Ireland's Trees & Mythology
@Tree_Folklore
I photograph the natural world around me and describe Ireland's forgotten magic ✨
Blackbirds live for only around four years, yet in that short time they fill our gardens & woodlands with their beauty and unmistakably ethereal song🪶🎶 They feed on all manner of insects, but it’s the humble earthworm they love most. And by tilting their head to one side, they…
With its roots tangled deep in Irish mythology, the tale of the Oak King and the Holly King carries an ancient magic 🌳🍒 In modern lore, their power shifts at the Solstices with the Oak King teaching his peak in midsummer before being cast down by the Holly King, who in turn…
In Ireland, the stoat is believed to have a level of cunning to challenge even that of the fox 🦊❄️ Here there was a strong taboo against harming a stoat as they are believed to be capable of understanding human speech and will take revenge if a family member is harmed by…
22 days until Christmas 🎨 Jan Pashley
Arthur Rackham's "Father Christmas Surrounded by Gifts" (1931) More than enough to induce sleepless nights throughout the festive season ❄️🎄
Whilst planting some of my remaining acorns I found this little fellow steadfastly refusing to accept that it is December 💚 ❄️ It's always humbling to stop and think about the centuries that saplings like these have ahead of them 🙏🏻
Robins, with their fiery red breasts and bright, joyous presence through the darkest months, quickly became symbols of Christmas cheer 🍒❄️ In Victorian times, postmen were nicknamed “robins” thanks to their bright red uniforms and before long, the Robin itself began to appear…
There is no such thing as a dead tree ✨ A standing dead tree is known as a snag and they quickly become stand alone vertical worlds filled with life 🪶🪲 Woodpeckers, new arrivals in Ireland, carve out holes that later shelter owls, bats & tits🦉🪚 Beetles, moths & other…
Do you hear whispers in the wind? It may be the reeds and rushes... 🍃 It is well known that King Midas was cursed with the “golden touch” having been granted... and foolishly accepted...one wish from the God Dionysus 🪙🍷 Less well known is the second curse that Midas…
Scots Pine often grow into the most magnificent shapes that seem to be carved by the wind and ancient memories 🌲 One of Ireland’s three native conifers, the Scots Pine was held in deep regard by the Druids, who believed its evergreen foliage symbolised endurance through the…
As Winter settles across Europe, all manner of creatures and spirits begin to stir…moving in the darkness, rarely seen, yet impossible to ignore 🌙 ❄️ But in Iceland, something far larger prowls the snowy hills. A being that does not haunt the shadows…but casts…
It was once believed that when lightning struck a tree, it could leave behind a rare & magical growth of mistletoe ⚡✨ The truth is a little less dramatic but just as fascinating...when birds like the mistle thrush eat the milky white berries, they wipe the sticky residue from…
In Slavic society, the Hawthorn tree, loved above all others by the fairy folk of Ireland, was essential when it came to destroying Vampires 🍒⚰️ The stake that is to be driven through the heart of a vampire must be fashioned from the wood of this special tree 💔…
In the UK and Ireland, the plain old Nettle supports around forty different species of insects...from caterpillars & aphids to butterflies such as the Peacock & Red Admiral 🦋 In turn, these insects become food for birds and other creatures, making irritating nettle patches…
In Ireland, Ivy was seen as the feminine counterpart to the masculine Holly 🌲🍒 Holly’s tie to Christmas is still well known, but Ivy also held an important place in winter traditions 🎄❄️ Both were brought into the home during the darkest days of the year, but the order…
In Irish folklore the Fox has a long established bond with the fairies 🦊🧚🏻 Acting as both a messenger and guardian of their doorways the little folk gifted each Fox a magical Pearl as a token of their friendship 🚪🦪 Should you or anyone else manage to find such a Pearl it…
In a landscape where nature has grown scarce, Ireland’s Oak trees stand as cornerstones of the remaining wild places 🌳❄️ One of the Seven Nobles of the Wood, the Oak supports more biodiversity than any other tree in Ireland...over 280 insect species, with some estimates…
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