Ogham for Winter Solstice

 The ancient Celts used the first alphabet in Europe which is called the Ogham script.  Each letter is associated with a tree or an important plant.  The alphabet was used as a mnemonic device to encode knowledge, the Celtic song of the universe, Ceolta na Cruinne (Diana Beresford-Kroeger).  Some of these trees or plants were important at the time of the Winter Solstice.  What is really interesting to me is that many of these trees or plants are still important to us today and are reflected in Christmas carols and traditions.  All this information is from Jacqueline Memory Peterson’s book Tree Wisdom.

Rowan:  At Winter Solstice, the Rowan has no leaves and when it is covered by frost, it looks like it is covered in stars.  Yule legends tell of a special star atop the mythical Rowan tree which heralded a return of the light.  Paterson writes that this star was incorporated into the Christmas story and that the Rowan was a forerunner of Christmas trees with a star on top which were celebrated inside instead of outside.

Yew:  At the midwinter or Winter Solstice, Yew sprigs were used for purification.  People threw away their physically outworn things and burned them on the great Yule fires.  The Yew was powerful in midwinter as it represented the passage of the sun through the darkest time of year.  All evergreens were revered as trees of light since their green foliage in the dead of winter emphasized that life would continue.  All evergreens were traditionally dressed with shiny, sparkling objects at Yuletide to attract the light of the sun back .  This practice has been adopted for the decoration of Christmas trees now.

Holly:  Holly was brought inside during the winter because its shiny leaves reflected the light and the bright red berries could lift the spirits.  Its evergreen quality symbolizes the tenacity of life.  For the Celts, the Holly King ruled from Midsummer to Midwinter (when the sun is waning) and then a battle with the Oak King occurs which the Oak wins and then the Oak rules from Midwinter to Midsummer (when the sun is waxing).  The Christmas carol, “The Holly and the Ivy” is really about the male and female principles in life.  At Yule, it was the custom to dress a boy in the foliage of holly and a girl in Ivy.  Then they paraded around the town to lead the old solar year into the new one.  In some traditions the boy and girl played competitive games including singing songs.  The Holly represented the sun and the Ivy the moon.  “Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown,” goes the carol.

Holly in a vase

Scots Pine: The Druids burned great fires of pine at the Winter Solstice to draw back the sun and the practice led to the burning of the Yule log.  Living pines were decorated with lights and shiny objects at Yule.  The Scots Pine is used as a Christmas tree because of its green needles and red bark.  And the Yule log is now a tasty dessert served at Christmas.

Apple:  Apple trees were Wassailed at the Winter Solstice or on the Twelfth Night.  This is a seasonal ceremony in which blessings and prayers are said to the trees to ensure good crops.  A toast is drunk to the spirit which inhabits the trees.  Songs are sung, poems recited and apple cider is poured onto the roots of the tree.  “Here we go a-wassailing…” is a song we sing at Christmas time.

Ash:  The wassailing bowl used by druids was carved from Ash.  Ash was also used as the Yule log.

Oak: Mistletoe has always been associated with the Sun and there was a tradition of gathering it at both solstices.  At the summer solstice, the wood was gathered and at the Winter Solstice, the berries and leaves.  Mistletoe that grew on Oak which was sacred to the Druids was thought to be the most powerful.  At Winter Solstice, the Mistletoe was lopped from the Oak and caught in a cloth so that it never touches the earth.  Mistletoe represents male fertility of the sun god that combined with the earth goddess renews her fertility.  I already mentioned the battle between the Oak and Holly at Winter Solstice.  In Druidic tradition, the robin and wren are associated with the Oak and Holly respectively and they also compete according to the season.

I find it very interesting that after a few thousand years of Christianity, these ancient connections with trees and plants endure.

Jacqueline Memory Peterson (1996) Tree Wisdom: The definitive guidebook to the myth, folklore and healing power of Trees. Thorsons: London.