Oak and Ash and Thorn: The Ancient Woods and New Forests of Britain

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Before the Normans arrived in 1066, and began to unravel the English sense of self at the tip of a sword, everyone in the country would have known the story of Wayland the smith.

However, I also will definitely be buying a physical copy to read to my children, and forsee it being a story we will revisit time and time again. Now we are in town and have borrowed shade from the majestic oak, maple and sycamore that grow on our neighbors’ property. We even benefit from the fallen autumn leaves. Mulch! Compost! Trees give us many benefits. The belief system outlined in this book has shown me exactly what I have been yearning to reconnect with, and is essentially the framework for how I would like to live and raise my children to think and act.Humanity’s baleful influence is constantly bemoaned but not really dramatised: it’s not human action that destroys the protagonists’ ash-tree home or imperils Moss at the end that, or really constitutes any of the obstacles. And so the cycle continues. Because though we have forgotten much in England, we don’t have the option of leaving the past behind. No-one ever does. Weirdly, obtusely, at the margins and from the corners of our eyes, the old myths can still be seen. A hundred years on from Kipling, the long barrow on the ridgeway near White Horse Hill is still known as Wayland’s Smithy; the old smith, it is said, will shoe any horse left there overnight if a coin is placed on the stones. The third day of the week is still Woden’s Day, the green men on the cathedral ceilings receive coats of fresh paint, and every May Day, even now, the strange green dance goes on in crevices and byways while most of the nation is driving to the out-of-town retail park. We follow Moss, Burnet and Cumulus, three little creatures known as Hidden Folk, who have started to become invisible. They decide to search for an answer to what's happening to them, while also looking for other Hidden Folk, as they haven't seen any in a long time. Oak and Ash and Thorn is a song released by The Longest Johns on June 10th, 2020 along with 11 other songs on their “Cure What Ails Ya” Album. I am adoring the folklore and mystery of the hidden folk, and I love that there is just enough fantasy and adventure balanced with cozy moments. As a homebody, I appreciate the hidden folk’s desire to feel at home somewhere and the description of all their little comforts wherever they can go.

This book was an excellent modern addition to the ‘tiny folk’ stories which are ever-popular for a reason. Following in the tradition of The Borrowers and The Minpins, we meet three of the ‘hidden folk,’ guardians of the wild world, whose home in an ash tree has been destroyed. They set out on a journey to find a new home, as well as to try and meet more of their kind who, in the face of human environmental destruction, seem to be disappearing. With the simplistic eco-ism, babyish emotional lessons and mild peril it feels like much younger fare than the novel-length it’s stretched to here. The description in this book, the turn of phrase and the language are just exemplary. It would be perfect for reading aloud to a class, or sharing together before bedtime. There are wonderful little vignettes and moments of pause, where the character reflect on a theme or emotion, such as fear or friendship, and discuss it. But these moments don't seem forced, the characters often talk together to find a solution and a way forward. These moments of pause and reflect are perfect for opening discussions with children and young people around emotions and wellbeing.Along their journey, they meet lots of animals and other creatures, but also notice how much change there has been in the countryside. But the English are strangely quiet about their deep past; disconnected, embarrassed. It’s a curious thing, for the country is full of living reminders of its mythical history and prehistory, from the green men on the lintels of old churches to maypoles and even Christmas trees. But the English have nothing to rival the Mabinogion. They have no W B Yeats or Dylan Thomas, diverting old myths through new channels. What are the foundation myths of the English? Who are their folk heroes? When they look for a mystical past, why do they turn to the Celts? Where did they come from, who built their landscape? Why are the barrows silent and where have the faeries gone? The ash tree is the second in the sacred trio. In Norse mythology the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil, which held the nine elements of the cosmos, is referred to as an ash. This tree supports all creatures and represents the cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth, the forces that make up life’s journey. The song puts forward that the oldest and most reliable trees in England are oak, ash, and hawthorn.

I really appreciated how the story was written. The descriptions of the wild world, the animals met by the Hidden Folk, etc. were both very precise and true yet whimsical.Finally, the third of the sacred circle, the thorn. We use the full name, hawthorn. This tree, Crategeus, is known for its large sharp thorns. However, C. viridis, Green Hawthorn, has few thorns. You can see these thornless trees locally at the Energy Park. The Greeks and Romans associated the hawthorn with weddings and babies. Brides and their attendants carried hawthorn blossoms. These trees were often planted by holy and healing wells in England. Homeopaths consider the hawthorn a powerful medicine and use it for heart tonics. I am listening to the audiobook which is full of lovely nature sounds and makes the story even more magical! Wow. Wow. Wow. What a beautiful, profound, and hilarious story! It made me so nostalgic of my childhood, which I often spent collecting frogspawn, birdwatching and climbing trees like a feral cat…

The Cups (squirrels) represent feelings, emotions, and relationships. They resemble a heart-centred spirit. The song is a cover of Oak and Ash and Thorn by Norfolk folk legend Peter Bellamy, first recorded in 1977. Bellamy’s song is itself an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s 1906 poem A Tree Song. Simple and slow can of course be good things where there’s a nuanced philosophy or world to explore but Harrison’s feel basic.The oak is a magnificent large tree that the ancients held in high regard. Myths consider the oak as the most worthy tree. They associated the oak with the most powerful sacred gods like Zeus and Jupiter. Thor, a Norse god, was related to lightning storms, strength and the oak. Thor even gave our modern world the name of a weekday – Thursday. While Harrison peppers in plenty of flora and fauna names her presentation of the worm’s-eye-view natural world never feels more than superficially informed. She never conjures a sense of deep knowledge or immersion. We’re told to care about the natural world - or rather, chided for not doing so - but the book doesn’t do much to convince of its wonder and value. In ancient times, when people depended on agriculture and the forests for sustenance and shelter, they knew the names of the different trees. They created relationships between trees. The Celts considered that the oak, ash and thorn made up a sacred trio with powers to heal. Our reality is already challenging, complex, and dark. The older I get the more I realize, that simple lessons are valuable at all ages, perhaps even most valuable as we get older and are more likely to brush them aside.