Trees! Big ones.

davejsy · Monday at 9:17 PM

I just read this great article that may be of interest to anyone walking the Primitivo and likes trees, especially big old ones with history as some of them are on the Primitivo (Salas, Tineo etc).

Árboles monumentales y singulares de Asturias: una excusa para recorrer el Principado | El Comercio: Diario de Asturias

Ya sea en coche o a través de las muchas rutas de senderismo con las que cuenta Asturias, los árboles monumentales y singulares son una buena razón para moverse por la re

www.elcomercio.es

One cool thing I learned is many of the old churches were built next to yew trees, as they were considered sacred by the Celts.

Bradypus · Monday at 9:22 PM

davejsy said:
One cool thing I learned is many of the old churches were built next to yew trees, as they were considered sacred by the Celts.

There is a very long and rich mythology attached to yew trees in the UK. In part because they can be extremely old. In Scotland there is a famous yew tree in Fortingall in Perthshire. Local legend claims that Pontius Pilate was born under it!

Camino Chrissy · Monday at 9:28 PM

I noticed, especially in Italy, that churches often had an ancient olive tree twisted and gnarled growing in the front "yard" of the property. The Bible has some references to olive trees and branches.
Here are a couple I found online...

Bill905 · 2025-01-07T04:56:29+0100

Eauze, along the Via Podiensis May 2023

I like to explore local culture, and a couple of years ago while in Eauze, we toured a winery/distiller of Armagnac, and yes, we had several samples!

While there, I noticed a huge tree in the farmyard. I asked the owner how old it was. He said it was an oak, about 600 or 700 years old. Doing some quick math I realized it had sprouted before Columbus sailed the ocean blue!

mikeatspokes · 2025-01-07T10:21:16+0100

I just loved this gnarled old tree on the walk into Triacastela

VNwalking · 2025-01-07T10:57:36+0100

Thank you, so wonderful to have this information.

For the most adventurous among the adventurous, there's a grove of millennial Yews on an alternative route near the Viejo, between Trespaderne and Quintana de Valdivielso.

Here's a description of it from:

Ruta de senderismo: Los Tejos de Panizares y Los Tartalés

Importante: dada la sensibilidad del enclave de los Tejos de Panizares recomiendo: - Ir en pequeños grupos. - Intentar pisar lo menos p...

tierrasdeburgos.blogspot.com

Descendemos un poco y entramos en la espesura de la Tejeda de Panizares (que en realidad es de Trespaderne). Tenemos más de una veintena de centenarios y evocadores tejos, pero esta empinada ladera ofrece una gran variedad de arboles: tilos, robles, madroños, hayas... A medida que vamos descendiendo observamos un tejo retorcido tras otro, formando rincones inolvidables

davejsy · 2025-01-07T11:42:58+0100

mikeatspokes said:
I just loved this gnarled old tree on the walk into Triacastela
View attachment 183505

Snap!

Camino Chrissy · 2025-01-07T13:43:33+0100

@davejsy, there was another "tree thread" recently focusing on huge old trees and a few of us posted the same tree as you...snap!

Paladina · 2025-01-07T15:52:42+0100

davejsy said:
One cool thing I learned is many of the old churches were built next to yew trees, as they were considered sacred by the Celts.

Yew berries are highly toxic to livestock. The practical reason for planting yews in churchyards is to keep them out of bounds to cattle and, of course, scrumping children.

Kathor1 · 2025-01-07T16:30:13+0100

I often read about a topic on Wikipedia in various languages. In this case, as to the yew tree and it being planted in or near cemeteries, there are different reasons given in the various language articles. The English and also the French version say that it had to do, or might have to do, with the tree's toxicity and keeping it away from cattle who get poisoned if they eat the whole fruit or the leaves/needles. This reason appears to be absent in the German and Spanish versions where the emphasis is put on the longevity of the yew tree and its connection with death and immortality. In Spanish for example:

[...] Celtic peoples venerated the yew tree since it was part of rituals and was considered a sacred tree, probably due to the extraordinary longevity of the plant, which makes it look immortal. For this same reason in Spain it has been planted profusely in the Cantabrian region in the vicinity of hermitages, churches and cemeteries since ancient times, as a symbol of the transcendence of death; it was common to find a yew in the squares of the villages under which the open council was held. All this has perpetuated the halo of mystery and sacredness that surrounds this species.

I've always associated yew trees in monastery gardens and cemeteries with the idea of eternity.

