is much evidence that this volume receives input in the collection of books reviewed on this site. On the one hand, some reviews already exist ethnobotanical publications. This is of course be continued. However, and this is the special feature of this book deals with only one genus, the yew. Referring now traditional relationship and mapping tables at hand, the yew is consistently and unambiguously associated with Saturn and the stars so much in this area as appropriate.
is available for this associative connections the slow growth of the yew tree, its extremely hard and durable wood, their toxicity, which connects it with death, and the fact that it is extremely shade tolerance. It comes with only 5% of the amount of light from the open state. The long life and the great age of the yew meet Saturnian qualities: the Asia, Europe, North and Central America Headquartered tree was the first time at about 140 million years ago and is one of the oldest tree species in the world, if it is not even dealing with the oldest.
This fascinating creatures now is the focus of this outstanding book by Fred Hageneder. This is ethnobotanist and deals with trees for years, especially with the yew. He is a founding member and Chairman of the Friends of Trees and member of the Ancient Yew Group . Title taken from his pen as The wisdom of the trees or spirit of the trees .
The latest work of the author, this study is the large and voluminous book The yew tree in a new light. A monograph of the genus Taxus . It is divided into two parts, of which the first deals with the nature of the species, the second, more extensive then the cultural history. Here are the chapters self-contained sections, so it is easily possible to read to throughout the book.
In the biological part of the reader learns basics of plant classification, its evolution and its current widespread use, for their high adaptability and ability to regenerate is responsible. Great attention is paid to take one example, as the yew remedy, its ingredients are spread out and their effectiveness in human and veterinary medicine Range studied. In the history of different peoples there are notes on the use of plant components of the yew as a remedy, as in the North American Indians or in Indian Ayurveda. The most important nowadays industrially extracted active ingredients are probably the taxanes, are used to detect cancer can often be cured. Knowledgeably, the author also briefly, as to its policy of yew pharmaceutical companies and the associated environmental impacts. Although the pharmaceutical industry of the yew tree could be quite dangerous, but it is the responsibility of people in past centuries, that it is in Europe's stock barely closed yew trees or so-called ancient Individuals that genus. For centuries the yew longbows for the production of desires, as evidenced by the oldest archaeological finds. The great early modern wars then led to a significantly increased demand for yew wood, so that today assumes that began in Europe in the late 16th century has been no significant incidence yew more.
Yet just suggested the yew coming back to the human imagination, of which poetry and artistic creations testify. Also in the folk magic of the tree or its parts played an important role mainly apotropaic: it may remain the yew is not magic it for example in a sentence that is passed down from the Spessart. This halo of holy magic seems to be inherent in the yew tree across the cultures and times. Even in ancient times were near her shrines as today in the Japanese Shinto. Tree of Life, some people also seem to have been a yew, ceremony objects were preferably made of yew and already Babylonian clay fragments are distinctive to the needle of the yew tree decorated pattern. The plant is culturally and historically related to the rites of passage at the end of life, with birth, with the laws of a cyclic imaginary time and figured as an attribute of gods and goddesses of different ages and cultures.
This list could go on for long. As in biology including in the culturally historical part manages Hageneder over again with his loving and knowledgeable lines written to surprise the yew to captivate and fascinate. The work of
Hageneder is also an outspoken superb band, the bibliophile and high expectations. Printed on high quality paper, the book jacket equipped with a pleasing and also impresses with a sophisticated and most colorful illustrations. Both the natural and the cultural-scientific part of an academic quality audit hold up and are also read by all the factual density, extremely entertaining. The clarification of terms found in a glossary as well as biological, very elegant, didactic and solved wisely, in color-coded boxes at the points of their first use. The book is also equipped with an endnote apparatus, with a bibliography, an index and five appendices.
This magnificent study of the Saturnian most of the trees seems both the content and from the outside only created to ennoble the ethno-botanical library. And not only that.
0 comments:
Post a Comment