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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
60
"The
spells
were
vain,
the
hag
returned
To
the
queen
in
sorrowful
mood,
Crying
that
witches
have
no
power,
Where
there
is
row'n-tree
wood."
Hence
persons
carry
an
ashen
twig
in
their
pocket,
and
according
to
a
Yorkshire
proverb:
"If
your
whipsticks
made
of
row'n,
You
may
ride
your
nag
through
any
town;"
But,
on
the
other
hand,
"Woe
to
the
lad
without
a
rowan-tree
gall."
Possessed
of
such
virtues,
it
is
not
surprising
that
the
mystic
ash
should
have
been
held
in
the
highest
repute,
in
illustration
of
which
we
find
many
an
amusing
anecdote.
Thus,
according
to
a
Herefordshire
tradition,
some
years
ago
two
hogsheads
full
of
money
were
concealed
in
an
underground
cellar
belonging
to
the
Castle
of
Penyard,
where
they
were
kept
by
supernatural
force.
A
farmer,
however,
made
up
his
mind
to
get
them
out,
and
employed
for
the
purpose
twenty
steers
to
draw
down
the
iron
door
of
the
vault.
On
the
door
being
slightly
opened,
a
jackdaw
was
seen
sitting
on
one
of
the
casks,
but
the
door
immediately
closed
with
a
bang--a
voice
being
heard
to
say,
"Had
it
not
been
For
your
quicken
tree
goad,
And
your
yew
tree
pin,
You
and
your
cattle
Had
all
been
drawn
in."
Another
anecdote
current
in
Yorkshire
is
interesting,
showing
how
fully
superstitions
of
this
kind
are
believed[25]:--"A
woman
was
lately
in
my
shop,
and
in
pulling
out
her
purse
brought
out
also
a
piece
of
stick
a
few
inches
long.
I
asked
her
why
she
carried
that
in
her
pocket.
'Oh,'
she
replied,
'I
must
not
lose
that,
or
I
shall
be
done
for.'
'Why
so?'
I
inquired.
'Well,'
she
answered,
'I
carry
that
to
keep
off
the
witches;
while
I
have
that
about
me,
they
cannot
hurt
me.'
On
my
adding
that
there
were
no
witches
nowadays,
she
instantly
replied,
'Oh,
yes!
there
are
thirteen
at
this
very
time
in
the
town,
but
so
long
as
I
have
my
rowan-tree
safe
in
my
pocket
they
cannot
hurt
me.'"
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