Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-04-24
ABOUT PLANT WORSHIP
Curious Customs Of Ancient Times, Some
of Which Still Survive.

Curious Customs Of Ancient Times, Some
OF Which still Survive.
The plant worship which holds s,
prominent place In the history of the
| primitive races of mankind would ap
pear to have sprung from perception
of the beauty and utility of trees. Sur.
vivals of this still linger on in many
parts of Europe. The peasants in Bo.
hemia sally forth into their gardens
before sunrise on Good Friday, and
falling upon their knees before tree
will exclaim: Il pray, o green tree
that God may make thee good" Al
night time they will run to and frc
about their gardens crying: Bud, o
trees, bud, or l will fog you" In our
own country the Devonshire farmers
and their men will to this day go out
into their orchards after supper on the
evening of Twelfth Day, carrying with
them n lage milk pail of cider, with
roasted apples pressed into it. All
present hold in their hands an earthen-
ware cup filled with liquor, and taking
up their stand beneath those apple
trees which have borne the most fruit.
address them in these words:
Health to thee. good apple tree,
Well to bear pocket fulls, hat fulls,
Peck fulls, bushel bag fulls."
simultaneously dashing the contents
of their cups over the trees. The OBJ
scrvance of this ceremony, which is
locally known as "wassailing," is en-
Joined by Thomas Tusser in his works
entitled "Five Hundred Points of
Good Husbandry," wherein he bids the
husbandman
"Wassail the trees, that they may bear
You many plum and many pear;
For more or less fruit they will bring,
AS you do them wassailing."
In most countries certain plants are
to be found associated with witches
and their craft. Shakespeare causes
one of his witches to discourse of root
Of ''hemlock digg'd i the dark" like
wise also Of slips of yew sliver'd in
the moons eclipse" Vervain was in old
EN- times known as "the enchanter's
plant rue, again, was regarded as an
antidote against their spells and ma
chinations. This partiality for certain
plants is well known. According to
Grimm. the trysting place of the Nea-
politan witches was walnut tree
near Benevento. In walnut and older
trees they are also said to be in the
habit of lurking at nightfall. Witches,
too. had their favorite flowers. Among
these the foxglove was known as the
"witches' BELLS" the harebells as the
witches thimbles." Tradition asserts
that on moonlight nights they might
be seen flying through the air mounted
ON the stems of ragwort, reeds or bull
rushes. Throughout Germany 1t is be-
lieved that witches career through
the midnight skies on hay. Many
plants were pressed into service as
charms and spells for the detection of
witches and evil spirits when wander
ing about on their nefarious errands,
particularly the st. Johns wort, still
largely worn by the German peasantry
as n kind of amulet on st. Johns eve.
1t was an old belief that all baptized
persons whose eyes had been stepped
In the green juice of the inner bark of
the elder tree would be enabled to de-
tect witches anywhere. The same
property. according to German folk
lore, Is possessed by the wild radish,
ivy and saXifrage on Walpurgis
Night. Among other plants which
have had the reputation of averting
the crafts and subtleties of wlthcraft
the juniper, holly, mistletoe, little
pimpernel, herb paris, cyclamen, an
gelica, herb betony, rowan tree, brack-
en-, and twigs of the ash may be men,
toned. In the Rhine district the
water lily is regarded as antagonlstic
to sorcery. Lavendar Is believed in
Tuscany to possess the power of
averting the evil eye. Olive branches
are said to keep the witches from the
cottage doors in the rural districts Of
Italy, and the Russian peasantry will
lay aspen upon the grave of witch to
prevent her spirit from walking
abroad or exercising any evil influence
over her neighbors. The Gentemen's
Magazine.