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Please note that my studies were limited to the indigenous species of the British Isles. To grasp the resources of the Mesolithic people of Britain might have had at their disposal I had to research many other Temperate Zone tribes. I concluded there was no reason to doubt that tribal Britain didn't use those species similarly to other tribe's application of them. In the absence of definitive proof I was left with informed speculation, and although respectably comprehensive, my assertions remain, in the end, speculative. Conversely, there is no reason to believe that many more uses, beyond our understanding now, were known, as well as uses for many other species that now elude us. The Compendium for Spirit Handling, expected release this year, is a collection of the spiritual or magical properties I found associated with many of the species in this appendix. The following lists are in Latin and cross-indexes are accessible on this website.
Ref: EVERYDAY THINGS HAVE ANCIENT ROOTS
BOWS AND BOWSTRINGS
- Acer
- Alnus
- Betula
- Clematis (bowstring)
- Cornus
- Equisetum (all purpose "sandpaper")
- Fraxinus
- Juniperus
- Juncus (sandpaper for smoothing bows)
- Malus
- Prunus
- Quercus
- Salix
- Sambucus
- Taxus
- Urtica (bowstring)
ARROWS
- Acer (also points)
- Allium (to shine arrows)
- Alnus
- Artemisia
- Atriplex
- Cornus
- Corylus
- Fraxinus
- Ilex
- Phragmites
- Prunus
- Quercus
- Ribes (also points)
- Rosa
- Salix
- Sambucus (also points)
- Taxus (also points)
SPEARS, SHAFTS, LANCES, GAFFS, WANDS
- Betula
- Buxus
- Cornus
- Corylus (also wands)
- Fraxinus (also staffs and wands)
- Ilex
- Juniperus
- Malus
- Populus
- Prunus (also staffs and wands)
- Quercus
- Salix
- Taxus (also staffs and wands)
HANDLES, AWLS, MAULS
- Acre
- Alnus
- Arctostaphylos
- Buxus
- Carpinus
- Cornus
- Corylus
- Crataegus
- Fraxinus
- Juniperus
- Malus
- Pinus
- Quercus
- Rosa
- Taxus
BONDING AGENTS (attaching points & feathers to arrows & shafts;
vines, strips of bark, twisted fibers such as those used
for fishnets or weaving bound head to shaft with the
inclusion of bonding agents)
- Betula
- Endymion
- Muscari
- Pinus
- Populus
- Prunus
- Taxus
LURES
- Achillea
- Artemisia
- Cornus
- Heracleum
- Rumex
DIGGING STICKS
- Crataegus
- Malus
TRAPS AND SNARES
- Viburnum
- Clematis
- Iris
FISHING NETS, SNARES AND LINE
- Acre
- Corylus
- Iris
- Linum
- Phalaris
- Populus
- Prunus
- Ribes
- Rosa
- Scirpus
- Taxus
- Tilia
- Ulmus
- Urtica
FISH HOOKS
- Crataegus thorns
- Malus
- Populus
- Taxus
BAIT AND LURES
- Angelica
- Heracleum
- Polygonum
- Spirogyra
- Suaeda
- Valeriana
PIGMENTS FOR WOOD
- Alnus (red, orange, yellow for feathers)
- Aster (blue)
- Candelaria
- Chenopodium
- Conocephalum (green)
- Erysimum (yellow)
- Evernia (yellow)
- Letharia (yellow for feathers)
- Lithospermum
- Papaver (yellow)
- Pinus (varnish)
- Populus (red, yellow, orange for feathers)
- Prunus
- Quercus (red)
- Sambucus (red, orange, yellow)
- Viola (blue)
- Xanthoria
DRAWING CHARCOAL
- Tilia
- Euonymus
Pitch was used as a preservative by being applied as a finish coat over rock paintings.
Wooden articles including arrows were sometimes undercoated with pitch before paint was applied.
Angelica root replenished the supernatural power believed in the paint.
