Hey! Yew! (plus runes)

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 90035

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Helen R. Granberry" <helen at o...> wrote:
> 
> Yew is a symbol for death (hence it being planted in churchyards). I
> believe holly is a symbol for rebirth, but not quite as sure on that
> one.

Yew is more than a symbol for death, it *is* death.
All parts of the plant are poisonous, particularly the berries.

It is associated with graveyards for eminently practical reasons - back
in the Middle Ages, all males above 16 were  required to practice
archery. The best wood for bow-making is yew, so lots  of yew trees
were planted. But grazing animals had to be kept away from them
since they ingest the shed berries and leaves (needles) accidentally
while feeding (the berries are slightly larger than a match-head and as
few as ten can be a fatal dose).
In most villages the only area enclosed by cattle proof fences or walls
was  the graveyard, so that's where the yews were planted.

JKR is probably up  to something with her  runes - what it is we'll have
to  wait and see, but don't put too much trust in outside references to
Druids or their runes.  In the UK they left no written record and the
Romans deliberately expunged the religion, slaughtering all the priests
and adherents they could find. (They objected to the human sacrifices). 
So they are pretty much a mystery. Lots of runes around, of course,
mostly of Scandanavian origin - and they didn't practice Druidism.

The  Druidic practices found these days are a recent invention dating 
from about 1850. So it's probable that JKR has once again put her own
twist  on old mythology.

Kneasy