Elder tree, Elderberry
Sambucus nigra, Black elder

Common names, early

The folklore of the Elder tree is complex and a little dark. This may be because all parts of this plant except the blossoms are mildly toxic until cooked, or because the flowers are white but the berries are, counter-intuitively, nearly black.

In the Beth-Luis-Nin ogham, the letter R, Ruis, is drawn as a single straight line crossed by five diagonal lines. The leaves of the elder are compound, with three to five pairs of leaves arranged along a central stem, and that may explain why the sign for Ruis is identified with this tree.

Elder Mother, give me some of your wood, and I will give you some
of mine when
I am become
a tree.

The tree was thought to be inhabited by or the property of a tree spirit, and you were wise to ask permission before taking its wood or fruit, and to leave a small gift in return.

In Britain, elder tree wood wasn't used for firewood, but was often made into charms that kept evil spirits, witches, ghosts, and lightening at bay. A rowan tree was traditionally planted by the front door, and an elder at the back, to ward off evil.

The healing properties of the Elder have been known since ancient times, when it was used as a diuretic, antiseptic, and insect repellent. The recipes below are from the Leechbook of Bald, a 9th century Anglo-Saxon herbal.

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Gif mon biþ  on wætr
ælfadle þonne beoþ
 him þa handnæglas wonne & þa eagan tearige & wile locian niwer  ^.

If a man has water
elf disease then be his
handnails wan
& the eyes teary & they will
look down ^.

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do him þis to læchedome  ^.
eoforþrote ^. cassuc  ^. fone nioþoweard  ^. eowberge  ^.  elehtre  ^. eolone  ^.  mersc-mealwan crop  ^. fen minte  ^.  dile  ^. lilie ^. attorlaþe  ^.  polleie  ^. marubie  ^. docce  ^.  ellen  ^. fel terre  ^. wermod  ^.  streawberjean leaf  ^. consolde  ^.

ofgeot mid ealaþ  ^. do halig wæter to sing þis gealdor ofer þriwa

Ic binne awrat betest beado wræda swa benne
ne burnon ne burstan
ne wundian ne feologon .
ne hoppetan ne wund waco sian  ^. ne dolh  deopian  ^.

ac him self healde
hale wæge  ^.
 

ne ace þe þon ma
þe eorþan on eare ace  ^.
 

sing þis manegum siþum .
eorþe þe on bere eallum hise mihtum & mægenum.

Give him this for healing .
carline thistle ^. sedge ^. fane
netherward ^. yew berry ^. lupin

^. helenium ^. marsh-mallow blossom ^.

fen mint ^. dill ^. lily ^. cockspur grass .

pennyroyal . horehound ^. dock ^. elder ^.

lesser centaury ^. wormwood ^.

strawberry leaves ^. comfrey ^.

moisten with ale ^. give holy
water sing this charm over three times:

I have written best battle
bandage so that the wound will
not stream not burst
not wound not bind
not throb not deepen pain ^.  

not dole deepen ^.
but himself hold

healthy ways ^.
nor hurt you then any more
than earth in sea aches
 

Sing this many times ^.
earth within you bring to bear

all her might & main.

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þas galdor mon mæg singan on wunde.

This charm one may sing
over wounds.
           Leechbook III, lxiii
 

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Elder wood was close-grained and long-lasting; it was used in the laying of hedges, and was said to last longer in the ground than an iron bar of the same diameter. It was believed to be dangerous to sleep in the shade of an elder, but if you stood beneath it on Midsummer Eve, the night before the summer solstice, you might see the rulers of the Otherworld ride by, with all their court in attendance.

Please note: Many plants have been used in past and present times for medicinal purposes, and as one of the focuses of Wyrtig is the history of gardening, these uses are discussed here. However, common sense requires that you consult your family physician or other health care provider before using any plant materials for medicinal purposes. The old saying that "A doctor who treats him- (or her-) self has a fool for a patient" is no less true in herbal medicine than in any other branch of the healing sciences. Herbal remedies should not be used by the uninformed; medical advice should be sought before using any herbal remedy.