the way I was taught by my Sicilian grandma was that "Sambuca", the spirit of the elder, does not like fire, and will make you sick if you burn him....but if you honor his wishes he will make good wine from his berries and flowers..and will keep flies and witches away from the house...in Sicily, elder is kept over doorways to keep witches away and bundles are used with holy water to bless / cleanse the home...name was changed to "San Sambuca" after the inquisition. thanks for the video!
Elder is a preferred wood for making firesticks to produce fire by hand (or bow) drilling. Drilling turns the pith into coal dust. I think this is a more likely explanation for the aeld (or ild - as it is called here in Denmark) origin of the treename. Unfortunately it is not called Ildetræ in danish :)
I wonder what the elder has that repels flies. It can't be the "bad smell" as such, it would have to be a chemical constituent since 'flies' and 'bad smell' generally go together. At any rate, I'm subbing - I love learning about Nature/Folklore intersections! (And I just found you while viewing the Professor's Braziline video on Periodic Table of Videos).
you should put the latin names of the trees you cover in your videos in the description. that way people outside of the uk can find out which tree you are talking about.
@biohazard93808 I think you may have something, there. I googled on the constituents of both and yes, there does appear to be some cross-over. Personally, I love the smell of Citronella, but maybe only because it invokes my childhood and catching fireflies in the backyard, while reeking of citronella. :D
So that's where the Elderberries come from! One famous line from Monty Python states "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled like Elderberries!" Thank you Nottingham Science!
But alder is a different tree to elder. Alder is a tall tree with wind-pollinated catkins and seeds in woody cones. Elder is a shrub with insect-pollinated white flowers and small berries.
It is a shrub with leaflets of 2-3 pairs of toothed leaves. It bears wide, flat clusters of white, fragrant flowers that later turn into bunches of tiny purple-black berries.
i thought the UK didn't have flies. I see videos of people hanging meat up to cure in the open air! You couldn't do that here in Australia, it would get eaten by flies.
I don't think the driuds are a recommendation for anything. They were recent incomers to Britain, not part of the ancient celtic people. They practised dark rituals including sacrifice and they were elitist, not allowing others to write, only them. I'm sure they had a lot of knowledge, but it was already very tainted in their secret societies. Need to go further back in time.
There is no Old English word eldr 'fire'; that is an Old Norse word and has nothing to do with elder the tree; like alder (from OE alor) the [d] is epenthetic in ellern-treow 'elder' which is the Old English form.
Thanks for clarifying (though what does epenthetic mean?). In the thousand-year old Anglo-Saxon charters (legal documents describing the boundary of properties), the elder tree is written as 'ellerbeam' or 'elebeam, ' where 'beam' would mean 'tree' (today the Germans say 'baum.') So I wonder if 'el' just means 'the' and 'der' means 'tree,' ie. 'elder' perhaps simply means 'the tree.' So alder could mean the same. Maple used to be called Mapleder in English, also suggesting that 'der' just means 'tree.'
Well I’ve just spent all afternoon logging up some elders I felled in my garden and it will be a cheap way to heat my house once it has seasoned…. I’ll deal with the devil if he comes calling 😈
Take care, I think elder wood releases some noxious fumes when burnt, and that is why it is said that the devil comes. There's usually truthful information in folklore, I believe, it's about interpretation.
@CoolMinty titilaflora [dot] net/gutes-zum-nachkochen/gebackene-hollerbluten-im-bierteig/ deliciousdays [dot] com/archives/2006/06/14/elderflower-bubbly-fried/ I tried them myself several times ;-)
All of it except the flowers, I understand, ie. the leaves and raw (esp. unripe) berries. I think the wood has noxious chemicals too. But if you boil the berries, then you an eat them too.
the way I was taught by my Sicilian grandma was that "Sambuca", the spirit of the elder, does not like fire, and will make you sick if you burn him....but if you honor his wishes he will make good wine from his berries and flowers..and will keep flies and witches away from the house...in Sicily, elder is kept over doorways to keep witches away and bundles are used with holy water to bless / cleanse the home...name was changed to "San Sambuca" after the inquisition. thanks for the video!
*Lord Voldermort has entered the chat*
love your new trees series
"Your Father smelt of Elder Berries"....
I get it now!
What a unique tree! I wanna plant one now
You forgot to mention the Elder Wand!
AntPDC True xD
Elder is a preferred wood for making firesticks to produce fire by hand (or bow) drilling. Drilling turns the pith into coal dust. I think this is a more likely explanation for the aeld (or ild - as it is called here in Denmark) origin of the treename. Unfortunately it is not called Ildetræ in danish :)
Makes sense.
I wonder what the elder has that repels flies. It can't be the "bad smell" as such, it would have to be a chemical constituent since 'flies' and 'bad smell' generally go together. At any rate, I'm subbing - I love learning about Nature/Folklore intersections! (And I just found you while viewing the Professor's Braziline video on Periodic Table of Videos).
You can also use the green sap (just under the bark) mixed with Vaseline for scabs.
ok this series is awesome.