TATTOOING SOOT
- Acre
- Artemisia
- Cornus
- Crataegus thorns as needles
- Lonicera
- Papaver
- Pinus
- Populus
- Ribes thorns as needles
BODY PAINT
- Acre (charcoal)
- Alnus (red)
- Evernia (yellow)
- Juniperus (charcoal)
- Lithospermum (yellow)
- Lycopus (stains skin dark)
- Pyrola
- Salix (charcoal)
- Sambucus (red, orange, yellow)
- Typha (yellow pollen)
- Xanthoria
DRUMS AND ACCESSORIES
- Acre burls & knots (drums)
- Cornus (drumsticks)
- Corylus (drumsticks)
- Juniperus (drum frames)
- Pinus (drums)
- Populus (drums)
- Quercus (drumsticks)
- Salix (drums & drumsticks)
- Sambucus (tapping sticks)
- Taxus (drum frames)
- Tilia (sounding board)
- Ulmus (drum frame)
Masked drummers ate the nutmeats of Corylus & Fagus.
RATTLES
- Acre burls & knots
- Alnus
- Arctostaphylos berries in rattle
- Juniperus
- Populus
FLUTES
- Alnus
- Betula
- Buxus
- Equisetum
- Eupatorium
- Heracleum
- Juniperus
- Phragmites
- Pinus
- Prunus
- Salix
- Sambucus
- Scirpus
WEAVING TOOLS
- Alnus (spinning wheels)
- Carduus (combs)
- Dipsacus (combs)
- Fraxinus
- Phragmites (weaving rods)
- Salix (warp & heddle sticks, looms)
- Sambucus (shuttles)
It would seem that any wood suitable for tool handles probably went to many weaving tools.
WEAVING FIBERS
- Cirsium
- Cytisus
- Elymus
- Epilobium
- Eriophorum
- Genista
- Geranium
- Humulus
- Juniperus
- Lathyrus
- Linum
- Lycopodium
- Molinia
- Populus
- Salix
- Sphagnum
- Taxus
- Tilia
- Urtica
TEXTILE PRESERVATIVES, REPELLENTS, PERFUMES
- Angelica
- Antennaria
- Artemisia
- Chrysanthemum
- Filipendula
- Geum
- Gnaphalium
- Thalictrum
TEXTILE DYES
- Achillea (yellow, green)
- Actaea (black)
- Agrimonia (yellow)
- Alchemilla (green)
- Allium (brown, gold, green)
- Alnus (all but blue)
- Angelica (green)
- Arctostaphylos (pink, gray, violet)
- Aster (blue)
- Atriplex (yellow to black)
- Bazzania (yellow)
- Betula (yellow, brown)
- Calendula (yellow)
- Cichorium (blue)
- Convallaria (green)
- Cornus (yellow)
- Corylus (blue)
- Cytisus (green)
- Digitalis (black)
- Equisetum (pink)
- Euonymus (yellow)
- Filipendula (yellow, blue, black)
- Fraxinus (blue)
- Fumaria (yellow)
- Gallium (red)
- Genista (yellow)
- Heracleum (yellow)
- Hippophae (yellow)
- Hypericum (yellow, orange, red)
- Ilex (red)
- Impatiens (yellow, red, orange)
- Juncus (green)
- Linaria (yellow, purple)
- Lithospermum (red, purple)
- Lonicera (purple)
- Lycopus (black)
- Malus (red, orange, yellow)
- Mercurialis (blue)
- Myrica (yellow to brown)
- Oxalis (yellow)
- Pinus (blue)
- Quercus (red to brown)
- Ranunculus (red)
- Reseda (yellow)
- Rosa (orange)
- Rubia (pink, purple, red)
- Rubus (yellow)
- Rumex (red, yellow, green)
- Salix (red, black)
- Sambucus (red, yellow)
- Tanacetum (yellow)
- Taraxacum (magenta)
