The elderberry tree has been used for a long time in the kitchen, be it for cooking recipes, medicinal teas, self-medication or cosmetics. Elder has also long had its place in folklore.

It has been said that the Fairy Folk love music and dance; and the wood of the elder was used to make musical instruments. The pale, hard wood of elderberry branches has a soft, concise core that can be easily removed to create hollow pipes, particularly good if making whistles and pipes. The concise core was extracted from the branches and used as tinder for the fire; the hollowed-out branches were used to put out fires, although due to its structure, the wood itself is a poor fuel. It is said that the best time to view Faery Folk is under an Elder Bush on Midsummer Eve, although it is advised not to fall asleep under the bush as the strong scent of Elder leaves can have a slightly narcotic effect on you!

The elder is also considered a protective tree, keeping evil spirits and negative influences away from your home. This may be due to the fact that the scent of elderberry leaves is well known as a fly repellent, and as such, bunches of elderberry leaves were tied to doors and windows, protecting your home from flies and the diseases they carried. This practical use for the Ancient One may also have led to its being known as a tree that warded off evil influences and warded off witches.

Cutting down an elderberry tree also came at a price, as the elderberry is considered one of the sacred trees of Wicca and witchcraft. It is said that if you kill an Elder, the spirit of the ‘Elder Mother’ will be released to take revenge on you. The only way to safely cut down the tree was to sing a rhyme to Mother Earth. In the customs of witchcraft, he is warned not to burn Elder at the stake for him; otherwise he will be cursed.

Perhaps one of the most prominent folk stories gives rise to the other name by which the tree is known: ‘The Judas Tree’. It is said that the Elder was the tree from which Judas Iscariot hanged himself. This has been observed since the year 1300 when Sir John Mandeville’s book titled “The Travels of Sir John Mandeville” was published. He claimed within that he was shown the Greater Tree from which Judas hanged himself.

Regardless of the wide and varied folklore stories about the elderberry, it was and still is one of the most versatile plants at our disposal and as such should be protected for future generations.