THE ROWAN, OR MOUNTAIN ASH 99 



It was in such situations that it struck the artistic 

 fancy of William Gilpin, who, in his "Forest Scenery," 

 after mentioning that in the Scottish. Highlands it 

 often becomes a considerable tree, speaks of it as 

 follows : — 



' ' There, on some rooky moantaius, covered with dark pines and 

 waving birch, which cast a solemn gloom over the lake below, a few 

 mountain ashes joining in a clump, and mixing with them, have a 

 fine effect. In summer the light green tint of their foliage, and in 

 autumn the glowing berries which hang clustering upon them, 

 contrast beautifully with the deeper green of the pines ; and if they 

 are happily blended, and not in too large a proportion, they add 

 some of the most picturesque furniture with . which the sides of 

 those rugged mountains are invested." 



This species having a wan-hued bark and lurid 

 fruit, and growing in wild woodland and moor, much 

 legendary lore has collected round it, and it seems to 

 have been used by witches in divination, its name 

 " Kowan " being said to be connected with the Gothic 

 word "run," a whisper, a mystery, divination, or a 

 magic letter, from "runer," to know. Homoeopathy 

 is a great deal older than the time of Hahnemann, 

 so that the Mountain Ash became of high repute 

 as a protection against witchcraft, as witness the 

 proverb — 



" Eowan tree and red thread 

 Put the witches to their speed," 



a belief also alluded to in the old poem of " The 

 Laidley Worm of Spindleston Heughs," in the 

 lines — 



" Their spells wsre vain, the boys return'd 

 To the queen in sorrowful mood, 

 Crying that witches have no power 

 Where there is roan-tree wood." 