And has anybody already mentioned Agincourt and the longbow? The DE article says that in 1568, a local duke informed the Imperial Council (in Germany) that there were no more yew trees mature enough for felling in the whole of Bavaria; the reason for this was that English longbows were made from yew wood and thousands of these trees were shipped from Nuremberg to Antwerp - an export hit in its time but also causing ecological damage . The ES article says that the English imported yew wood mainly from Italy, but also from France and Spain to make their longbows. Apparently the continentally grown yew wood was less gnarly than that grown in England.

Rick of Rick and Peg · 2025-01-07T16:50:25+0100

Yew was ideal for making longbows because you got a natural lamination with the tree's heartwood and sapwood.

YouTube video id: OfrkiAAp8tM

J.Patrick · 2025-01-07T17:04:41+0100

Thank you for bringing this article to our attention. What treasures!!!

If you have a passion for old big trees, open this picture of California coastal redwoods, as large as you can. I took this 3 months ago. These are the world’s tallest trees, in extraordinarily beautiful forests that deserve inclusion on lifetime bucket lists.

Way down low, a little right of center, is a person standing at the very bottom of the picture, just to give you perspective.

What joy, no?

Kirkie · 2025-01-07T18:01:20+0100

Bradypus said:
There is a very long and rich mythology attached to yew trees in the UK. In part because they can be extremely old. In Scotland there is a famous yew tree in Fortingall in Perthshire. Local legend claims that Pontius Pilate was born under it!

i couldn’t resist, so looked up, and found Fortingall Yew on Wiki. How on earth did Pontius Pilate’s mammy get there to give birth to him?
Please note, I am not doubting the local legend: well, maybe I am! something to discover if and when...
They certainly are popular around graveyards allright.

Bradypus · 2025-01-07T18:06:55+0100

Kirkie said:
i couldn’t resist, so looked up, and found Fortingall Yew on Wiki. How on earth did Pontius Pilate’s mammy get there to give birth to him?

The Roman legions got a good bit further north than that. But not until a long time after PP was born. So probably not true. But the legend gave birth to another piece of trivia. The Black Watch was for a time the oldest infantry regiment in the British Army. Originally from Perthshire. So they were nicknamed "Pontius Pilate's Bodyguard"

Rick of Rick and Peg · 2025-01-07T18:17:32+0100

Yggdrasil - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

mattythedog · 2025-01-07T19:31:00+0100

Kirkie said:
i couldn’t resist, so looked up, and found Fortingall Yew on Wiki. How on earth did Pontius Pilate’s mammy get there to give birth to him?
Please note, I am not doubting the local legend: well, maybe I am! something to discover if and when...
They certainly are popular around graveyards allright.

Maybe she was born under the U2.

davejsy · 2025-01-08T11:07:25+0100

Kathor1 said:
For this same reason in Spain it has been planted profusely in the Cantabrian region in the vicinity of hermitages, churches and cemeteries since ancient times, as a symbol of the transcendence of death;

I love this. The Spanish are so much more romantic than the Brits!

davejsy · 2025-01-08T11:22:42+0100

J.Patrick said:
Thank you for bringing this article to our attention. What treasures!!!

If you have a passion for old big trees, open this picture of California coastal redwoods, as large as you can. I took this 3 months ago. These are the world’s tallest trees, in extraordinarily beautiful forests that deserve inclusion on lifetime bucket lists.

Way down low, a little right of center, is a person standing at the very bottom of the picture, just to give you perspective.

What joy, no?

On the subject of beautiful redwoods - has anyone been lucky enough to visit the Bosque de Sequoias in Cantabria near Cabezón de Sal? It's a beautiful place with raised walkways in places through this truly unique forest in Spain, I think originally they were planted during the time of Franco to reduce dependence on imports. It would be an easy excursion from the Norte for anyone who wanted to see it. I would avoid busy times as with many places like this in Spain.

davejsy · 2025-01-08T11:28:45+0100

Camino Chrissy said:
@davejsy, there was another "tree thread" recently focusing on huge old trees and a few of us posted the same tree as you...snap!
View attachment 183514

Haha yes is this the most famous tree on the CF?

VNwalking · 2025-01-08T11:44:45+0100

Back to Spain, there's a fantastic website that will show old trees in your vicinity:

Monumental trees in Spain

www.monumentaltrees.com

The Chestnut in Tracastella is there, of course. As is a Walnut nearby that appears to have died.

davejsy said:
Haha yes is this the most famous tree on the CF?

