Flowers, Rag Trees, and Definitive Proof That Fairies Are Real 😉

My delight over the fact that the evenings have brightened and temperatures are now mild here in Ireland continues to grow. I have written about my seasonal mood changes a couple of times before on Steemit: how I dread the advance of winter – as I know only too well that my mood is going to plummet – but I almost burst with excitement when I detect the slightest hint of summer in the air. I have gone on a few wonderful nature walks lately, and I wanted to share photographs of some of the plants and flowers I've seen, in the hope that perhaps someone else will enjoy seeing them.

I should point out at this point that I'm not a professional photographer, nor even a particularly skilled amateur, by any means.

I just love to take pictures of wonderful things that I see while out and about, enjoying every last moment of the sunshine and warmer weather! Any time I am frazzled, worried or upset, spending a bit of time in nature brings me right back to my core. I hope that the pictures below (which were taken in Dublin's National Botanic Gardens – one of my favourite haunts) will help remind others of the immense beauty that can be found in our local parks and green areas, if we simply take some time to slow down, notice that beauty wherever we can, and fully appreciate it. They were all taken on my Samsung S6 phone.

Daffodils are ruling the roost in the Gardens at the moment: everywhere I turn, they leap out at me in glorious shades of cream, yellow, orange and the occasional flash of bright, vibrant red.

I enjoy watching the smaller flowers come into their own too.

Plants with unusual colours and patterns always catch my eye.

In one area of the Gardens, there stands a replica of a rag tree, with various coloured bands of fabric tied around its branches. Rag trees – as the name would suggest – are trees that have been adorned with pieces of rag, ribbons, fabrics or rosary beads. The trees have traditionally held deep religious, spiritual and cultural significance in Ireland.

The custom is not unique to Ireland – as the sign beside the tree states, the practice of hanging objects from plants, rocks or other natural formations has been a common traditional method of establishing a sense of communion between humans and the natural world – but I have come across quite a few rag trees in rural Ireland during my life. The tradition continues to be a vibrant part of rural Irish life in many areas today.

The second paragraph of the sign explains:

While people leave all types of trinkets and mementoes at rag trees, pieces of cloth are the most common. When people are looking for a cure for illness, traditionally a rag (sometimes inscribed with the illness) was tied to the tree, and as the cloth rots away, so does the ailment. It would be usual for a person to tie a ribbon or piece of fine cloth as a token of thanksgiving in the event of their wish being granted.

The third paragraph on the sign amuses me, as it shows the revenge that fairies can exert on those who mess around with their stomping grounds 😉 ... though the charges against DeLorean were eventually dropped, so who can say what went on there, really?

In case anyone is unable to read what the third paragraph of that notice says, here it is:

Frequently (rag) trees are associated with particular saints (St. Kieran’s Bush, Clareen, Co. Offaly), but their strongest association is with the fairies or little people. In Ireland it is considered very unlucky to damage or uproot these trees as it upsets the little people and they may seek revenge. There is one famous account when the DeLorean car company (Back to the Future) planned to set up a factory in Ireland. The proposed site had an earthen mound with a hawthorn tree on top, which the local workmen would not remove on account of the bad luck associated such an act. It is said that eventually John DeLorean himself actually drove the bulldozer to remove the tree. Production of the car began in early 1981 and ceased in late 1982 with the arrest of John DeLorean on drug trafficking charges which were subsequently dropped.

Do I believe in fairies? The rational side of me is inclined to scoff at the idea, but to be perfectly honest, if I were ever placed in a situation where I was asked to damage an area rumoured to be a fairy fort – much like the workers described above – I couldn't bring myself to do it. So I suppose that in the deepest corners of my heart – which cannot be controlled by logic or rationality – the answer to that question is yes. Yes, I do. My camera was mysteriously unable to focus properly on my elf friend (who can be seen in my spring equinox post) on the day I took the above photos – despite the fact that it was well able to do so with every other picture I took. That adds a certain weight to my belief! In the end, I simply decided to respect the elf's wishes not to be photographed that day, and I stopped trying.

There is something inside me that will forever resonate to the dramatic tales I heard in my childhood: the weight of ancestral memories, the síoga, the banshees, the strange and fantastical happenings outlined in Irish mythology. I will always relish the inexplicable mysteries of life. Being outside in nature makes me feel just a little bit closer to the very heart of those mysteries.

So ... in conclusion, fairies are absolutely indisputably, 100% real, and nature is a lovely thing. 😁 Thank you for reading!

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