| Rowan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| European rowan fruit | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Subtribe: | Malinae |
| Genus: | Sorbus L. |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Therowans (/ˈraʊənz/ROW-ənz or/ˈroʊənz/ROH-ənz)[1] ormountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genusSorbus of the rose family,Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of theNorthern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in theHimalaya, southernTibet and parts of western China, where numerousapomictic microspecies occur.[2] The namerowan was originally applied to the speciesSorbus aucuparia and is also used for other species in the genusSorbus.[3]
Natural hybrids, often includingS. aucuparia and the whitebeam,Aria edulis (syn.Sorbus aria),[4] give rise to manyendemic variants in the UK.[5]
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The Latin namesorbus was borrowed intoOld English assyrfe. The Latin namesorbus is from a root for "red, reddish-brown" (PIE*sor-/*ser-); Englishsorb is attested from the 1520s in the sense "fruit of the service tree", adopted via Frenchsorbe from Latinsorbum "service-berry".Sorbus domestica is also known as "whitty pear", the adjective whitty meaning "pinnate". The name "mountain-ash" forSorbus domestica is due to a superficial similarity of the rowan leaves to those of theash, not to be confused withFraxinus ornus, a true ash that is also known as "mountain ash".[6]Sorbus torminalis is also known as "chequer tree"; its fruits, formerly used to flavour beer, are called "chequers", perhaps from the spotted pattern of the fruit.
The traditional name rowan was applied to the speciesSorbus aucuparia. The name "rowan" is recorded from 1804, detached from an earlier rowan-tree, rountree, attested from the 1540s in northern dialects of English andScots. It is often thought to be from aNorth Germanic source, perhaps related to Old Norsereynir (c.f. Norwegianrogn, Danishrøn, Swedishrönn), ultimately from theGermanic verb*raud-inan "to redden", in reference to the berries (as is the Latin namesorbus). Various dialectal variants ofrowan are found in English, includingran,roan,rodan,royan,royne,round, andrune.[citation needed]
TheOld English name of the rowan iscwic-beám, which survives in the name quickbeam (also quicken, quicken-tree, and variants). This name by the 19th century was reinterpreted as connected to the wordwitch, from a dialectal variantwick for quick and names such as wicken-tree, wich-tree, wicky, and wiggan-tree, giving rise to names such aswitch-hazel[7] and witch-tree.[8]
The tree has two names inWelsh,cerdinen andcriafol. Criafol may be translated as "The Lamenting Fruit", likely derived from the Welsh tradition that theCross of Christ was carved from the wood of this tree, and the subsequent association of the Rowan's red fruit with the blood of Christ.
TheOld Irish name iscairtheand, reflected in Modern Irishcaorthann. The "arboreal"Bríatharogam in theBook of Ballymote associates the rowan with the letterluis, with the gloss "delightful to the eye (li sula) isluis, i.e. rowan (caertheand), owing to the beauty of its berries". Due to this, "delight of the eye" (vel sim.) has been reported as a "name of the rowan" by some commentators.[who?]
The most common Scots Gaelic name iscaorann (Scottish Gaelic pronunciation:[/kɯːrən/]), which appears in numerous Highland place names such asBeinn a' Chaorainn andLoch a’ Chaorainn. Rowan was also the clan badge of the Malcolms and McLachlans. There were strong taboos in the Highlands against the use of any parts of the tree save the berries, except for ritual purposes. For example, a Gaelic threshing tool made of rowan and called a buaitean was used on grain meant for rituals and celebrations.[citation needed]
In theCanadian provinces ofNewfoundland and Labrador andNova Scotia, this species is commonly referred to as a "dogberry" tree.[9] InGerman,Sorbus aucuparia is known as theVogelbeerbaum ("bird-berry tree") or asEberesche. The latter is a compound of the name of theash tree (Esche) with what is contemporarily the name of the boar (Eber), but in fact the continuation of aGaulish name,eburo- (also the name for a dark reddish-brown colour, cognate with Greekorphnos, Old Norseiarpr "brown"); likesorbus,eburo- seems to have referred to the colour of the berries; it is also recorded as a Gaulish name for theyew (which also has red berries), see alsoEburodunum (disambiguation).
