ELDERBERRY—

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Elder was kept close to dwellings—at field edges, near yards, along water. Wood, leaf, flower, and fruit were used differently.

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​Flowers were dried thin, or steeped fresh. Berries were gathered after full ripening, and stripped from their stems. They were simmered, pressed, or fermented, often with other fruits, then stored for winter. ​

 

Once prepared, it thickens and settles and must be stirred or strained again. Iron dulled it. Glass, crock, and wood were preferred. ​

 

The shrub returns reliably when left intact. Cutting too hard thins it. Older plants were left standing, even when not harvested, as markers along fields and yards. ​ It was associated with late summer, damp ground, and household stores through long cold winters.

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Elder was regarded as the dwelling place of a watchful spirit. In Northern Europe it was known by names such as Elder Mother or Hyldemoer. It was not cut without asking for permission, often leaving an offering of milk or bread at the base of the tree. Bad luck was said to follow all those who angered the spirit.

 

It was kept near houses, barns, at the borders of land, and was regarded as protective against illness, misfortune, and death. Branches were hung over doorways and windows, and placed near root cellars. 

 

In some places, elder was set near cradles and above where one lay to sleep, as to keep evil spirits away in the darkness of the night.

 

In some traditions, elder was associated with death; the passage between worlds and was planted at burial grounds. 

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Plants that grew at the edges of land—between field and wood, road and yard—were regarded as standing between worlds because they did not belong fully to either place.

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