- Taxus (green)
- Ulex (yellow)
- Urtica (green, yellow)
- Veronica (purple)
MORDANT
- Alnus
- Juniperus ashes
- Lycopodium
- Prunus
- Quercus
TANNING PRESERVATION, WATERPROOFING, TANNIC ACID INCLUDING SMOKE
- Alnus
- Arctostaphylos
- Artemisia
- Agrimonia
- Betula
- Bryonia
- Cornus
- Cytisus
- Juniperus
- Pinus
- Prunus
- Quercus
- Rubusv
- Sorbus
- Symphytum
- Tanacetum
I have successfully used moss tea in brain tanning oil
COLORANTS FOR HIDE
- Acre
- Alnus (red to yellow)
- Atriplex ashes (red)
- Juniperus (green, yellow)
- Quercus (black)
- Rumex (yellow, orange, red)
TANNING TOOLS
- Anthoxanthum sewing needles
- Cornus branches for stretching frames
- Populus branches for scraping
- Rosa wood sewing needles
- Salix branches for scraping
BASKET FIBERS INCLUDING SPLIT WOODS AND ROOTS
- Acre
- Alnus
- Anthoxanthum
- Avena
- Betula
- Carex
- Cornus
- Corylus
- Cynosurus
- Cytisus
- Equisetum
- Fraxinus
- Iris
- Juniperus
- Juncus
- Linum
- Lonicera
- Luzula
- Petasites
- Phalaris
- Phragmites
- Phyllospadix
- Pinus
- Populus
- Prunus
- Pteridium
- Quercus
- Rosa
- Salix
- Scheuchzeria
- Scirpus
- Solidago
- Taxus
- Tilia
- Typha
- Ulmus
- Urtica
- Viburnum
DYES FOR BASKETS
- Alnus (red, orange, brown)
- Carex (black)
- Iris
- Juniperus (red)
- Quercus (red) acorn cups for black
- Ranunculus (yellow)
- Rumex (red through gold, orange, brown, green)
- Sambucus (red, yellow, black, purple)
- Suaeda
BASKET SEALANT
- Arctostaphylos berries
- Pinus resin
BASKET WASHES TO REMOVE THE SPIRIT OF THE MAKER FROM THE BASKET OR TO PURIFY THE BASKET
- Agrimonia
- Corallorhiza
- Epilobium
- Gallium
Taxus wood was used for mat making needles
Ref: THE SANCTITY OF ANCIENT HUNTERS
PROTECTION AGAINST INJURY, PREDATION, SPIRITS
- Angelica
- Artemisia
- Campanula
- Centaurium
- Chrysanthemum
- Erigeron
- Gallium
- Humulus
- Juniperus
- Populus
- Ranunculus
- Rosa
- Sium
- Thlaspi
- Urtica
- Veronica
- Viscum
PROTECTION AGAINST THUNDER, LIGHTNING, STORMS
- Acinos
- Betula
- Bryonia
- Chenopodium
- Chrysanthemum
- Crataegus
- Equisetum
- Erigeron
- Fraxinus
- Ilex
- Juniperus
- Lithospermum
- Lobelia
- Marrubium
- Pinus
- Plantago
- Quercus
- Salix
- Sambucus
- Silybum
- Sorbus
- Valeriana
- Verbena
PROTECTION AGAINST FROSTBITE
- Angelica
- Descurania
- Fagus
- Populus
PROTECTION AGAINST NSOWBLINDNESS
- Artemisia
- Cornus
- Malus
- Polygonatum
PROTECTION AGAINST THE DISTRACTION OF SEXUAL ABSTINENCE
- Humulus
- Lonicera
- Nymphaea
- Verbena
SUPPRESSING THIRST
- Arctostaphylos
- Artemisia
- Juniperus
- Malus
- Oxalis
- Rumex
WATER SIGNS
- Juncus
- Pteridium
ATTRACTING QUARRY
- Aster
- Chamaemelum
- Cicuta
- Crataegus
- Datura
- Erigeron
- Hieracium
- Ilex
- Lactuca
- Polygonatum
- Polygonum
- Ranunculus
- Rumex
- Spiranthes
