ASH

18th March 2024

QUOTATION

O Martius, Martius,

Every word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart

A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter

From yonder cloud speak divine things

And say ‘tis true, I’d not believe them more

than thee, all-noble Martius. Let me twine

mine arms about that body, whereagainst

My grained ash an hundred times hath broke

And scarred the moon with splinters.

AUFIDIUS: Coriolanus, Act 4, Scene 5

ASH (Fraxinus excelsior)

This is the sole reference to the Ash tree in Shakespeare’s works. Aufidius, long time enemy of Coriolanus, is recounting how he smashed his weapon, possibly a spear, against him in their previous battles. Ash is a particular hard timber and can absorb shocks without breaking which makes it ideal for handles, shafts and weapons.

Achilles had a spear shaft made from one of the Ashes of Mount Pelion. The Ash is also highly valued in Norse mythology as Yggdrasil, the central sacred tree of their cosmology.

Ash is a native tree to Britain and has formerly been a very common element of woodland and hedges, however many Ash trees have been affected by Ash Dieback caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. This disease is predicted to kill up to 80% of all the Ash trees in the UK with a devastating effect for all the other biodiversity they support. A project called Ash Rise coordinated by the Scottish Furniture Makers Association aims to celebrate wooden objects made from felled Ash trees affected by Ash Dieback

More Information

Ash Rise Project, Scottish Furniture Makers Association: Visit Site

Folger Shakespeare Library: Search Shakespeare’s Works

Woodland Trust: Ash, Ash Dieback