History and Folklore of Yew Trees

A mature yew tree in a cemetery

A good few years ago was having a lot of trouble opening a jar of pickled gherkins. My wrist was sore and try as I might I just couldn’t get the traction on the lid to screw it off. A wise old salt came by and told me a technique which they claimed never failed. 

I’ll share it with you now.

First stand upright with legs slightly apart. Imagine you are an oak tree and your roots are penetrating the ground and collecting energy from the earth. Channel that energy into your muscles and hold it there for a second. This burst of natural energy emanating from the limbs will give you the strength to twist off the lid the very little effort as natural forces are doing the hard work.

It’s stood me in good stead over the years but I have found a better way – even better than stabbing the lid with a fork. Simply use a bottle opener to release the pressure of the lid until the safety seal pops. The lid will come of so easily. I now find this is much quicker and doesn’t entail me having to summon energy from the earth’s crust and bothering Mother Nature.

Yew Trees

The wise old salt who suggested the jar opening method wasn’t the first person to summon the earth’s energy for their own benefit. Centuries ago Druids planted yew trees in pagan temple sites and burial grounds as they felt the trees were really good at absorbing the energy of their dead and linked it to immortality. 

 

The Druids regarded yew as sacred and planted it close to their temples. As early Christians often built their churches on these consecrated sites, the association of yew trees with churchyards was perpetuated. The Christians felt the trees were “a holy symbol” because the heartwood is red and the sapwood is white symbolizing the body and blood of Christ. 

I’ll add here that there are no real facts about yew trees in cemeteries, most of the research is inconclusive. This is great for me because I can just make things up.

It does make sense to have the trees as a windbreak to protect the buildings. In 1307 King Edward I ordered yew trees to be planted in churchyards to protect churches from gale damage. Robert Turner, writing in 1644, suggested that yew absorbed the vapours produced by putrefaction. They were also said to ward off evil spirits, which might refer to masking the ‘evil’ smells more than the spirits.

We do know that yew trees can live for over 1000 years and some have even been found to live 5000 years. Most older trees are sole survivors of medieval villages. 

Yews were usually planted in twos, one at the lych-gate, the funeral entrance to the churchyard, and the other near the church door. Today, two lines of trimmed Irish yews sometimes mark this pathway, with additional yews planted next to raised tombs or graves.

Yew trees were sometimes planted in acts of sanctification, close to where people eventually hoped to be laid to rest.  

There are other theories. 

The wood was used to make longbows and keeping the trees protected in an enclosed cemetery kept the branches away from livestock which could damage the trunks causing them to be unsuitable for the bows as they would be gnarled and twisted. Maybe the trees were kept away from the livestock as all but the red seed coating of the tree is poisonous. 

The theory about making bows falls a bit flat when you think how many trees were needed to make the millions of bows needed for armies. It’s more likely the wood for these was imported from Europe to cope with the demands. Woodland tree management would have been far more precise and labour intensive compared to today and the trees would have had their side branches removed to keep the trunks strong and straight. 

Value to wildlife

Regardless of the trees fables and legends they are valuable to wildlife. Yew made into hedges in particular is incredibly dense, offering protection and nesting opportunities for many birds. The tiny goldcrest and firecrest nest in broadleaf woodland with a yew understorey.  The fruit is eaten by birds such as the blackbird, thrush and fieldfare, and small mammals such as squirrels and dormice. The leaves are eaten by caterpillars of the satin beauty moth and they are a haven for spiders.