- Tanacetum
- Trientalis
- Valeriana
- Veronica
STRENGTH AND STAMINA, COMBATTING FATIGUE
- Artemisia
- Chrysanthemum
- Cornus
- Datura
- Eupatorium
- Juniperus
- Lithospermum
- Malus
- Postelsia
- Senecio
EMPOWERMENT, JUDGEMENT, COURAGE, CLARITY
- Cichorium
- Corylus
- Ilex
- Leontodon
- Lonicera
- Mentha
- Pinus
- Prunella
- Prunus
- Quercus
- Salix
- Taxus
- Urtica
- Verbascum
PURIFICATION OF THE HUNTER
- Ilex
- Populus
PURIFICATION, STRENGTH & RESTORATION OF WEAPONS
- Astragalus
- Corallorhiza
- Lonicera
- Populus
- Rosa
- Rubus
- Salvia
INVISIBILITY
- Acre
- Allium
- Aster
- Mentha
- Pinus
- Populus
- Prunus
- Pteridium
- Rosa
- Vicia
BLESSINGS OR GOOD LUCK MEDICINE
- Alnus
- Angelica
- Antennaria
- Arctostaphylos
- Artemisia
- Cardamine
- Datura
- Erigeron
- Fraxinus
- Fucus
- Heracleum
- Humulus
- Juniperus
- Lithospermum
- Lonicera
- Polystichum
- Pyrola
- Salix
- Senecio
- Thalictrum
- Valeriana
- Veronica
Ref: THE PRAYER OF TRANSCENDENT SMOKE
TOOLS
- Acer (bellows, pipe stems & bowls, torch handles, charcoal)
- Alectoria (tinder)
- Alnus (tinder, charcoal)
- Angelica (pipe stems)
- Arctostaphylos ((pipes, pipe stems)
- Betula (bow for fire drill)
- Carduus (seed for lamp oil)
- Carex (wick, torches)
- Cornicularia (tinder)
- Cornus (pipe stems)
- Corylus (tinder)
- Eriophorum (wick)
- Euonymus (pipe stems)
- Fraxinus (pipes)
- Gallium (tinder)
- Ilex (fire drill)
- Juniperus (torches, carrying fire, tinder)
- (base for fire drill)
- Linum (wick)
- Lonicera (pipe stems)
- Onopordum (seed for lamp oil)
- Phragmites (fire drills, pipes, pipe stems)
- Pinus (fire tongs, charcoal)
- Populus (fire drill, pokers, lighting pipes)
- Prunus (fire drill)
- (pitch mixed with grease to smooth & polish pipes)
- Quercus (bark to carry fire from one place to another)
- (leaves to wrap other herbs for ritual smokes)
- Rhamnus (torches)
- Rhododendron (pipes)
- Ribes (pipe stems)
- Rosa (pipe bowls, pipe stems)
- Rubus (pipe bowls)
- Rumex (tinder)
- Salix (fire drill)
- (coiled roots for hearth)
- (hoops for bellows frame)
- Sambucus (pipe bowls, tinder, fire drills)
- Scirpus (pipe stems)
- Taxus (pipes, tongs)
- Typha (decoration for pipes)
- Ulmus (tinder)
- Urtica (seed for lamp oil)
- Verbascum (tinder, wick, torches)
FIRES
- Acer (ritual appeasement, exorcismal, love medicine)
- Arctostaphylos (ritual firs; bright, long lasting coals)
- Betula (to purify surroundings)
- Corylus (first choice for baking ovens)
- Crataegus (perpetual fires, hottest wood known)
- Fagus (ancestral memory, reflective knowledge, exorcismal)
- Fraxinus (quiet fires)
- Juniperus (protection, exorcism, empowerment, visions)
- Pinus (pinecones burned ritually to stop rain)
- Populus (enhances practitioner’s ability, protection, love
