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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
42
Thus
the
Grecian
bride
was
and
is
still
decked
with
its
blossoms,
whereas
its
wood
formed
the
torch
which
lighted
the
Roman
bridal
couple
to
their
nuptial
chamber
on
the
wedding
day.
It
is
evident,
therefore,
that
the
white-thorn
was
considered
a
sacred
tree
long
before
Christian
tradition
identified
it
as
forming
the
Crown
of
Thorns;
a
medieval
belief
which
further
enhanced
the
sanctity
attached
to
it.
It
is
not
surprising,
therefore,
that
the
Irish
consider
it
unlucky
to
cut
down
this
holy
tree,
especially
as
it
is
said
to
be
under
the
protection
of
the
fairies,
who
resent
any
injury
done
to
it.
A
legend
current
in
county
Donegal,
for
instance,
tells
us
how
a
fairy
had
tried
to
steal
one
Joe
M'Donough's
baby,
but
the
poor
mother
argued
that
she
had
never
affronted
the
fairy
tribe
to
her
knowledge.
The
only
cause
she
could
assign
was
that
Joe,
"had
helped
Mr.
Todd's
gardener
to
cut
down
the
old
hawthorn
tree
on
the
lawn;
and
there's
them
that
says
that's
a
very
bad
thing
to
do;"
adding
how
she
"fleeched
him
not
to
touch
it,
but
the
master
he
offered
him
six
shillings
if
he'd
help
in
the
job,
for
the
other
men
refused."
The
same
belief
prevails
in
Brittany,
where
it
is
also
"held
unsafe
to
gather
even
a
leaf
from
certain
old
and
solitary
thorns,
which
grow
in
sheltered
hollows
of
the
moorland,
and
are
the
fairies'
trysting-places."[6]
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