What's the deal with trees with rags, bits of paper, rubbish tied to them?

The Scientician · 14-04-2013 07:42AM #1

I'm not talking about a tree with a Dunnes bag that has blown into it. Down the country in several places I've visited recently there have been trees with bits of plastic, ribbons, notes, sometimes even business cards tied to them. It looks like some pagan tradition of old but I don't recall ever seeing such trees when I was younger. I've heard of people leaving notes at grottos or holy wells but these are just trees and while some people do seem to leave notes some people just seem to tie crisp packets and other rubbish to them. It strikes me as a pretty odd tradition. Anyone know anything about it?

smcgiff · 14-04-2013 07:50AM

It would be pagan in origin, I imagine, but has been incorporated into other beliefs.

I used to work near a well where masses take place at least once a year where mementos, including pictures and clothes of children, are tied aroud the well. Very sad.

MadsL · 14-04-2013 07:51AM

No, forget you saw it. If you know what is good for you.

BBDBB · 14-04-2013 07:56AM

yeah, those were backward times, we werent very sophisticated or advanced, we didnt understand our world and so we offered up our thoughts, our hopes and our dreams to the Gods of our universe in the hope of influencing our destiny

now we are much more advanced and post up pictures of what we had for dinner on facebook in the hope of getting some "likes"

The Scientician · 14-04-2013 07:57AM

smcgiff wrote: »

It would be pagan in origin, I imagine, but has been incorporated into other beliefs.

I used to work near a well where masses take place at least once a year where mementos, including pictures and clothes of children, are tied aroud the well. Very sad.

Oh I've seen that and that makes perfect sense to me but what I'm interested in finding out about is more people tying just rubbish to trees, items that don't seem to hold any significance to anyone.

Gosub · 14-04-2013 08:12AM

The Scientician wrote: »

Oh I've seen that and that makes perfect sense to me but what I'm interested in finding out about is more people tying just rubbish to trees, items that don't seem to hold any significance to anyone.

Yeah... that'll be the bin charges. Dump it in ditches, tie it in trees. Any way to get rid of it.

kneemos · 14-04-2013 08:46AM

The Scientician wrote: »

I'm not talking about a tree with a Dunnes bag that has blown into it. Down the country in several places I've visited recently there have been trees with bits of plastic, ribbons, notes, sometimes even business cards tied to them. It looks like some pagan tradition of old but I don't recall ever seeing such trees when I was younger. I've heard of people leaving notes at grottos or holy wells but these are just trees and while some people do seem to leave notes some people just seem to tie crisp packets and other rubbish to them. It strikes me as a pretty odd tradition. Anyone know anything about it?

Where sir did you see these things with your eyes.

martinr5232 · 14-04-2013 08:59AM

There is one of those trees up on Tara hill i always wondered about it aswell.

Menas · 14-04-2013 09:07AM

I love a good fairy tree.

deandean · 14-04-2013 09:16AM

martinr5232 wrote: »

There is one of those trees up on Tara hill i always wondered about it aswell.

Very strong ju-ju. Best not to offend.

clairefontaine · 14-04-2013 09:25AM

Ah. We found something like this tied to a tree in our garden and haven't figured out what it is. It is very odd. A bag with some twigs and a knotted around a branch of a tree.

The Scientician · 14-04-2013 10:33AM

kneemos wrote: »

Where sir did you see these things with your eyes.

Glencar Falls, Co. Leitrim, Loughcrew, Co. Meath and other of my friends have mentioned them in other parts of the country.

vicwatson · 14-04-2013 10:35AM

The Scientician wrote: »

Glencar Falls, Co. Leitrim, Loughcrew, Co. Meath and other of my friends have mentioned them in other parts of the country.

One up the hill of Tara too

mattjack · 14-04-2013 10:38AM

Its a secret code for " the Gathering " .

Don't you be bothering your pretty little head with stuff like that . 'else "the Gatherer" will come for you.

Augmerson · 14-04-2013 10:47AM

One or two spots like this in Laois at least. There used to be a tree that people would beat coins into beside a Church. Unfortunately the tree was poisoned from all the copper in it. That's right beside a national main road so some other posters might know it.

There is another location out towards Ballinakill in Laois (I think), the tree is adorned with strips of cloth, rosary beads, candles, anything and everything. One poster said earlier it's probably a tradition from Pagan times, but then I think, we have a lot of other traditions from those days that are just carried on it to Christianity. Christmas being around the Winter Solstice, Easter and so on.

It's all good. As long as you remember it's all nonsense Cthulhu is the one true living God.

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn ...

corktina · 14-04-2013 10:54AM

another Pagan ritual was to tie together your trainers and loft them into some phone wires

This was done on the Feast of Converse

mike65 · 14-04-2013 10:54AM

There used to be (and probably still is) an excellent example on the road between Kells, Co Kilkenny and Kilkenny.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wish_Tree
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clootie_well

kylith · 14-04-2013 10:55AM

There's a fairy tree in the Comeraghas too, I think it's near the magic road.

I can see the old pagan beliefs behind it, but in this day and age it realy just amounts to tying a load of crap to a tree.

mattjack · 14-04-2013 10:56AM

corktina wrote: »

another Pagan ritual was to tie together your trainers and loft them into some phone wires

This was done on the Feast of Converse

In conjunction with the Feast of Converse , locals used make an offering of heroin to any passersby.

harry Bailey esq · 14-04-2013 11:11AM

The Scientician wrote: »

I'm not talking about a tree with a Dunnes bag that has blown into it. Down the country in several places I've visited recently there have been trees with bits of plastic, ribbons, notes, sometimes even business cards tied to them. It looks like some pagan tradition of old but I don't recall ever seeing such trees when I was younger. I've heard of people leaving notes at grottos or holy wells but these are just trees and while some people do seem to leave notes some people just seem to tie crisp packets and other rubbish to them. It strikes me as a pretty odd tradition. Anyone know anything about it?

what you are talking about is called a 'piseog' some people reckon its to ward off evil spirits,some say its an offering to the fairies and others Will tell you placing a piseog is to curse the landowner whose land it is placed on with bad luck.loada bollix really.

What's the deal with trees with rags, bits of paper, rubbish tied to them?

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