medicine)
- Prunus (divination, empowerment, protection)
- Quercus (ritual & Solstice fires)
- Ulex (protection, learning, awareness of the need for
sharing)
- Ulmus (compassion, harmony, confidence, regeneration)
MEDICAL SMUDGE OR SMOKE
- Allium
- Alnus
- Anemone
- Angelica
- Arenaria
- Artemisia
- Asplenium
- Aster
- Barbula
- Betula
- Bidens
- Brassica
- Bryum
- Campanula
- Chamaemelum
- Clematis
- Cornus
- Corylus
- Cynoglossum
- Datura
- Equisetum
- Erigeron
- Eupatorium
- Euphrasia
- Evernia
- Gnaphalium
- Juniperus
- Ligusticum
- Lithospermum
- Matricaria
- Octoblephorum
- Papaver
- Pinus
- Pteridium
- Quercus
- Rhamnus
- Rhododendron
- Salix
- Salvia
- Sanguisorba
- Senecio
- Silene
- Solanum
- Solidago
- Sonchus
- Sorbus
- Tilia
- Tussilago
- Urtica
- Valeriana
- Verbascum
INCLUDED IN SMOKE MIXTURES
- Alnus
- Angelica
- Antennaria
- Aquilegia
- Arctostaphylos
- Arenaria
- Cornus
- Juniperus
- Menyanthes
- Myrica
- Populus
- Rosa
- Salix
- Silene
- Vaccinium
- Valeriana
- Viburnum
GOOD LUCK WHILE HUNTING
- Arctostaphylos
- Pinus
ATTRACTING GAME
- Aquilegia
- Arctostaphylos
LOVE MEDICINE
- Achillea
- Datura
- Inula
- Nepeta
- Origanum
- Polygonatum
- Salix
- Scirpus
- Solidago
- Verbascum
- Viburnum
PURIFICATION AND RITUAL
- Acer
- Achillea
- Angelica
- Antennaria
- Artemisia
- Betula
- Catabrosa
- Chamaemelum
- Crataegus
- Equisetum
- Foeniculum
- Glyceria
- Hypericum
- Juniperus
- Matricaria
- Myrica
- Pinus
- Prunus
- Quercus
- Sambucus
- Scirpus
- Solidago
- Taxus
- Thymus
- Ulex
- Ulmus
- Veronica
EXORCISMAL
- Arctium
- Artemisia
- Datura
- Echium
- Equisetum
- Euonymus
- Fumaria
- Heracleum
- Juniperus
- Origanum
- Quercus
- Sanguisorba
- Solidago
- Vaccinium
- Verbascum
- Veronica
REPELLENTS
- Achillea
- Acinos
- Antennaria
- Anthoxanthum
- Foeniculum
- Linum
- Lysimachia
- Melilotus
- Myrica
- Pulicaria
- Salvia
- Verbascum
- Veronica
PROTECTION AGAINST SPIRITS, INJURY, ILLNESS
- Anthoxanthum
- Arctium
- Artemisia
- Chamaemelum
- Foeniculum
- Gallium
- Hypericum
- Inula
- Juniperus
- Lithospermum
- Matricaria
- Menyanthes
- Origanum
- Polygonatum
- Salvia
- Scutellaria
- Stachys
- Valeriana
- Verbascum
GOOD LUCK
- Anemone
- Nepeta
- Stachys
PROSPERITY
- Echium
- Gallium
- Origanum
FUNERALS AND MEMORIALS
- Juniperus
- Valeriana
- Viola
STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE
- Anemone
- Foeniculum
- Gallium
- Myrica
- Postelsia
- Quercus
MAGIC
- Achillea
- Althaea
- Anemone
- Aquilegia
- Antennaria
- Arctium
- Artemisia
- Cornus
- Corydalis
- Corylus
- Foeniculum
- Fraxinus
- Gnaphalium
- Inula
- Juniperus
- Lysimachia
- Nepeta
- Polygonatum
- Sanguisorba
- Scutellaria
- Senecio
- Solidago
- Thymus
- Valeriana
- Verbascum
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