The Crab Apple Tree: one of Ireland's oldest native Celtic trees
· IrishCentralWe take a look at the Crab Apple Tree, one of Ireland's oldest native sacred trees.
Editor's note: Below is an extract from the Moon Mná Diary-Journal.
As the ‘Tree of Immortality', the native Crab Apple is the ‘silver bough’ of the Faerie folk. Steeped in myth and legend, this tree has been grown in Ireland for at least 3000 years. Its name in Irish Gaelic is Ceirt also Crann Fia-Úll with the horticultural name Malus Sylvestris. The dark green, oval leaves are alternately arranged on the branches and their pinkish-white flowers have 5 petals growing to tart-tasting fruit.
The main difference with common apple trees is that not only the tree but also the fruit of Crab Apples are smaller in size. Hardy trees that like moist and sunny habitats, found in hedgerows and in woodlands, Crab Apple can reach 100 years and are pollinated by bees. Belonging to the Rosaceae Rose family, all species of apple trees are a symbol of beauty, love, health, and fertility. Perceived as a healing gift of the Gods and Goddesses they are an age-old symbol of eternal youth, long life, and renewal.
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Did you know ... Crab Apple’s high pectin content ‘sets’ jams and jellies? Full of fiber, eating one a day aids gum health and digestion. Medicinally the fruit’s antioxidant lowers cholesterol while the malic and tartaric acid, which gives the sour taste, can help ease gout, inflammation, constipation, and fever. Crab Apple is very popular to make cider and sparkling alcohol drinks and sweetened refreshing juices.
As the Ogham tree ‘Q’, Crab Apple is connected with Samhain, the Celtic New Year and still features today at Halloween for games, divination, food and drink. Even today in Wexford, Ireland and South England the tradition of ‘Wassailing’ the oldest apple tree at mid-Winter continues to celebrate this tree and its fruit.
Crab Apple is forever immortalized in the Celtic myths of the Isle of Apples, the romantic legend of warrior Bran and faerie goddess Aisling, the tale of Cormac Mac Airt and Manannan Mac Lir as well as W.B. Yeats poetry.
A Reflection of the First Fruits – a Crab Apple Tree story extract from the Moon Mná Diary-Journal by Annette Davis Campbell, Musician/Singer, Moon Mná Circle Facilitator, Shamanic Practitioner, Student of Herbalism.
Crab Apple Tree expresses balance in her equal parts below ground and above ground, in her symmetry. She shows her young fruits as we come into the Idir Ait (‘between places’ in Gaelic), this time between the Summer Solstice and Lughnasa, the first fruit harvest.
The lone planted Crab Apple - so many low limbs reach out to hug me - a perfect resting place for a soul sister. As I unfocus my eyes, I see the tree’s bark moving, breathing, and its heart beating. I’m grateful for this precious vision. I’m receiving so much, I ask, “what can I give back?” The answer is “You are giving it”. Yes, I am giving attention and love, but I can give more. Hugs coming up! She provides a refuge for recharging; I’m feeling fed.
I reminisce that as a young child, I once took refuge in a large fissure in the trunk of a tree in our yard. I felt enveloped, hidden away from some tense energy I’d picked up from inside the house. That tree was a godsend, sheltering me for a short time away from the others. As a child I connected to nature easily; now I depend on that connection to ground me.
I ask Crab Apple Tree to please teach me, visioning her in a bright golden mist, perhaps a reflection of the first fruits. I saw her standing in harmony and balance, roots reaching into the dark earth, limbs reaching towards golden skylight. This beautifully balanced tree assured me that “All Is Well”. She often goes unnoticed because she is small; one must look closely for her craggy bark and misshapen trunks.
Do we sometimes feel like that? Misshapen? Craggy? There are times, yes, but I am learning to love my shape. I’m learning to love everything about me as I change physically and evolve spiritually, and hopefully age gracefully in my crone years. This is what Crab Apple represents to me - love, and especially self-love. “Seek balance, harmony will follow.” And she says to me again, to all of us, “All is Well.
Did you know that the Irish Heritage Tree, an initiative created by IrishCentral, allows our community to plant a native tree in the green forests of Ireland? It's an ideal way to honor your family, friends, and Irish ancestry while joining our commitment to keeping Ireland green and growing. Find out more here.
This article was originally published in partnership with Moon Mná in 2022. You can follow Moon Mná on Facebook and Instagram or e-mail them at moonmna@moonmna.ie