Hawthorn

Hawthorn
(HAW-thorn)
Variations: Bread and Cheese Tree, Crataegus
oxyacantha, Gaxels, Hagthorn, Ladies' Meat, Mayblossom, Mayflower, Quickset, Sceach, Thorn-Apple, Tree of Chastity, White Hawthorn
With its short trunk, dense reddish leaves, thorned branches, and distinctive white blossoms, the hawthorn shrub is a native of Northern Europe. Its durable, hard, and heavy wood makes it a perfect and natural weapon to be used for the staking of vampires. Hawthorn is considered to be a sacred plant as it was said in the medieval period that not only was it the burning bush of Moses but also that it was used to make the crown of thorns for Christ. For these reasons hawthorn is the preferred wood used for funeral pyres as well, as its smoke carries the souls of the dead quickly to the afterlife.
Source: Barber, Vampires, Burial and Death, 72; McClelland, Slayers and Their Vampires, 109; Summers, Vampire in Lore and Legend, 16; Taylor, Death and the Afterlife, 385, 393

Encyclopedia of vampire mythology . 2014.

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Synonyms:
, (Crataegus oxyacantha)


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hawthorn — may refer to:In plants: * Common Hawthorn ( Crataegus monogyna ), the Hawthorn tree * Crataegus (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * Rhaphiolepis (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and… …   Wikipedia

  • Hawthorn — heißen die Orte Hawthorn (Pennsylvania) in den USA Hawthorn (Victoria) in Australien sowie der Mount Hawthorn (Westaustralien) in Australien Hawthorn bezeichnet Hawthorn (Unternehmen), einen ehemaliger Lokomotivhersteller in Newcastle upon Tyne… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hawthorn — Haw thorn (h[add] th[^o]rn ), n. [AS. haga[thorn]orn, h[ae]g[thorn]orn. See {Haw} a hedge, and {Thorn}.] (Bot.) A thorny shrub or tree (the {Crat[ae]gus oxyacantha}), having deeply lobed, shining leaves, small, roselike, fragrant flowers, and a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hawthorn — Hawthorn, PA U.S. borough in Pennsylvania Population (2000): 587 Housing Units (2000): 220 Land area (2000): 1.107734 sq. miles (2.869019 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.107734 sq. miles… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Hawthorn, PA — U.S. borough in Pennsylvania Population (2000): 587 Housing Units (2000): 220 Land area (2000): 1.107734 sq. miles (2.869019 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.107734 sq. miles (2.869019 sq. km)… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • hawthorn — O.E. hagaþorn, earlier hæguþorn hawthorn, white thorn, from obsolete haw hedge or encompassing fence (see HAW (Cf. haw)) + THORN (Cf. thorn). A common Germanic name, Cf. M.Du., Ger. hagedorn, Swed. hagtorn, O.N. hagþorn …   Etymology dictionary

  • hawthorn — ► NOUN ▪ a thorny shrub or tree with white, pink, or red blossom and small dark red fruits (haws). ORIGIN Old English, probably with the literal meaning hedge thorn …   English terms dictionary

  • hawthorn — [hô′thôrn΄] n. [lit., hedge thorn < ME hagethorn < OE hagathorn < haga, hedge, HAW1 + thorn, akin to Ger hagedorn] any of a group of thorny shrubs and small trees (genus Crataegus) of the rose family, with white, pink, or red flowers and …   English World dictionary

  • Hawthorn — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Hawthorn peut signifier : Sommaire 1 Autres langues 2 Toponymes …   Wikipédia en Français

  • hawthorn — hawthorny, adj. /haw thawrn /, n. any of numerous plants belonging to the genus Crataegus, of the rose family, typically a small tree with stiff thorns, certain North American species of which have white or pink blossoms and bright colored fruits …   Universalium

  • hawthorn —    Traditional beliefs concerning the hawthorn are contradictory. One particular tree, the *Holy Thorn of Glastonbury, was regarded as sacred since it blossomed at Christmas; its real or reputed descendants are pointed out with respect. A few… …   A Dictionary of English folklore

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