THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Ivy

Lisa Karen Miller

           Tristan and Iseult were tragic lovers of Cornish legend.  When Tristan was killed, Iseult died of a broken heart.  They were buried in the same churchyard, but some distance apart.  A shoot of ivy grew out of the young man’s grave, then another from his lady love’s.  They soon met and ascended, entwining the lovers in eternal devotion.

          The ivy then became the symbol of confiding love and fidelity. It also represents affection, dependence, and endurance.

          Ivy was once carried by women as a luck charm. It symbolized eternal life for Christians and pagans alike.

          Those lovely ivy-covered cottages that call to mind a bucolic and rustic abode were thus bedecked for a very practical purpose – ivy prevented evil from entering the house.  Everyone knew that evil walked abroad, seeking even the slightest opportunity to move in and make itself at home. 

          The wise were perpetually vigilant against it. 

          An even more practical reason was that ivy invited spiders, who feasted on insects the house-proud wife was constantly battling. For the humble and thrifty peasant, free pest control was essential. Some think this is the origin of the belief that it is bad luck to kill a house spider. 

          Why put your little volunteer Orkin men to death needlessly?

          Its reputation as an evil repellent was why it was used prolifically in Christmas decorations.  The devil craves to sully our holiest observances with his evil machinations. Bringing ivy indoors provided even more protection.  Combined with holly at Christmas, it also ensured peace between husband and wife.

          Traditionally, ivy was a common tavern sign – easily recognizable in a time when many were illiterate.  This was because the ivy was sacred to Bacchus, or Dionysus.

          When he was born, the infant was handed into the care of the nymphs, who reared him in a shady grove. When he grew up, he was revealed to be one of the immortals – the god of wine. Wherever he went, nymphs danced and gamboled around him, plied him with wine, and twined ivy in his hair.

          Poor fellow.

          Dionysus was also the thunder god, and ivy was a thunder plant, along with oak.  Originally, it was necessary to make fire with a stick of each, they being by this virtue the most combustible.

          Though it looks pretty, ivy growing up brickwork can force its aerial rootlets into mortar and stone, and even make its way through interior boards. 

I would recommend just a little inside at Christmas, to keep peace in your home.

© Copyright 2023 Lisa Karen Miller