In previous journal entries I have researched the birch bark canoes made by the Ojibwa Native Americans and found such pleasure in recalling “The Song of Hiawatha” by Longfellow, which was read to me often in my early childhood by my mother.
The chapter “Hiawatha’s Fishing” describes how Hiawatha asks permission of the trees before harvesting them in order to make his canoe, thus personalising the trees.
“And the tree with all its branches,
Rustled in the breeze of morning,
Saying, with a sigh of patience,
Take my cloak, O Hiawatha.”
Imagine my delight as I came upon another epic poem of the nineteenth century, this time from Finland, named The Kevala, which tells more stories concerning the beautiful birch.
The Sacred Birch in Finnish Mythology and Folklore
For the Finns, birch symbolised purity, goodness, Summer and warmth, the tree of life. The sap that was moving inside the tree symbolised the continuance of life and rebirth, the leaves representing ancestors and the starry sky.
“The roots of the birch grow deep in the history, culture and soul of the Finnish people.”
(Thompson, L. K. kantelmusic.com/articles-sacredbirch 2020.)
The Kevala is a nineteenth century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lonnrot from Finnish oral folklore, telling the creation story of the earth. It is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature, in which birch trees are mentioned countless times. When Vainamoinen cleared the forests in order to plant barley, he cut down all the trees except for the birch.
“Felled the trees of all descriptions,
Only left the birch tree standing,
For the birds a place of resting,
Where might sing the sweet-voiced cuckoo,
Sacred bird in sacred branches”
The rhythm of the poem is reminiscent of Longfellow’s “Song of Hiawatha” which I find so delightful.
The ancient Finns believed that trees had sprits and they worshipped them, bringing them gifts at different times of the year. In Autumn they brought porridge or the head of a slaughtered ram. In Spring they hung Aeolian harps on the trees and wrote spells on the bark to help new saplings grow, a tradition which is still carried on by schoolchildren today.
Aeolian harps are named after Aeolus, the Greek god of the wind. They are played by the wind and make strange, unearthly noises.
Finns used birch in everyday magic; fishermen would smoke their nets over a birch fire to ensure a good catch and farmers carried circles of birch bark around new forest clearings prior to setting the undergrowth on fire.
The ancient Finns believed that every lake, stream, forest and swamp, every tree, flower and living being was inhabited by a spirit, god ,or “haltia”.
In Finland – and in Russia – birch twigs were used as wands to cast protection spells over cattle, believing that cows protected by these wands would provide milk as good as birch sap. Homes were decorated with birch branches for Mothers Day and the Summer Solstice festival. The old Finnish name for the month of March is Mahlakuu, meaning the sap month, when people drank birch sap for refreshment after the winter months and the sap was made into beer and lemonade. It was used to heal burns, treat skin conditions and toothache. Young girls washed their faces with the first sap of the Spring so they would not burn their skin in the Summer, always tasting the sap first in order for the magic to work. Those with hiccoughs could recite this charm:
“Go, hiccough, to a clump of limes; I’ll come to strip the bast;
Go, hiccough, to a clump of birch; I’ll come to strip the bark.”
One of the reasons why birch trees were sacred was because they were so useful to the Finns. It has been used in the building of log houses as insulation between logs and the ground and as a roofing material. Birch bark repels water and decays slowly. It is 100% ecological material and when taken from the tree the wood keeps growing and replaces the bark with new.
The bark was used to make baskets, dishes, cups, hats, bags, and even shoes. Sauna whisks and brooms were made from birches, and the wood was used for heating and cooking, to make furniture and knife sheaths. The bark was heated and the resin collected used to make glue and firelighters.
“For the Finns, that which was sacred always went hand in hand with that which had a practical use.”
(Eero Kovanen, birch-in-finnish-mythology-and-folklore 2014)
Examples of items made from birch bark.
Sheets of birch bark are fixed to the roof, then covered with sods of grass, or turf, to hold in place the waterproof birch.
The Birch in Russia and Siberia
The birch features in many world religions, particularly in those of Russia and Siberia. In “The Golden Bough” Frazer writes about the Russian tradition of welcoming the birch as a guest into the house on Whitsunday (once again we see the personification of the birch tree).
“Villagers go into the woods, singing to the birch and weaving garlands before cutting down the tree and dressing it in women’s clothes adorned with colourful ribbons. They feast, then carry the tree back to the village, singing and dancing, then set up the birch as a guest in someone’s house. Over the next two days villagers come and visit with the birch. On Whitsunday they go to a stream and throw the tree into the water, complete with garlands, most likely as a raincharm.”
( Frazer,J.G. “The Golden Bough” MacMillan & co 1890)
In a Siberian tradition, described by Czaplika in “Shamanism in Siberia” birch is used as a preparation for the shamans to gather their power. New shamans gather their power over time through various means, listening to spirits, gathering tools, fasting and ritual. When the new shaman is prepared, the elder shamans gather birch seedlings which are made into birch brooms. A goat is sacrificed in a pot then the birch broom is dipped in the water in the pot which is then used to beat the new shaman on the back as a purification ritual. More birch is cut and placed in the shaman’s yurta.
“This birch represents the porter god who allows the shaman’s ingress into heaven. It points the way for the shaman to reach the sky.”
( Czaplika,MA “ Shamanism in Siberia”) 1914, Kindle edition Evinity Publications Inc. 2009.
Russians singing to the birch Shamans in Siberia
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