"F"

Fearn (Alder)

"Shield of Bran"

"..May the head be off of he who bears this shield before evening;
if he comes by night, may it be off before morning.."

"The Shield of Corc", Book of Leinster - 1160 CE

The Alder is the favorite Celtic wood for making shields. Its class is chieftain, its symbolic color is crimson and its month was February/March. The Alder will assist you in spiritual decisions as well as protect you from outside forces. This tree is sometimes associated with Bran the Blessed. He played a major role in the Cad Goddeu as Gwydion guessed his name from the alder twigs that he bore. Bran's name is also the answer to the Taliesin riddle of "Why is the alder purple?" The answer is..."because Bran wore purple himself." Bran is also known for his role in protecting his troops during the rescue of his sister Branwen from her husband, Matholwch, King of Ireland. He was fatally wounded and his head cut off (though it remained alive). Only seven of his companions survived to return to Britain. This talking head (known as the Urdawl Ben), continued to live and talk for 87 years. The burial of his head on the "White Mount" was said to have safe-guarded Britain in days of old. Ironically, it was on a shield of Alder that the Druid of Lugaid wrote the message: "Let he who comes with this shield lose his head before morning if he comes to you in the evening. Let him lose his head before evening if he comes to you in the morning". Corc, who was Lugaid's banished son, carried this shield into the presence of Feradach, the King of Scotland. Fortunately for him, the deception was averted when the Druid Gruibne chose to befriend him, interpreting the Ogham to say, "This is my son to whom you should show hospitality". Alder is said to have an affinity for water and water spirits. In ancient Ireland, alder was used for divination, especially for diagnosing diseases. When the wood is cut it turns from white to red, and was one of the few trees for which cutting was punishable. Alder is said to be a tree of resurrection. Bran was noted for his gift of the Cauldron of Regeneration.

Tone: e (Chase & Paulik); c'(ÓBoyle)

Magical Ogham: fáistine - divination. (CNL) This word derives from the word for seer ("fáith") and is spelled fáidsine, fáitsine or fáithsine in Old Irish. It is applied to soothsaying and the second sight (for both Pagan, Druidic and Old Testament auguries). (SOD)

Skill Ogham: filideacht - poetry, verbal magick, divination.

Color Ogham: flann - "red".

Word Ogham of Morann Mac Main: Airinach Fian ("shield of warrior-bands"). The best protection for a band of warriors is forming an enclosure of overlapping shields. Shielding.

Word Ogham of CúChulainn: Dín cridi ("protection of the heart"). Besides a shield, sometimes a breast plate was worn to protect the vital organs and the heart. CúChulainn wore no such protection (though his friend Ferdia did). It is significant that his most important battles were with or for those he loved: Emer, Ferdia, Conla, Fergus. Sheltering.

Word Ogham of Mac ind Óic: Comet lachta ("guarding of milk"). Milk containers were constructed of alder wood. It is in the way that the container surrounds and holds the milk that it is preserved. When Bres was King of the Tuatha Dé, he placed a tax upon white cows. Nectain ran his cattle between two fires of fearn. He was able to singe the hair of all of his cattle, turning them dun-colored. It was in this way that he avoided paying the tax (until Bres taxed dun-colored cattle and used the same trick himself). Preservation.

Word Ogham of ÓDubhain: Cosantach ceann ("protecting the Head"). It was in attempting to recover his sister Branwen from Matholwch, King of Ireland that Bran lost his life and his head. Contention.

Guarding of Thought

Past, Present, and Future Meanings:

Shielding from the Past
Protection from Assault
Preservation of Ideas

The Nine Dúile of Fearn:

Shielding of Roots: Guarding,
Guarding of Connections: Alliances,
Alliances of Growth: Protection,
Protection of Emotion: Sheltering,
Sheltering of Spirit: Rescuing,
Rescuing of Mind: Preservation,
Preservation of Thoughts: Defending,
Defending Face: Assertions,
Assertions of Decisions: Contention.

Tales to Read and Study:

"The Shield of Corc"
"The Sick Bed of CúChulainn"
"The Dream of Angus Mac n'Og"
"The Reign of Bres"
"Cad Goddeu"
"The Song of the Forest Trees"
"The Voyage of Bran" from the Mabinogion

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