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Rowans are mostly smalldeciduoustrees 10–20 metres (33–66 ft) tall, though a few areshrubs. Rowans are unrelated to the true ash trees of thegenusFraxinus, familyOleaceae. Though their leaves are superficially similar, those ofSorbus are alternate, while those ofFraxinus are opposite.[10]: 388 Rowanleaves are arranged alternately, and arepinnate, with (7–)11–35 leaflets. A terminal leaflet is always present. Theflowers are borne in densecorymbs; each flower is creamy white, and 5–10 millimetres (0.20–0.39 in) across with five petals. Thefruit is a smallpome 4–8 millimetres (0.16–0.31 in) diameter, bright orange or red in most species, but pink, yellow or white in some Asian species. The fruit are soft and juicy, which makes them a very good food forbirds, particularlywaxwings andthrushes, which then distribute the rowanseeds in their droppings.[2] Due to their small size the fruits are often referred to as berries, but atrue berry is asimple fruit produced from a single ovary, whereas apome is anaccessory fruit.
Rowan is used as a food plant by thelarvae of someLepidoptera species; see Lepidoptera that feed onSorbus.
The best-known species is the European rowanSorbus aucuparia, a small tree typically 4–12 metres (13–39 ft) tall growing in a variety of habitats throughout northern Europe and in mountains in southern Europe and southwest Asia. Its berries are a favourite food for many birds and are a traditional wild-collected food in Britain andScandinavia. It is one of the hardiest European trees, occurring to 71° north inVardø Municipality in the far northern part ofArctic Norway, and has also become widelynaturalised in northern North America.
The greatest diversity of form as well as the largest number of rowan species is in Asia, with very distinctive species such as Sargent's rowanSorbus sargentiana with large leaves 20–35 centimetres (8–14 in) long and 15–20 centimetres (6–8 in) broad and very large corymbs with 200–500 flowers, and at the other extreme, small-leaf rowanSorbus microphylla with leaves 8–12 centimetres (3–5 in) long and 2.5–3 centimetres (0.98–1.18 in) broad. While most are trees, the dwarf rowanSorbus reducta is a lowshrub to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall. Several of the Asian species are widely cultivated as ornamental trees.
North American native species in the genusSorbus include the American mountain-ashSorbus americana and Showy mountain-ashSorbus decora in the east and Sitka mountain-ashSorbus sitchensis in the west.
Numeroushybrids, mostly behaving as true species reproducing byapomixis, occur between rowans andwhitebeams; these are variably intermediate between their parents but generally more resemble whitebeams and are usually grouped with them (q.v.).
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Rowans are excellent small ornamental trees for parks, gardens and wildlife areas. Several of the Asian species, such as white-fruited rowan (Sorbus oligodonta) are popular for their unusual fruit colour, and Sargent's rowan (Sorbus sargentiana) for its exceptionally large clusters of fruit. Numerouscultivars have also been selected for garden use, several of them, such as the yellow-fruitedSorbus 'Joseph Rock', of hybrid origin.[2] They are very attractive to fruit-eating birds, which is reflected in the old name "bird catcher".
The wood is dense and used for carving and turning and for tool handles and walking sticks.[11] Rowan fruit are a traditional source oftannins formordanting vegetable dyes.[12] In Finland, it has been a traditional wood of choice for horse sled shafts and rake spikes.
The fruit ofEuropean rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) can be made into a slightly bitter jelly which in Britain is traditionally eaten as an accompaniment to game, and into jams and other preserves either on their own or with other fruit. The fruit can also be a substitute for coffee beans, and has many uses in alcoholic beverages: to flavour liqueurs and cordials, to produce country wine, and to flavour ale. In Austria a clear rowan schnapps is distilled which is called by its German nameVogelbeerschnaps, Czechs also make a rowan liquor calledjeřabinka,[13] the Polish Jarzębiak is rowan-flavoured vodka, and the Welsh used to make a rowan wine calleddiodgriafel.[14]
Rowancultivars with superior fruit for human food use are available but not common; mostly the fruits are gathered from wild trees growing on public lands.[citation needed]
Rowan fruit containssorbic acid, and when raw also containsparasorbic acid (about 0.4%–0.7% in the European rowan[15]), which causes indigestion and can lead to kidney damage, but heat treatment (cooking, heat-drying etc.) and, to a lesser extent, freezing, renders it nontoxic by changing it to the benign sorbic acid. They are also usually too astringent to be palatable when raw. Collecting them after first frost (or putting in the freezer) cuts down on the bitter taste as well.[citation needed]
InSami mythology, the goddessRavdna is the consort of the thunder-godHoragalles. Red berries of rowan were holy to Ravdna, and the nameRavdna resembles North Germanic words for the tree (for example, Old Norsereynir).[citation needed]
InNorse mythology, the goddessSif is the wife of the thunder godThor, who has been linked withRavdna. According toSkáldskaparmál the rowan is called "the salvation of Thor" because Thor once saved himself by clinging to it. It has been hypothesized that Sif was once conceived in the form of a rowan to which Thor clung.[16]
In theFianna Cycle ofIrish mythology,The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne sees the couple eloping, trying to escape the vengeance of the legendary leaderFionn Mac Cumhaill, whomGrainne had spurned. The pair came to a forest guarded by the giant Searbhán. Searbhán allowed the pair to rest and hunt in his forest, as long as they did not eat the berries of his magical rowan tree. The pregnant Grainne desired the berries, andDiarmuid was compelled to kill Searbhán to obtain them. His mortal weapons being powerless against Searbhán, he used the giant's own iron club to kill him. The pair climbed high into the rowan tree to eat the sweetest berries, then rested in the tree afterwards. This was in violation of the advice ofAengus, the god of love, who had warned the couple that they should "not sleep in a cave with one opening, or a house with one door, or a tree with one branch, and that they would never be able to eat where they cooked, or sleep where they ate."[17] Fionn Mac Cuimhaill tracked the couple to the rowan tree and tricked Diarmuid into revealing himself through a game of chess. Aengus spirited Grainne away and Diarmuid leapt to safety, and the pursuit continued.
