RowanA cultural history of a reddish, much-loved shrub, sometimes called mountain ash or dogberry. Rowan is the first in-depth natural and cultural history of this much-loved plant sometimes called mountain ash or dogberry. Through myth, medicine, literature, land art, and contemporary rewilding, Oliver Southall uncovers the many meanings of this singular reddish, fruit shrub: a potent symbol of nostalgia on the one hand and of environmental activism on the other. Taking the reader on an eclectic journey across history, Rowan charts our changing relationships with nature and landscape, raising urgent questions about how we value and relate to the non-human world. |
Contents
Introduction Thresholds of Nature and Culture | 7 |
Old Gods New Myths | 39 |
Magic and Medicine | 71 |
Arts of Nationhood | 99 |
Romantic Ecologies | 131 |
Other Russias | 161 |
Uprootings | 181 |
Conclusion Where One Tree Survives | 199 |
Timeline | 215 |
References | 219 |
| 236 | |
Associations and Websites | 239 |
Acknowledgements | 241 |
Photo Acknowledgements | 242 |
| 244 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Æcerbot aesthetic ancient Andy Goldsworthy archaic artists associated beauty belief birch birds blood Borders Forest Trust Britain bruidhean Carolina Oliphant Carrifran Celtic century charms Christian Christopher Whyte colour connection Cormac's culture Danaan Quicken Tree Dorothy Druids ecological Elias Lönnrot emblem especially Étaín fairies Finland Finn Finnish Fróech Gaelic garden human Ian Hamilton Finlay Ibid idea idealized imagination Ireland Ivan Shishkin John Ruskin Kalevala Kullervo land landscape Little Sparta living London lore magical Marina Tsvetaeva Millais mountain ash myth Nairne narrative nature northern offer oil on canvas otherworld pagan painting Pasternak picturesque planted poem poet poetry political Pre-Raphaelites Raine Raine's religion ritual Romantic Ronald Hutton rowan berries rowan tree rowan wood Russia sacred Sandaig Scotland Scottish sense social song Sorbus aucuparia spiritual story survival Survivor symbol tion tradition trans tree’s upland vision wild William witch witchcraft woodland Wordsworth writing Yeats Zhivago