Elderflower cordial is very delicious. All you need is elderflowers, a pot of water, lemon, and sugar. Realy easy.
you should put the latin names of the trees you cover in your videos in the description. that way people outside of the uk can find out which tree you are talking about.
Sambucus nigra
What a very knowledgeable guy. Thanks
Not what I'd call in depth, rather, a quick skim and skip, leaves much out 💚
Elder trees keep away the devil? The devil is also know as Beezlebub which translates from Hebrew to lord of the flies.
Elder be the lady's tree. Burn it not or cursed you'll be.
@WhiteTiger333 I believe, but don't quote me on it, but I believe that it is very similar to Citronella but not exactly.
@biohazard93808 I think you may have something, there. I googled on the constituents of both and yes, there does appear to be some cross-over. Personally, I love the smell of Citronella, but maybe only because it invokes my childhood and catching fireflies in the backyard, while reeking of citronella. :D
So that's where the Elderberries come from! One famous line from Monty Python states "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled like Elderberries!" Thank you Nottingham Science!
Elder is very sacred
I want to try fried elder flower!
Don't they contain cyanide? I wouldn't recommended ingesting it.
So that's why King Arthur's dad smelled of elderberries.
You didn't show us the tree... Just some leaves. :(
@therandomexample hampster, not donkey.
Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies
Is this different than the box elder tree?
yes that is acer negundo
Yes, that's a type of maple, actually.
@@gaz8891 oh ya, I have heard they can get a syrup type substance from them still. Kinda cool
@@gaz8891 ya, I've read that. Plus, I think you can actually get a syrup from them if you try hard enough, haha
Hmmm... now I really want to try fried elder flower...
Fender Stratocaster guitars are of Alder
But alder is a different tree to elder. Alder is a tall tree with wind-pollinated catkins and seeds in woody cones. Elder is a shrub with insect-pollinated white flowers and small berries.
how can I recognize this tree?
It is a shrub with leaflets of 2-3 pairs of toothed leaves. It bears wide, flat clusters of white, fragrant flowers that later turn into bunches of tiny purple-black berries.
is this a BOX elder er just an Elder?
completely different tree to the box elder
Fried elder-flower?
That sounds...
Interesting
i thought the UK didn't have flies.
I see videos of people hanging meat up to cure in the open air! You couldn't do that here in Australia, it would get eaten by flies.
Elder Wand 😀
It's not a devil's tree, it's a sacred tree.
I don't think the driuds are a recommendation for anything. They were recent incomers to Britain, not part of the ancient celtic people. They practised dark rituals including sacrifice and they were elitist, not allowing others to write, only them. I'm sure they had a lot of knowledge, but it was already very tainted in their secret societies. Need to go further back in time.
In Germany we're eating them every year. But you cant't eat more than a few, because it's so fatty.
There is no Old English word eldr 'fire'; that is an Old Norse word and has nothing to do with elder the tree; like alder (from OE alor) the [d] is epenthetic in ellern-treow 'elder' which is the Old English form.
Which means...?
Thanks for clarifying (though what does epenthetic mean?). In the thousand-year old Anglo-Saxon charters (legal documents describing the boundary of properties), the elder tree is written as 'ellerbeam' or 'elebeam, ' where 'beam' would mean 'tree' (today the Germans say 'baum.') So I wonder if 'el' just means 'the' and 'der' means 'tree,' ie. 'elder' perhaps simply means 'the tree.' So alder could mean the same. Maple used to be called Mapleder in English, also suggesting that 'der' just means 'tree.'
Deep fried elderflower? Please tell me more ;)
The elder tree is my celtic star / tree sign 🤪
And Be'elzebuth is "lord on high" in an older tradition that was replaced by Judaism.
Lord of the Flies
If you burn Elder,the Devil will appear? Oh dear,oh dear! Are you taking the pith? Or is it just a myth?
I think it's to do with noxious fumes in the wood, that may make you a bit psycotic if you burn the wood.
what is more pratical than keeping away the devil? lol
Well I’ve just spent all afternoon logging up some elders I felled in my garden and it will be a cheap way to heat my house once it has seasoned…. I’ll deal with the devil if he comes calling 😈
Take care, I think elder wood releases some noxious fumes when burnt, and that is why it is said that the devil comes. There's usually truthful information in folklore, I believe, it's about interpretation.
Hmm elder wand...
@superdau Several times? Must be tasty then ;) nice channel btw
@aei05h1 i picked it up in a shitty bar
@therandomexample It's hamster, I think.
Nothing whatsoever! Elder trees have multiple health benefits. What next - Holly bushes, or Willows, perhaps?
mmmmm sambuca is flavoured with the oil from elderflowers. Elder = Sambucus nigra
@aei05h1 i ride a giant fly to work
@CoolMinty
titilaflora [dot] net/gutes-zum-nachkochen/gebackene-hollerbluten-im-bierteig/
deliciousdays [dot] com/archives/2006/06/14/elderflower-bubbly-fried/
I tried them myself several times ;-)
What part of this tree is poisonous?
All of it except the flowers, I understand, ie. the leaves and raw (esp. unripe) berries. I think the wood has noxious chemicals too. But if you boil the berries, then you an eat them too.