durable : there is a celebrated tree enclosed in Cawdor Castle, near 

 Inverness, which has stood from time immemorial. Tradition 

 relates that the Castle was built over the tree in consequence of 

 a dream, by which the original proprietor was instrudled to ere(5l 

 a castle on this particular spot. From the most remote times it 

 has been customary for guests to assemble themselves around this 



venerable tree, and drink success to the House of Cawdor. The 



most remarkable of English Thorns is that known as the Glaston- 

 bury Thorn, which is reputed to have sprung from the staff of 

 Joseph of Arimathea. (See Glastonbury Thorn). By astro- 

 logers the Hawthorn is placed under the dominion of Mars. 

 Turner remarks that, should he "want weapons, he may make use 

 of the prickles and let Saturn take the fruit." 



Haymaids, or Hedgemaids, the Ground-Ivy. — See Ivy. 



HAZEL. — The Hazel [Covylus Avellana) is the theme of many 

 traditions, reaching from the remotest ages, and in England the 

 tree would seem to have acquired almost a sacred chara(fter. In 

 Scandinavian mythology the Hazel was consecrated to the god Thor, 

 and in the poetic Edda a staff of Hazel is mentioned as a symbol 



of authority, and hence employed for the sceptres of kings. In 



classic mythology, the Hazel rod becomes the caduceus of the god 

 Mercury. Taking pity on the miserable, barbarous state of man- 

 kind, Apollo and Mercury interchanged presents and descended 

 to the earth. The god of Harmony received from the son of 

 Maia the shell of a tortoise, out of which he had construcfted a 

 lyre, and gave him in exchange a Hazel stick, which had the power 

 of imparting a love of virtue and of calming the passion and hatred 

 of men. Armed with this Hazel wand. Mercury moved among 

 the people of earth, and touching them with it, he taught them to 

 express their thoughts in words, and awakened within them feelings 

 of patriotism, filial love, and reverence of the gods. Adorned with 

 two light wings, and entwined with serpents, the Hazel rod of 



Mercury is still the emblem of peace and commerce. -An old 



tradition tells us that God, when He banished Adam from the ter- 

 restrial Paradise, gave him in His mercy the power of producing in- 

 stantly the animals of which he was in want, upon striking the sea 

 with a Hazel rod. One day Adam tried this, and produced the 

 sheep. Eve was desirous of imitating him, but her stroke of the 

 Hazel rod brought forth the wolf, which at once attacked the 

 sheep. Adam hastened to regain his salutary instrument, and pro- 

 duced the dog, which conquered the wolf. A Hebrew legend 



states that Eve, after eating the forbidden fruit, hid herself 



in the foliage of a Hazel-bush, It was a Hazel-tree which 



afforded shelter to the Virgin Mary, surprised by a storm, whilst 

 on her way to visit St, Elizabeth. Under a Hazel-tree the 



Holy Family rested during their flight into Egypt. It was of 



wattled Hazel-hurdles that St. Joseph, of Arimathea, raised the first 



