Oak and Ash and Thorn: The Ancient Woods and New Forests of Britain

Product Information

The song is a cover of Oak and Ash and Thorn by Norfolk folk legend Peter Bellamy, first recorded in 1977. Bellamy’s song is itself an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s 1906 poem A Tree Song.

Finally, the third of the sacred circle, the thorn. We use the full name, hawthorn. This tree, Crategeus, is known for its large sharp thorns. However, C. viridis, Green Hawthorn, has few thorns. You can see these thornless trees locally at the Energy Park. The Greeks and Romans associated the hawthorn with weddings and babies. Brides and their attendants carried hawthorn blossoms. These trees were often planted by holy and healing wells in England. Homeopaths consider the hawthorn a powerful medicine and use it for heart tonics. This story is filled with examples of kindness, secure relationships, healthy communication (including disagreements), navigating big/scary feelings, empathy, compassion, unconditional love, as well as respect for the natural world, an interesting look at the personalities and ethos of different animals, and perspective about humanity’s impact on nature. Cumulus, Burnet und Moss sind Hidden Folk - kleine Naturgeister, die seit Jahrhunderten in einem hohlen Baumstamm inmitten eines verwilderten Gartens leben und sich um Flora und Fauna ihrer unmittelbaren Umgebung kümmern. Doch als ein Frühjahrsunwetter ihr Zuhause zerstört und Cumulus beginnt, durchsichtig zu werden, müssen sich die drei unweigerlich auf eine abenteuerliche Reise aufmachen...Positively soaking in flora and fauna with a host of wonderful creatures to guide the Hidden Folk on their way, Harrison presents a call to arms for the young reader to embrace the natural world whatever it looks like and wherever it may be found. There were times when I thought that the narrator trod close to 'telling' rather than 'showing' but the story, characters and sense of place were more than enough to find a balance between that sense of an invitation rather than being a guide who pointed ideologies out to the young reader. The Swords (ravens) represent intellect, thoughts, and state of mind. They resemble a logical and intelligent spirit. The song puts forward that the oldest and most reliable trees in England are oak, ash, and hawthorn. Before the Normans arrived in 1066, and began to unravel the English sense of self at the tip of a sword, everyone in the country would have known the story of Wayland the smith.

In a book that nods to classic childrens fare, such as The Little Grey Men by “B.B.” and The Borrowers by Mary Norton, this is a story filled with natural history and wonder. Harrison doesn’t so much create a world as she does show us what it really there; what has always been there, if we have eyes to see. Lovingly painted characters and landscapes expose a world of tiny beings, the overlooked environment of our day-to-day life. As the Hidden Folk consider their own continued existence in the world, they ponder the behaviour of humans; why we do the things we do, what we consider important and everything we miss or ignore in the world. They want to understand why some humans (most usually children) can see and speak to them and others seem to forget. (There is a short, wonderful scene in the beginning when a young child, Ro discovers them and can even speak the language of natures’ creatures, the Wild Argot. Really makes you wonder!)

Our reality is already challenging, complex, and dark. The older I get the more I realize, that simple lessons are valuable at all ages, perhaps even most valuable as we get older and are more likely to brush them aside. However, I also will definitely be buying a physical copy to read to my children, and forsee it being a story we will revisit time and time again. It’s not a hateful book, but honestly I think it’s pretty vapid. Some sequences are well-imagined, like a flying scene late on. But there’s a lot of fiction out there executing this kind of message and/or the idea of a world of tiny people to much better effect than this. In 1855 book Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley, Sir Richard Grenville likewise swears on the three trees:

I am adoring the folklore and mystery of the hidden folk, and I love that there is just enough fantasy and adventure balanced with cozy moments. As a homebody, I appreciate the hidden folk’s desire to feel at home somewhere and the description of all their little comforts wherever they can go. She isn’t overly critical of humans, rather they are portrayed as impressive inventors who are nonetheless blind to the destruction they cause. Harrison encourages ‘noticing’ children (and adults!) to act as best they can to protect the extraordinary, ordinary world around them, before it fades away completely. In the 9th Century traditional folk ballad Glasgerion, the eponymous protagonist swears his innocence on the same three trees:And so the cycle continues. Because though we have forgotten much in England, we don’t have the option of leaving the past behind. No-one ever does. Weirdly, obtusely, at the margins and from the corners of our eyes, the old myths can still be seen. A hundred years on from Kipling, the long barrow on the ridgeway near White Horse Hill is still known as Wayland’s Smithy; the old smith, it is said, will shoe any horse left there overnight if a coin is placed on the stones. The third day of the week is still Woden’s Day, the green men on the cathedral ceilings receive coats of fresh paint, and every May Day, even now, the strange green dance goes on in crevices and byways while most of the nation is driving to the out-of-town retail park.

It feels smug; not inviting readers in to wonder and understand and empathise with this new knowledge. The Cups (squirrels) represent feelings, emotions, and relationships. They resemble a heart-centred spirit. The description in this book, the turn of phrase and the language are just exemplary. It would be perfect for reading aloud to a class, or sharing together before bedtime. There are wonderful little vignettes and moments of pause, where the character reflect on a theme or emotion, such as fear or friendship, and discuss it. But these moments don't seem forced, the characters often talk together to find a solution and a way forward. These moments of pause and reflect are perfect for opening discussions with children and young people around emotions and wellbeing. The ash tree is the second in the sacred trio. In Norse mythology the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil, which held the nine elements of the cosmos, is referred to as an ash. This tree supports all creatures and represents the cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth, the forces that make up life’s journey. The belief system outlined in this book has shown me exactly what I have been yearning to reconnect with, and is essentially the framework for how I would like to live and raise my children to think and act.There are many ancient stories about the trees that are familiar to us, like the oak, ash and thorn. However, when we talk about trees today, we talk about their beauty and value to the environment. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. In forests tree roots help rains seep into the ground where they are taken up into the tree and then release that filtered water as vapor and oxygen. Trees also cool our neighborhoods and cities because of the shade they throw and because their transpiration of water also cools the air. We can treasure parks with large trees and leafy canopies that shade us and cool us during the summer. But the English are strangely quiet about their deep past; disconnected, embarrassed. It’s a curious thing, for the country is full of living reminders of its mythical history and prehistory, from the green men on the lintels of old churches to maypoles and even Christmas trees. But the English have nothing to rival the Mabinogion. They have no W B Yeats or Dylan Thomas, diverting old myths through new channels. What are the foundation myths of the English? Who are their folk heroes? When they look for a mystical past, why do they turn to the Celts? Where did they come from, who built their landscape? Why are the barrows silent and where have the faeries gone? We follow Moss, Burnet and Cumulus, three little creatures known as Hidden Folk, who have started to become invisible. They decide to search for an answer to what's happening to them, while also looking for other Hidden Folk, as they haven't seen any in a long time. It's the kind of book that makes me want to go outside and try to notice and take care of every little thing surrounding me.