Alternate Names: Fearnog
Scientific name: Alnus glutinosa
Color: crimson (flann), green-brown, royal purple
Number: 8 (the number of humanity)
Bird: Crow and Gull (faelinn)
Tree Lore: It is believed that alder wood contains a fiery energy, and for this reason resists water.
The wood is white when first cut, but from it runs a red sap, like blood.
Green dye is made from alder flowers, brown from the twigs, and red from the bark, the red--called aldine red--a favorite of the Celts.
The name alder is derived from the Old English ealdor, meaning chief.
Cousin to both birch and hazel, hving flowers and seeds borne in catkins.
Usually found by a running stream, it will not thrive on dry ground.
The Celts used alder wood to make charcoal for their metalworking, though it is a poor wood for fuel.
The green top branches make good whistles which can be used to call up winds.
Milk pails were sometimes made of alder, which is why in the Book of Ballymote, Fearn is described as "guarding of milk."
Alder buds are set in spirals, a symbol of resurrection
One of the many fairy trees known to the Celts.
The healing quality of the alder deals with doubt.
Alder is the second chieftain tree in Irish tradition.
The alder first blooms near the equinox.
Holiday: Spring Equinox/Eostre/Ostara
Divinatory meaning: The founding principle of tradition. Remain steadfast in true principles. Seek your true foundation, true principles if you do not know them. Over-resistant to change. Be aware of danger. Know when to remain steadfast and when to encourage change. Tendency to fear defeat which impairs courage. Resurrection. The power of fire, especially to free one from water.
The Celts, on the other hand, are very "real" historically, though the name, like so many in history, is one given after the fact to a group that did not even recognize itself as a group but rather as individual tribes who happened to speak related dialects and live in the same areas of Europe.
One thing unfortunate for those of us interested in the historical Celtic peoples is that they left no written records of their culture. While they had a rich oral "literary" tradition, they had no written tradition; meaning we are left to struggle with wordless clues from the period, and unearthing clues from the later scribing of their tales.
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