Rowan trees are one of the most beautiful sights in the natural world.
During the springtime, rowan trees will display beautiful white flowers; insects like bees and other flying insects love being around this tree when the rowan tree blooms with white flowers. This makes rowan trees great for helping animals.
Another thing that makes the rowan tree great for helping animals is when it transforms into displaying red berries. The red berries bloom on this tree during the late summer and early autumn, birds love eating these berries.
Rowan trees are helpful because they help different animals.
But.
There is more to the rowan tree - the rowan tree has its own folklore, which makes this tree more interesting and captivating. The rowan tree's name has Celtic origins - its Celtic name means 'wizards' tree, denoting magical connotations.
Another name it is called is the 'witch-wiggin' tree. People used to plant rowan trees beside their houses to ward off witches - the berries of the rowan tree and the rowan tree itself have had a long history of being associated with witches and magic.
The rowan tree is a native tree to the British Isles, people throughout history in the British Isle have believed that the rowan tree protects them from witches and magic, which is why the tree has been planted near people's houses.
It has also been planted in churchyard grounds for the same reason: Rowan trees have been planted in churchyards to protect the dead from evil spirits.
The rowan tree has historically been seen as a tree that protects people, even today, people see the rowan tree as a symbol of protection. Interestingly, the mark on the rowan berry itself looks like a pentagram - the pentagram is seen as a symbol of protection, which might explain why people believe the rowan tree brings protection.
Rowan trees have not just historically been a symbol of folklore in the British Isles, the trees have also had historical importance - the ancient druids would use branches from the rowan trees for funerals.
The rowan tree is also historically linked to two Scottish clans - the clan Malcolm has rowan berries on its badge and the clan MacLachlan has the rowan tree on its badge. Both of these Scottish clans were from the highlands of Scotland: Rowan trees are found in the wild in the Scottish highlands.
The British Isles is not the only place where there is history and folklore surrounding the rowan tree - the rowan tree is also found in both Irish and Norse folklore.
In Ireland the rowan tree is associated with Saint Brighid - Saint Brighid is a Celtic patroness who is associated with healing and the arts.
In Norse mythology, it was believed that the rowan tree was where the first woman came from. It is also believed in Norse mythology that the rowan tree saved the Norse God Thor from drowning in a river.
The Vikings are also associated with rowan trees in another way - when the Vikings came to Scotland they used wood from the rowan tree to make amulets so that they could protect themselves from sorcery.
There is a lot of folklore and history surrounding the rowan tree.
It is also a beautiful tree which is important to many different animals, including bees, wasps, other flying insects, and several bird species.
The rowan tree is interesting both because of the transformation it makes throughout the year and because of its rich history and folklore.
So, the next time you see a rowan tree, you can think of the magical folklore that surrounds this breathtaking tree. 💖🌳✨
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