Adam

Adam is a riddle. The first man came from the Alder they say as the sap is blood red but both female and male catkins grow on the same branch of this tree. The Alder, Tree of Courage is used in round shields and in medicine as an antiseptic but is also linked to death. It burns so hot it makes great charcoal but if you cut an Alder down Adam gets revenge by burning down your house. 

It is unlucky to pass an Alder on a journey but putting its leaves in your shoes keeps your feet from swelling. Hiding in a wood of Alder in Scotland added to The Sorrows of Deirdre and the sons of Uisneach yet St. Brigid blessed an Alder so it grew apples and sloes.

Alder is good for building, it resists rot and was used to make bridges and pillars in canals in Venice. The red sap, green leaves and brown bark are used as dyes that fairies use to hide from human eyes but Adam gives messages in smoke from alder fires and branches and leaves moving in the wind. Water spirits answer the call of whistles made from alder wood.