine
festival burning bushes or vines were removed from the ritual fire spreading through the fields to ensure their future fertility, alternating with areas of Hawthorn. They used to be planted around the graves of important people. There is a belief that some wishes can be realized if a piece of cloth is hung from its branches. Technical Data: It highlights the Hawthorn (Albar) thorny shrub of the family of the Rosaceae, which is common copses in Europe since the basal level to mountain; lobadodentadas leaves, the bright beam, white flowers, small five-petals, in curds; globose fruits, red at maturity with two or three edible seeds and pulp. The flowers have sedative properties. The yellow hawhtorn (False Hawthorn): thorny shrub of the family of Eleagnáceas, often in mountainous areas along beaches, linear lanceolate leaves, small greenish flowers, fruits the size of peas, yellow - orange, hardwood and
resilient.

(Oak) King of all the trees, deserves great respect for the Celts. Along with the Yew (Yew), is considered the longest. For the Druids was the sacred tree, its leaves, berries, and branches were used as ritual. It is sacred to several of the most important male gods, Dagda, Lugha, especially as Lord of the Forest was closely linked to the figure of the god Cernunos, as the oak mistletoe grows, a plant for treating revered by the Druids who collected during special ceremonies with the sacred golden sickle and mistletoe fruit, berries which were considered drops of semen Cernunos, Lord of the Forest, Fertility, and all the creatures) During the time of Lammas (Lughnasadh) produces prominent oak sprouts Young, known as Lammas outbreaks. The old oak trees were also used as a place of encounter with beings feéricos This being one of the largest trees of religious connotation to the Celts, it is not surprising that many monasteries (eg St. Kentigern, St. Colum Ciller, Thohoyandou) found was built in places occupied by oaks sacred. Technical Data: It is a plant of the family tree of Fagáceas, leaves with contour obovate, large lobes with deep, rounded, fruit erect, sessile. It grows in Europe and Asia, in Spain is in the regions of North, East and Central. Its hard wood, resistant to moisture, is used for carpentry work, manufacturing of casks, and as fuel. It also called Oak Albar although the latter has a rich wood tannins, and its leaves are slightly petiolated lobado limbo. Its fruits are in walnut with squamous dome, is also called Roble Carballo. The oak and cork are of the same genus (Quercus) provide low-value timber, and yet by contrast, secondary products of great interest (cork, tannin, acorns)