The name “birch” is a very ancient one, probably derived from the Sanskrit bhurga meaning “ a tree whose bark is used for writing upon”.
The silver birch was a holy tree, revered by pagan Celtic & Germanic tribes. In Britain the Druids gave its name to a winter month.
The birch was considered to have sacred powers of renewal and purification, so its twigs were used in the ritual of driving out the spirits of the new year.
The belief persisted into the recent past, when delinquents and the insane were ‘birched’ to expel evil spirits.
Birch trees were favoured by the forest ‘geni’ in Eastern Europe –preffering the tops of the trees. The power of the genies was invoked by cutting down young birches and placing them in a circle with the points towards the centre. |
There are claims that birch makes poor timber, but many uses have been found for this tough wood.
It was used in large quantities to make hard wearing bobbins, spools and reels for the cotton industry.
Perhaps the most familiar use of birch is in the making of traditional broomsticks or besoms.
The twigs have been used for thatching and making wattles and the sap has been used to make various drinks such as beer, wine and vinegar.
Sap is collected in the first two weeks of March by boring a hole pointing upwards into the trunk and inserting plastic tubing leading down to a collecting bottle.
Birch sap was recommended to “break the stone in kidneys and bladder” and as a mouth wash. |
