The Alder

The third letter of ogham is fearn, and is associated with the alder tree. The alder also stands for the fourth month of the Celtic Tree Calendar, March 13 through April 14, and holds within it the vernal equinox. This may be one underlying reason that the alder is so prominent in Celtic folklore. Its name derives from the old English, "ealdor", meaning chieftain. In fact, the red dye made from its bark was applied to the faces of real Celtic chieftains and kings during sacred ritualistic ceremonies! Faerie folk used a green dye obtained from the alder's catkins to render their clothing invisible to the human eye! The alder protected the secret places of the faeries as well, and is also said to have stood guard by surrounding the "Isle of Apples", or Avalon - the otherworld. Perhaps the alder is associated with hidden places due to its affinity for wet and boggy land where most did not venture. One of its folk names is the "king of waters". When underwater, its timber is highly resistant to saturation and actually becomes stronger. It is for this reason that the alder was highly prized for the construction of bridges, the piles being driven deeply into the earth under the water, as well as for the foundations of Venice!
But the alder also possesses a fiery nature. "The Battle Witch of the Woods" was the hottest in a fight according to the epic Celtic poem, "Battle of the Trees", in which the Celtic god, Bran, carried the branches of the alder into battle. Furthermore, although its timber makes a poor fuel, it does make an excellent charcoal which has been used to warm Celts for centuries. The alder's mystical strength lies in its ability to balance and harmonize elements of fire and water.
Practically speaking, the alder has many uses, applied by ancient as well as modern Celts. Its sticky leaves can be strewn around the house to trap fleas and other small pests (maybe this is an older application, but nonetheless, a mighty important one!). And, as long as we're on the subject of infestations, its bark can be boiled in vinegar resulting in a sort of liniment which can be applied topically to rid oneself of pesky lice and other undesirables. The alder is quite renowned for its ability to soothe inflammation, a distillate of its bark being especially effective as a gargle for sore throat. Its leaves can be used in a poultice and applied to any swelling for relief. And, if your dogs are barking (achy feet), you can slip a few alder leaves into your shoes to put the bounce back in your step! (I just might try that one!) The alder has astringent properties as well, and was popularly applied to battle and accidental wounds to stop blood flow before 911 was available. Dried powdered bark has even been used as an ingredient in toothpaste as its astringent qualities are good for the gums!
Its not hard to see why the alder has been a favorite tree of the Celts. I hope you picked up a little bit of interesting information. Check out my alder links if you'd like more in depth reading, and if you've learned to love the alder, you can get an alder tee shirt in the Trees as Irish Celtic Symbols section of my shop.