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one of the felled trees, with his face turned towards the East. They
kiss his hand, and, whilst looking between his legs, they utter these
words : “ Uncle Lieschi, show yourself to us, not as a g-rey wolf,
not as a fierce fire, but as I myself appear.” Then the leaves of
the Aspen quiver and tremble, and the Lieschi shows himself in
human form, and is quite disposed to render no matter what service
to him who has conjured him—provided only that he will promise
him his soul. De Gubernatis relates one . other anecdote respecting
the Birch, which he says to the Esthonian is the living personification
of his country. It is related that an Esthonian peasant
noticed a stranger asleep beneath a tree at the moment when it was
struck by lightning. He awoke him. The stranger, thanking him for
his good offices, said : “ When, far from your native country, and
feeling sorrowful and home-sick, you shall see a crooked Birch,
strike and ask of it : ‘ Is the crooked one at home ? ’ ” One day the
peasant, who had become a soldier, and was serving in Finland,
felt dispirited and unhappy, for he could not help thinking of his
home and the little ones he had left behind. Suddenly he sees the
crookedJirch ! He strikes it, and asks ; “ Is the crooked one at
home ? ” Forthwith the mysterious stranger appears, and, calling
to one of his spirits, bids him instantly transport the soldier to
his native country, with his knapsack full of silver. The Swedes
have a superstition that our Saviour was scourged with a rod of the
dwarf Birch, which was formerly a well-grown tree, but has ever
since that day been doomed to hide its miserable and stunted head.
It IS called Lang Fredags Ris, or Good Friday rod. In France,
it was in mediæval times the custom to preserve a bough of the
Birch as a sacred objecit. In the country distridls around Valenciennes,
it is an old custom for lovers to hang a bough of Birch or
Hornbeam over the doorway of his lady-love. In Haute Bretagne,
as a charm to strengthen a weakly infant, they place in its cot
Birch-leaves, which have been previously dried in an oven.
There is an old English proverb, “ Birchen twigs break no bones,”
which has reference to the exceedingly slender branches of the
tree. In îormer days, churches were decked with boughs of the
Birch, and Gerarde tell us that “ it serveth well to the decking up
of houses and banqueting-rooms, for places of pleasure, and for
beautifying of streets in the crosse and gang [procession] weeke,
and such like.” According to Herrick, it was customary to use
Birch and fresh flowers for decorative purposes at Whitsuntide ;__
“ When Yew is out, then Birch comes in,
And many flowers besides ;
Both of a fresh and fragrant kinne,
To honour Whitsontide. ”
The Scotch Highlanders think very highly of the Birch, and turn
It to all sorts of uses. With Burns, the budding Birch was a prime
favourite m the Spring-time. The Scotch proverb, which says of
a very poor man that he is “ Bare as a Birk at Yule e’en,” probably
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refers to an old custom of stripping the bark of the tree prior to
converting it into the yule log. The tree known in the Highlands
as the Drooping Birk is often grown in churchyards, where, as
Scott says, “ Weeps the Birch of silver bark with long dishevell’d
hair.” In Scottish ballads, the Birch is associated with the dead,
and more especially with the wraiths or spirits of those who appear
to be living after death. The following is a good example :—
“ I dreamed a dreary dream last nicht;
God keep us a’ frae sorrow!
I dreamed I pu’d the Birk sae green
Wi’ my true love on Yarrow.
“ I ’ll redde your dream, my sister dear,
I ’ll tell you a’ your sorrow;
You pu’d the Birk wi’ your true love;
He’s killed, he’s killed on Yarrow-”
The Birch-tree is held to be under the dominion of Venus.
B i t t e r -s w e e t .—See Solanum.
B I T T E R V E T C H .—The Orobus, or Bitter Vetch, is supposed
to represent the herb mentioned in a passage in Pulci, which
relates how an enchanter preserves two knights from starvation,
during a long journey, by giving them a herb which, being held in
the mouth, answers all the purposes of food. The Scotch Highlanders
have a great esteem for the tubercles of the Orobus root
(which they call Corr or Cormeille); they use them as masticatories,
to flavour their liquor. They also affirm that by the use of them
they are enabled to repel hunger and thirst for a considerable time.
In times of scarcity, the roots have served as a substitute for bread,
and many think that the Bitter Vetch is the Chara, mentioned by
Csesar, as affording food to his famished soldiers at the siege of
Dyrrhachium. The seeds, ground and tempered with wine, were
applied to heal the bitings of dogs and venomous beasts.
B l a c k -t h o r n .—See Thorn.
B l a e b e r r y .—See Bilberry and Whortleberry.
B L U E - B E L L .—The Blue-bells of Scotland have long since
become household words. The flower {Campanula latifolia) is the
finest and most stately of the species, and although common
enough on its native hills, is scarce in England. It is associated
with the feast of St. George. (See C a m p a n u l a .)
B l u e -b o t t l e and B l u e t .— See Centaury.
B o-t r e e .— See Peepul.
B O R A G E .—In former days. Borage {Borago officinalis) was
noted as one of the four “ cordial flowers” most deserving of
esteem for cheering the spirits—the other three being the Rose,
Violet, and Alkanet. Pliny called Borage Fuphrosynum, because it
made men merry and joyful: and to the same purport is the old