Posted on by Thomas

Episode 66: The Yew

To cap off 2022, we are returning to the Celtic Ogham Tree Calendar to look at the representative of the Winter Solstice: the Yew. This evergreen’s toxicity has led it to carry heavy death symbolism and thus is used to mark the longest night and the end of the solar year. But its importance to humans is extensive beyond this time of year, with ancient evidence of tool use and modern application in medicine. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast. Join my brand new Patreon at patreon.com/myfavoritetrees! 

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6344100/

https://www.conifers.org/ta/Taxus.php

https://www.conifers.org/ta/Taxaceae.php

https://www.iceman.it/en/equipment/

https://nhm.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10141/622351/Clacton%20Spear%202.pdf

https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/how-to-record/species-guides/yew/

http://www.ecoenchantments.co.uk/myogham_yewpage.html

https://www.bellarmine.edu/faculty/drobinson/englishyew.asp

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/10/31/beneath-the-yew-trees-shade/

https://scotlands-yew-trees.org/history-culture-myth/yew-taxus-a-sensational-survivor/

http://bohemianbudgie.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-sacred-yew-of-yule.html

https://mountpisgaharboretum.org/learn/plant-list/taxus-brevifolia/

https://www.news-medical.net/health/Paclitaxel-Production.aspx

https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/pubs/docs/lmh/lmh32.pdf