The Pagan Heart
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May 2005 Issue
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Herbs Under Scrutiny: The Birch - Tree of Reflection Part II
By Mary Q. Contrari
Greetings, gentle people!! Miss Mary Q Contari here yet again, to share fascinating tidbits with you! My dear friend Callum was so kind to cover for me last month, while unavoidably absent. Thank you, my dear friend! Well, this month I am doing something a bit different. We had a specific request to do a piece on Birch trees, and I aim to serve! I did find some very interesting information that I can't wait to share with you. So I will sit here next to my Birch saplings, and share with you what I have. All around the world, whereever you go, you will find some culture, somewhere that considers the birch tree to be sacred. The Ojibwa have a legend about a small boy named Winabojo, who wishes to acquire some feathers to decorate his arrows. He turns into a rabbit, and ends up in the nest of a Thunderbird, where the babies play with him. The young birds are rough with him, so after the parents leave the nest, Winabojo becomes a boy once again, killing the baby birds, and stealing feathers. The parents are, of course very angry, and try to attack the boy, who hides in an old hollow birch tree. The boy comes out of hiding, after the bird parents leave, cuts lines in the bark of the tree which symbolizes the claws of the birds, and proclaims that "the birch tree would forever protect and benefit the human race". The Blackfoot tribe has their own story about how come Birch trees have "stripes". An old man, tired from his journey, commanded the wind to blow hard enough to make the trees break. All the other trees broke except the Birch. The birch tells him that he will never break from the wind, only bend. So the old man cuts into the tree with his hunting knife, forever marking Birch trees, for not obeying their master. In Russian mythology, Birch trees are known as "Genii of the Forest", or "Forest Devils". Creatures crawl to the top of these trees and view the world fromt their perch. It is said that if you take branches and place them in a circle, with the tips pointing inward, it will invite the forest devils to appear. There is also a Russian story about the Mother of God, on the island of Buian, who sits on top of a Birch tree. Norse legends say that Thor, god of Thunder, made the handle of his hammer from birch wood. How strong and magnificent birch must be, if Thor himself, also regarded as a fertility god, used it for a tool! In more modern times, birch is the State tree of New Hampshire. The birch tree has been in Britain since before the Ice Age, and was called "Beth" by the Celtic peoples. Beth is the name of the first letter in the Ogham alphabet. Interestingly, every letter in the Ogham alphabet has an association with trees. "Beth" also represents the first month of the Celtic year. It also represents fertility, therefore being the maiden aspect of the moon cycles. Our Irish ancestors had what was called a "Besom wedding", in which a besom of birch, held over an open doorway and jumped over by a couple, would signify that they were married. These weddings were still considered legal into the 19th century! Oh, the good old days of cheap weddings! In Pembrokeshire, a young lass, if encouraging the attentions of a man, would give him a birch twig. But if trying to rid of him, he would recieve a hazel twig! Often during Beltaine, the maypole was a live birch tree. Better than cutting one down and making sure it stays in its hole, I say! In times of old, it was believed that if you hung a birch branch above the door to your home, you were protected from evil spirits. In European countries, birch trees often formed the main supporting beam, or pole, in places that shamanic rituals took place. Many peoples believed that birch was the protector of childbirth, and so had a branch over the place of birthing. Every year, brooms were made of twigs, and it "swept away the bad" from the previous year. Cradles were made from birch, as it was thought to protect the wee babe from harm, especially if the person had psychic tendencies. For this reason did some people also have a piece of birch upon their person- and to keep the fairies from kidnapping them. In "The Song of Hiawatha", Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote: "Give me of your bark, O Birch-tree! Of your yellow bark, O birch tree! I a light canoe will build me that shall float upon the river". Aside from the quaint stories and old beliefs that are associated with this beloved soil dweller, there are many uses that are still employed today. Native American tribes would use the bark to cover their canoes and wigwams, and they would use the wonderful hard wood to make cooking utensils and storage containers, as it is extremely durable. Miss Mary thinks of ancient upperware here, oh my! Another use for this bark, due to the durability of it, was that of paper. Birch has also been used to make musical instruments, sleds, toys and fishing gear for children. These and many other uses are still being done today. Let's not forget the most beautiful baskets made by our Native sisters, that have patterns based on those of the birch. I also found out that birch is a wonderful wood used to make wands for children! Oh, and don't let me close this article without pointing out the recipes that one can make, using this fine specimen. There is a great wine recipe at Lady of the Woods - the Birch, that I'm dying to make. And what a conversation piece! In Alaska, there are "sugaring off parties" similar to what is done in New England with the maple. There they get the sap using the same equipment you would use on a maple tree, as birch has fructose and glucose, and then produce a syrup that tastes somewhat like molasses. A recipe, and the "how to" can be found at Alaska Science Forum . I also found many recipes to make birch wine, beer, rootbeer, and syrup. Please remember to not harvest the bark off a live tree, as the bark from a fallen or dead tree is just as useful, if not more so - especially as it is easier to remove than that on a live tree. I do not recommend harming these lovely trees solely for the use of making arts and crafts from their bark. While taking from a live tree, if the dark inner bark is damaged, it can kill the poor tree. After all, we want live, healthy trees in our world, don't we? If harvesting from the fallen trees, it is better to do so starting in spring, and going into June. The best type to harvest from is the paper birch, which is often times referred to as white birch. On that note, gentle people, while my dear Stanley is whittling birch gifts for our grandchildren, and I start a batch of birch wine to give at Yuletide, I will say good day, and thank you for letting me share with you all once again. Be well, my friends! Note:A wonderful site to look at is NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art
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