Crainn Cheirteacha
Tugadh ómós do chrainn ar leith a bhí ag fás in aice le toibreacha beannaithe nó ar shuíomhanna speisialta eile. Is iondúil gur sceacha geala nó fuinseoga a bhí sna crainn seo, ach bhí speicis eile ina measc freisin. Cheaptaí go raibh cumhachtaí ar leith ag na crainn seo agus go mbeadh siad in ann cabhair a thabhairt do dhaoine.
Chun leas a bhaint as seo, cheanglaítí píosaí éadach nó ribíní den chrann, nó d’fhágtaí rudaí éagsúla ag an gcrann. Dheirtí paidir nó dhéantaí mian a chur in iúl, sula gcrochtaí píosa éadaigh ar an gcrann. Maítear nach ofrálacha a bhí sna héadaí seo, ach gur bealach siombalach a bhí ann chun fáil réidh le pé imní, tinneas, nó olc a bhí ag cur as don té a chroch iad.[1]
Ceaptar gur cleachtas ársa spioradálta é seo a bhí sa tír sular tháinig an Chríostaíocht, cé go bhfuil nósanna na Críostaíochta fite fuaite sa gcleachtas anois. Tá an traidisiún céanna le feiceáil in Albain agus i Sasana.
Tá sé forleathan san Eoraip, san Áis, agus san Afraic freisin. Ar a chuid taistil, chonaic Maurice Keatinge (c.1761–c.1835), polaiteoir agus coirnéal in arm na Breataine, “rags, potsherds, and the like trash” crochta ar sceacha ológa i dtuaisceart na hAfraice. Nuair nár éirigh leis míniú a fháil ó mhuintir na háite faoin gcleachtas, scríobh sé: “a traveller will see precisely the like in the West of Ireland and will receive an equally satisfactory account upon the subject”.[2]
Tá cur síos níos fearr ar an gcleachtas seo i mBailiúchán na Scol:
“Nowadays we have very few holy wells in this district. But there is one on Corn hill and it is supposed to have the cure of warts. What you have to do is to take a pin that is in the well and prick the warts with it and leave it back again. Anyone that does not put back the pin will be all covered with warts next day. There is also another well in Formulagh near Legga and it is supposed to have the cure of Yellow Jaundice the well is cut out of the trunk of a tree and there are red pieces of flannel hanging on the tree anyone that has this desease can take a rag and pin it on their clothes for ten minutes and in two hours you will be better, but be sure to leave back the rag.”
Bailiúchán na Scol, 761:25
Le blianta beaga anuas a tosaíodh ag tairneáil boinn airgid sna crainn seachas ag crochadh éadaí orthu. Bhí daoine ag crochadh éadaí sna 1930idí ar chrann ceirteacha (seiceamóir a bhí ann, seachas fuinseog nó sceach gheal) i gCluain Eidhneach, Contae Laoise, a raibh log idir na craobhacha ina raibh uisce leighis ann.
Bhí daoine ag crochadh éadaí ar an gcrann sna 1930idí, ach tháinig athrú ar iompar an phobail. In áit éadach a chrochadh ar an gcrann, tosaíodh ag bualadh boinn ann sna 1990idí, go dtí gur cailleadh an crann de bharr nimhiú miotail in 1994. Sular cailleadh é, bhí an chéad 2 m den stoc crann, ón talamh aníos, clúdaithe le boinn a bhí buailte isteach sa gcrann le casúir.[3]
Tagairtí
1. Houlbrook, C., Small change: economics and coin-trees in Britain and Ireland. Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2015. 49(1): p. 114-130.
2. Walhouse, M.J., Rag-Bushes and Kindred Observances. The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, 1880. 9: p. 97-106.
3. Nelson, E.C. and W. Walsh, Trees of Ireland: Native and Naturalized. 1993: Lilliput Press.