Holly and Yew

[Brooks R]

No: HPFGUIDX 2570

Hmmm, I found something rather different for yew - and more of
interest besides....

The other night at my local Half Price Books outlet (wonderful place, 
as Vicki says: "Our cars know the way there") I picked up a
children's book (I love modern children's books with some fanciful or 
historical tale which have really romantic or stylish  illustrations)
: 
_The Unicorn Alphabet_, by Marianna Mayer, pictures by Michael Hague.
Several of the entries were noteworthy - spookily so.    "There are
no coincidences."

Here are the relevant ones:

H (Harry's wand is holly) "The holly tree was once a talisman and,
like the unicorn's horn, a weapon against evil. Wih its pointed green
leaves and bright red berries, holly was planted during the Middle
Ages to protect agaiinst evil magic."

Y (Voldemort's wand is yew) "The yearling unicorn sleeps beneath the  
shelter of the yew tree.  Like the unicorn, the yew is a symol of 
immortaility.  One ancient and revered yew tree is believed to have 
survived for 2,000 years."

Another one to note: S " The serpent was the enemy of the unicorn. 
In medieval myth the serpent lives near a lake where the animals come 
to drink,  If not for the protection of the unicorn, the animals would
be prey to the wily serpent."

Lily.  In the appendix in the back, which deals with flowers
ilustrated in the border but not part of the text of the alphabetical 
entry:

"A fragrant and beautiful flower, the lily is the symbol of 
faithfulness in love and marriage.  The lily, like so many other 
flowers associated with the unicorn, was used against poisonous 
serpents."

MOST interesting.

-Brooks