Shadow Play

These days it's dark around 5pm. We're surrounded by trees, some ancient, some commercial, some ornamental that we've planted, some native. The ones that do best are the birches, hazels, larch and hornbeam.  

Five hundred years ago the whole valley was a forest, the Jed Forest. One tree remains of that, an enormous sessile oak. It is so huge, spreading and fragile that many of its branches are propped up by sturdy wooden posts.

In the bad old days of the reivers (free-lance livestock thieves), such places provided excellent cover. Kings and Wardens struggled to keep some semblance of law and order, and weren't above using a handy tree to string up troublesome subjects. 'Jethart Justice' entered the language,  meaning 'hang them first, have the trial later ... maybe'. 

Jedburgh was originally called Jeddart, or Jethart in the local dialect - and it still is by the real locals. The new name came in with the Royal Burgh status in 1214, so it hasn't had time to catch on yet ...

Sorry, I've wandered from my original theme, which was the forest, and the tales that are told about supernatural beings that live in the mirk woods. Not that I know of any that are told around here - but I could always make some up. 

I showed the picture to TM and asked him what he saw - and he started telling the tales that his Irish Grannie used to tell him about the Banshee. I looked that up - I do hope he's wrong!!

PS This is a cherry tree - definitely imported.