Hello and welcome to the 11th (lunar) month of the year on our ‘Celtic Tree Calendar’ , ‘the month of Ivy‘ which begins tomorrow (September 30th) and takes us through to October 27th .. 🙂
Now although, technically speaking, not a tree, Ivy uses trees to support its growth by way of a ruthless tenacity and power so strong, it can sometimes even kill its host!
So tough is this plant that a very famous song was written about it keeping company with that ‘warrior of trees’ the Holly in the bleakness of Midwinter.
Yes it is a bit early in the year to be mentioning Christmas but it is possibly not always realised that ‘The Holly and The Ivy’ has just as much Pagan imagery in its lyrics as it does Christian!
The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown. ..
Holly here can connect to the ‘Holly King’ – see ‘Holly in July?’
Oh, the rising of the sun and the running of the deer ..
Again this can be seen as reference to the ‘Sun God’ and most probably the ‘Stag’ or ‘Horned God’ – incidentally I once read that royal crowns may have been modelled on the antler ‘crowns’ of the ancient tribal Chiefs – they also of course look rather like the Sun .. **
By this point you may be wondering where the Ivy comes into this? Don’t worry I’ll get there (in my (for those of you old enough to remember) Ronnie Corbett (in his big chair) way) in the end 😉
Looking over the words of the whole song you will see that Ivy is actually only mentioned the once – in the very first line of the carol. BUT notice that every second line speaks of Mary – now are you thinking what I am thinking? Is Mary standing in for the Ivy here .. as the Christianised Goddess?
Well it seems that ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ is actually based on a much older carol ‘The Contest of the Holly and the Ivy’ which describes an ancient Yuletide ‘singing’ battle of the sexes!
‘There are indications in other manuscripts that in ancient English village life there was a midwinter custom of holding singing-contests between men and women, where the men sang carols praising holly (for its “masculine” qualities) and disparaging ivy, while women sang songs praising the ivy (for its “feminine” qualities) and disparaging holly.’ .. Wikipedia
In an even older song ‘Ivy Chief of Trees, It is’ Ivy wins the day ..
Ivy, chief of trees, it is;
Veni coronaberis.
The most worthy is she in town;
He who says other, says amiss;
Worthy is she to bear the crown;
Veni coronaberis. ..
See ‘The Hymns and Carols of Christmas’
The flowers of the Ivy are white with 5 petals and so this plant is associated with ‘The White Goddess’ or ‘Great Mother’ – the ‘giver and taker of life’. Ivy represents the Moon, female fertility and the knowledge of the Universe and therefore the subtler but no lesser strength of the Feminine Principle 😉
Wishing you All a Very Happy October!
Kim x
**see Pg 152 of ‘Natural Magic’ by Doreen Valiente
Divine Ogham 