The European Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) has a long tradition in European mythology and folklore. It was thought to be a magical tree and give protection against malevolent beings.[18] The tree was also called "wayfarer's tree" or "traveller's tree" because it supposedly prevents those on a journey from getting lost.[19] It was said in England that this was the tree on which the Devil hangedhis mother.[20]
British folklorists of theVictorian era reported the folk belief inapotropaic powers of the rowan-tree, in particular in the warding off of witches. Such a report is given byEdwin Lees (1856) for theWyre Forest in the EnglishWest Midlands.[21]Sir James Frazer (1890) reported such a tradition in Scotland, where the tree was often planted near a gate or front door.[22]
According to Frazer, birds' droppings often contain rowan seeds, and if such droppings land in a fork or hole where old leaves have accumulated on a larger tree, such as anoak or amaple, they may result in a rowan growing as anepiphyte on the larger tree. Such a rowan is called a "flying rowan" and was thought of as especially potent against witches andblack magic, and as a counter-charm against sorcery.[22] In 1891,Charles Godfrey Leland also reported traditions of rowan's apotropaic powers against witches in English folklore, citing theDenham Tracts (collected between 1846 and 1859).[a] Rowan also serves as protection againstfairies. For example, according toThomas Keightley mortals could safely witness fairy rades (mounted processions held by the fairies each year at the onset of summer) by placing a rowan branch over their doors.[24]
InNeo-Druidism, the rowan is known as the "portal tree". It is considered the threshold, between this world and otherworld, or between here and wherever one may be going, for example, it was placed at the gate to a property, signifying the crossing of the threshold between the path or street and the property of someone. According to Elen Sentier, "Threshold is a place of bothingress (the way in) andegress (the way out). Rowan is a portal, threshold tree offering you the chance of 'going somewhere ... and leaving somewhere."[25]
InNewfoundland, popular folklore maintains that a heavy crop of fruit means a hard or difficult winter. Similarly, in Finland and Sweden, the number of fruit on the trees was used as a predictor of the snow cover during winter, but here the belief was that the rowan "will not bear a heavy load of fruit and a heavy load of snow in the same year", that is, a heavy fruit crop predicted a winter with little snow.[citation needed]
However, as fruit production for a given summer is related to weather conditions the previous summer, with warm, dry summers increasing the amount of stored sugars available for subsequent flower and fruit production, it has no predictive relationship to the weather of the next winter.[26][15]
InMalax, Finland, the reverse was thought.[27] If the rowan flowers were plentiful then the rye harvest would also be plentiful.[citation needed] Similarly, if the rowan flowered twice in a year there would be many potatoes and many weddings that autumn.[citation needed] And inSipoo people are noted as having said that winter had begun when thewaxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) had eaten the last of the rowan fruit.[28]
In Sweden, it was also thought that if the rowan trees grew pale and lost colour, the autumn and winter would bring much illness.[27]
References to the rowan fruit's red color and the flowers' beauty are common in Celtic music. For example, the song "Marie's Wedding" contains the verse
Red her cheeks as rowans are,
bright her eyes as any star,
fairest of them all by far,
is our darling Marie.
J. R. R. Tolkien's novelThe Two Towers employs rowans as the signature tree for theEnt, Quickbeam. The forest ofFangorn, where Quickbeam and other Ents live, is populated with numerous rowans that were said to have been planted by male Ents to please the female Entwives. Quickbeam declares his fondness for the tree by saying that no other "people of the Rose ... are so beautiful to me," a reference to the rowan's membership in the familyRosaceae.[29]
