Rowan

The Mountain Ash Fairy

Rowan, the mountain ash likes hills and mountains though she grows well most places. Rowan flowers in May to June and is associated with Bealtaine and Lunasa.

Rowan is also called “The Quickening” and is meant to bring energy and life. She is associated with Brigid because of her links to healing and fire due to her flame red berries. The first woman is meant to have sprung from a Rowan Tree.

Rowan is reputed to stop the dead from rising, to help to speed the hound, to prevent fire and to generally protect the home, milk and the dairy from evil. Rowan should always be planted next to a house. A branch placed in a house on Good Friday, or placed in a bed, was said to ward off witches and bad fairies. Wearing a sprig of the rowan also protected against charms.

The Rowan Tree is linked to our legend of Midir and Etain. Fuamnach struck Etain with a rod of scarlet quicken tree, and she turned into a pool of water. The pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne also features a famous Rowan called ' The quicken tree of Dubhros' whose berries gave the exhilaration of wine, the satisfaction of rich food and no sickness or disease hit anyone who ate three of them.