Likely. There was an old oak who used to be near Rabinal, but sadly it died too, in a storm.

Kathor1 said:
For this same reason in Spain it has been planted profusely in the Cantabrian region in the vicinity of hermitages, churches and cemeteries since ancient times

The grove of very old yews near Trespaderne is in an area where there were once hermitage. I wonder if there's a connection.

Pelegrin · 2025-01-08T12:12:06+0100

VNwalking said:
Back to Spain, there's a fantastic website that will show old trees in your vicinity:

Monumental trees in Spain

www.monumentaltrees.com

The Chestnut in Tracastella is there, of course. As is a Walnut nearby that appears to have died.

Likely. There was an old oak who used to be near Rabinal, but sadly it died too, in a storm.

The grove of very old yews near Trespaderne is in an area where there were once hermitage. I wonder if there's a connection.

Not included on the lists " Tejo de Barondillo (or Valhondillo)" 1500 to 2000 years and four meters diameter, Rascafria municipality ( Sierra de Madrid).

Sue127 · 2025-01-08T12:36:41+0100

mikeatspokes said:
I just loved this gnarled old tree on the walk into Triacastela
View attachment 183505

I think many of us have the same photo, beautiful example

Damien Reynolds · 2025-01-08T16:34:59+0100

Sue127 said:
I think many of us have the same photo, beautiful example

I think the little informational sign next to that tree speculates it might be one of the most photographed trees in the world or something like that....

VNwalking · 2025-01-08T17:05:22+0100

Pelegrin said:
Not included on the lists " Tejo de Barondillo (or Valhondillo)" 1500 to 2000 years and four meters diameter, Rascafria municipality ( Sierra de Madrid).

You can add it.

Rick of Rick and Peg · 2025-01-08T17:08:27+0100

Damien Reynolds said:
I think the little informational sign next to that tree speculates it might be one of the most photographed trees in the world or something like that....

Here's the sign (click to get to version on webpage):
https://flic.kr/p/2peG36c

Damien Reynolds · 2025-01-08T17:45:21+0100

Rick of Rick and Peg said:
Here's the sign (click to get to version on webpage):
https://flic.kr/p/2peG36c

Hmmmm... maybe I was imagining things...

Camino Chrissy · 2025-01-08T19:18:14+0100

J.Patrick said:
If you have a passion for old big trees, open this picture of California coastal redwoods, as large as you can. I took this 3 months ago. These are the world’s tallest trees, in extraordinarily beautiful forests that deserve inclusion on lifetime bucket lists.

A little trivia...In Sequoia National Park in California, the sequoia named "General Sherman" is the largest living single stem tree on earth. It was definitely gargantuan!

Damien Reynolds · 2025-01-08T19:24:34+0100

Camino Chrissy said:
A little trivia...In Sequoia National Park in California, the sequoia named "General Sherman" is the largest living single stem tree on earth. It was definitely gargantuan!

View attachment 183567

More trivia. The Oldest known living tree in the world is also in California.

Great Basin bristlecone pine

In eastern California, a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) known as Methuselah has long been considered Earth's oldest living thing. According to tree-ring data, Methuselah is 4,853 years old — meaning it was well established by the time ancient Egyptians built the pyramids at Giza...

Damien Reynolds · 2025-01-08T19:52:41+0100

In case you are wondering, the bristlecone pine is usually small(ish)...

The area on the eastern side of the state where they live (Owens valley) is covered by the Sierra Nevada "rain shadow", which incidentally, on my Mozarabe, bore a striking resemblance to the area walked.

Yes, you Spaniards named our mountain ranges back in the day. (and cities, states, everything around here)

I think the bristlecone pine, slow growing, + harsh environment means that there are few people around there to chop them down...

Sue127 · 2025-01-08T20:05:35+0100

I was lucky enough to visit the Bristlecone Pine forest several years ago. Stunning. It was also the first time that I was affected by altitude: at first I thought there was something really wrong with me but then I realised and stopped trying to hike quickly - all was well!

davejsy · Monday at 9:17 PM

I just read this great article that may be of interest to anyone walking the Primitivo and likes trees, especially big old ones with history as some of them are on the Primitivo (Salas, Tineo...

takingahike · 2025-01-07T22:54:32+0100

Here we are! My brother and I have finished our first day of the Camino Primitivo starting in Lugo. Of course, the things that I was worried about were fine (plenty of open restaurants / food on...

Trees! Big ones.

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