Lady Elder Tree: Northern Animism and Witchcraft

by Joseph S. Hopkins & Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen

SECOND EDITION

No other plant is more associated with witchcraft in parts of northern and western Europe than the elder tree (Sambucus nigra). An Old English Christian canon explicitly forbids its veneration while later tales strongly associate the elder with witches and witchcraft. Yet the plant is also personified as a goddess-like figure who heals and punishes, the Elder Tree Lady. Appeals to the Elder Tree Lady are especially strongly recorded in Denmark and southern Sweden, where one must ritually ask her before removing any part of the plant—or else. Featuring 12 original illustrations by 12 different artists working in 12 different styles, here researchers Joseph S. Hopkins & Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen present and discuss historic references to this incredible figure alongside poetry, literature, and traditional recipes.

A UNIQUE & APPROACHABLE EDITION INTENDED FOR EVERYONE