Cunning Folk and London Trees

Went to the launch of my son-in-law George's folk CD the other day, in an underground room in a pub, just the kind of place folk music should be heard.  George's passion is British folklore and landscape, and the CD, "Cunning Folk" had this theme.  Although I'm sure you'll think I'm biased, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and hearing the songs performed live, and was very sorry when it was over.  The band's also called Cunning Folk, and if you look on the website here you'll hear one of the CD tracks about the Pendle Witches, and see it's accompanied by an animation by Richard Mansfield.  As you see the film's graphic style is 17th century broadsheet woodcut style - something I've certainly never seen before in an animated film!

George is also keen on craft beer so he arranged for some special Cunning Folk ale to be brewed for those who came to the launch. Only 400 bottles were created, so, I guess this is a collector's item - though I do intend to drink it soon. 

Here's another pic of George, this time in the New Forest in Hampshire, recording ambient sound near the Rufus Stone for a project he was doing about ancient trees.  Interesting trees are one of his passions and at birthdays and Christmas a gift for him is usually perfect as long as it has a tree somewhere about it. 

If I had to say whether I was a tree person or a sea person, (have you noticed that people are usually one or the other?) I'd opt for the trees.   The following photos were all taken in the last two or three weeks in Kenwood, a public park on Hampstead Heath, London. How nice that they're there for everyone to see. 

Magnolias and daffodils...

Catkins

...  and blackthorn, the latter 2 both taken about 10 days before the magnolias.  I liked how they seemed to be reaching out to the world, eager to be up and off. 

And, when I come down in the morning at the moment, the cherry tree outside the window is the first thing I see. For a moment I feel as it if has been snowing in the night.  

  

I never thought particularly of cherry blossom before visiting Japan - I mean, it is beautiful but so are other blossoms.  Then I learned a bit about what it means symbolically to some Japanese (see this link) and so I always notice it a bit more now. 

So I am really happy, appreciating the spring, my favourite time of year, all about hope and new beginnings.  Sure, it is transient, and winter comes, but life continues. 

What's your favourite season and what do you like about it? 

Rowan Tree

I have always admired the rowan tree. As a child, I was  told that it "keeps witches away" which I found very reassuring during a period when I was scared of witches. (Wisely my grandmother also told me that the beautiful scarlet berries are poison, perhaps to stop me eating them to make myself witch-proof.)   

I have a little book called "Rowan, Tree of Protection" by ethnobotanist Chris Howkins, which delves into the extensive mythology associated with this little tree. In his book, Mr. Howkins points out that the celtic name for the rowan is "fid na ndruad" which means "Tree of the Wizard" (or, surely, "Druid"?)  So its reputation for magic goes back a whole lot further than my grandmother!.

Mr. Howkins has also traced the fact that old English names for the tree often contain the word "quick" which is an old word for "alive" - he quotes "Quickenberry," "Quickbeam" and so on.  (He also points out that the common hawthorn is also known as the Quickthorn, something I'd known, but forgotten. Interesting.)

I won't quote Mr. Howkins' book at you - although full of good things, it is not expensive, so if you are interested, click the contact link to find out about it and its author. 

But I should say that this particular photo in fact shows two trees.   The rowan berries with the distinctive rowan leaves are in the foreground. Behind this is a trunk of silver birch.   The birch is associated with birth and renewal, and both trees, although usually seen in gardens and parks, can also be found growing wild on poor acid soil, like this heathland near Westleton, Suffolk.

And, not only do they offer protection from passing witches, and encourage renewal, but I think they look very attractive together.