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The gnarled, immutable yew tree is one of the most evocative sights in the British and Irish language, an evergreen impression of immortality, the tree that provides a living botanical link between our own landscapes and those of the distant past. This book tells the extraordinary story of the yew’s role in the landscape through the millennia, and makes a convincing case for the origins of many of the oldest trees, as markers of the holy places founded by Celtic saints in the early medieval ‘Dark Ages’. With wonderful photographic portraits of ancient yews and a gazetteer (with locations) of the oldest yew trees in Britain, the book brings together for the first time all the evidence about the dating, history, archaeology and cultural connections of the yew. Robert Bevan-Jones discusses its history, biology, the origins of its name, the yew berry and its toxicity, its distribution across Britain, means of dating examples, and their association with folklore, with churchyards, abbeys, springs, pre-Reformation wells and as landscape markers. This third edition has an updated introduction with new photographs and corrections to the main text.
As some of the oldest living organisms to be found in Europe, yew trees have become inextricably bound up in some of the oldest enduring institutions of European culture. In The Immortal Yew, Tony Hall explores the biological, cultural, and mythic significance of these imposing evergreens. Supporting a range of animals and plants, yew trees foster new life by contributing to biodiversity in their surroundings. But their common occurrence in churchyards and their evergreen leaves have given them a separate folk status as symbols of life--in the British isles, they have come to represent the resurrection and eternal life central to the Christian faith. Their enduring significance to British cu...
The ancients revered this sacred tree that has existed on Earth for 200 million years - some trees, still alive today, even survived the last ice age. This immortal tree was therefore venerated as the triple goddess of life, death and rebirth, and was believed to be the guardian of our planet. With climate change threatening our existence, many are now turning to the Tree of Life, identified with the ancient yew, for answers to our predicament. Through groundbreaking research, Janis Fry answers our modern yearning to make sense of life through a god/dess of Nature that guides our lives and connects us to people and events, to which we are answerable as custodians of life on Earth. The Cult of the Yew: Tree of Life, Mystery and Magic explores the spiritual history of this iconic tree and aims to change how those who read it think and understand life in these times.
"Botanists around the world marvel at the unique characteristics of the yew, Europe’s most ancient species of tree. It is a ‘conifer’ without resin or cones but with juicy scarlet fruits that feed many birds and animals; it has foliage that is poisonous to livestock but which wild animals can eat; and though it has an extraordinarily low rate of photosynthesis, it can grow where other tree seedlings and plants just wither and die. The yew’s lower branches can root themselves, and it can also produce ‘interior roots’ inside a hollowing trunk, renewing itself from the inside out. It was in the Palaeolithic Era that humans were first struck by the yew’s regenerative powers and began to associate it with concepts of life and death, the afterlife and eternity. Yew trees can be found at the sacred sites of Native Americans and Buddhists, and Shinto shrines in Japan, as well as in Christian churchyards, where they became a symbol of the Resurrection"--Back cover.
Mae Andrew Morton yn y gyfrol hon yn edrych ar nodweddion botanegol coed yw, a sut i'w mesur a'u dyddio; ar goeden yw mewn llenyddiaeth Gristnogol a chyn-Gristnogol, mewn chwedlau, ac ar y berthynas rhwng coed yw a safleoedd Cristnogol hynafol. Ceir manylion am goed yw hynafol yn Defynnog, Gwytherin, Llangernyw, Llanerfyl a Phennant Melangell. -- Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru
As autumn begins, Moss and friends travel to their former home in Ash Row, to find the rare mortal child who can both see and talk to them. The tiny beings know they should be brave and talk back–this is their chance to help reverse the fading of ancient Cumulus, who has now almost disappeared entirely. But they soon realize fading is connected to their role in the world … Can the Hidden Folk prove that guardians of the Wild World are needed after all?
Here is the authoritative guide to the great social division in British gardening--back cover.
CNN “Book of the Week” Featuring a foreword by Henry Kissinger The grand strategist and founder of modern Singapore offers key insights and opinions on globalization, geopolitics, economic growth, and democracy in a series of interviews with the author of Destined for War, and others “If you are interested in the future of Asia, which means the future of the world, you’ve got to read this book.” —Fareed Zakaria, CNN When Lee Kuan Yew speaks, presidents, prime ministers, diplomats, and CEOs listen. Lee, the founding father of modern Singapore and its prime minister from 1959 to 1990, has honed his wisdom during more than fifty years on the world stage. Almost single-handedly respo...
Myth blends with science in this inspiring story of one man's crusade to preserve the ancient and revered, yet recently threatened, yew tree.
Sisters Mattie, Nell and Renie have all managed to escape their oppressive and bullying father, but now separated, the girls must draw upon their strength and courage to build new lives for themselves. Renie, the youngest sister, is living with the newly married Nell, happy in her waitressing job at the King's Head Hotel. But a shadow falls over her the day Mr Judson arrives as assistant manager. Feeling increasingly harassed by him and also eager to escape from Nell's unpleasant husband, Renie is delighted when she is offered a new job in London. Although she at first finds the city a huge and bewildering place, soon she is settling in and making friends. And yet she still worries about her sister Nell, and the way her husband Cliff treats her. When tragedy strikes Nell and her family, Renie is left feeling horrified and helpless. Her only comfort is her growing friendship with the injured Gil, towards whom she has felt an instant trust and affection. But can their relationship progress from friendship to something more? And how will the return of the threatening Judson affect their future?