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Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore
Many of the herbal and magical practices of the Scots are echoed in traditional Norwegian folk medicine and magic. This is a valuable resource book not only for the serious folklorist, but also for a wider audience interested in a deeper look at rural Scottish practices. Ms. Hopman has done an amazing amount of research, and her Scottish herbalism section is far more detailed than I've seen elsewhere. A "must have" for the northern European folklorist's library.
Jane T. Sibley, Ph.D., author of "The Hammer of the Smith" and "The Divine Missile of the Gods".
Through her books, Ellen Evert Hopman lifts the veil between worlds of the present and the past. She guides the reader on a fascinating journey to our ancient Celtic history, simultaneously restoring lost knowledge and entertaining the reader. Be prepared to be educated and delighted.
Wendy Farley, Clan McKleod
The first things is WOW! Ellen Hopman has given us a volume that belongs in Harry Potter's library. This wonderful collection of enchantments, faery lore and herbal potions, is presented by a practicing herbalist and (I suspect) magician. It is a useful manual of magic, an unusual tourist guide to Scotland, certainly a delightful read, and at the very least, a comprehensive and thoroughly footnoted collection of folk lore for humorless librarians and scholars.
Matthew Wood MS (Scottish School of Herbal Medicine) Registered Herbalist (American Herbalists Guild)
Every now and again, a book emerges from the waves of occult and magical authorship that delves into the deep and ancestral waters of old magic! This book is one of those rare occasions. From the lore of herbs to the blessing of stones; from avioding the elf-blast to healing through Faerie blessing - Ellen guides the reader through ancient groves of oral lore to discover a power and spirit that connects the reader to the oldest of magics, the earth and her elements. I am confident that the Scottish Ancestral Wise Ones, are renewed through this book and the old ways live once again!
Orion Foxwood, Traditional Witch Elder, Conjurer in Southern Root-Doctoring and Faery Seer (www.orionfoxwood.com), author of "The Faery Teachings" (R.J. Stewart Books) and "The Tree of Enchantment" (Weiser Books).
Jane T. Sibley, Ph.D., author of "The Hammer of the Smith" and "The Divine Missile of the Gods".
Through her books, Ellen Evert Hopman lifts the veil between worlds of the present and the past. She guides the reader on a fascinating journey to our ancient Celtic history, simultaneously restoring lost knowledge and entertaining the reader. Be prepared to be educated and delighted.
Wendy Farley, Clan McKleod
The first things is WOW! Ellen Hopman has given us a volume that belongs in Harry Potter's library. This wonderful collection of enchantments, faery lore and herbal potions, is presented by a practicing herbalist and (I suspect) magician. It is a useful manual of magic, an unusual tourist guide to Scotland, certainly a delightful read, and at the very least, a comprehensive and thoroughly footnoted collection of folk lore for humorless librarians and scholars.
Matthew Wood MS (Scottish School of Herbal Medicine) Registered Herbalist (American Herbalists Guild)
Every now and again, a book emerges from the waves of occult and magical authorship that delves into the deep and ancestral waters of old magic! This book is one of those rare occasions. From the lore of herbs to the blessing of stones; from avioding the elf-blast to healing through Faerie blessing - Ellen guides the reader through ancient groves of oral lore to discover a power and spirit that connects the reader to the oldest of magics, the earth and her elements. I am confident that the Scottish Ancestral Wise Ones, are renewed through this book and the old ways live once again!
Orion Foxwood, Traditional Witch Elder, Conjurer in Southern Root-Doctoring and Faery Seer (www.orionfoxwood.com), author of "The Faery Teachings" (R.J. Stewart Books) and "The Tree of Enchantment" (Weiser Books).
312 pages, Paperback
Published June 21, 2011
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471 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Evert Hopman
27 books162 followersEllen Evert Hopman is a Master Herbalist and lay Homeopath who holds an
M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling. She is a certified writing instructor
through Amherst Writers and Artists. She is Archdruid of Tribe of the Oak www.tribeoftheoak.com, a Druidic teaching Order, and was a former Co-chief
of the Whiteoak Druid Order (Ord na Darach Gile) and Vice President of
The Henge Of Keltria, an international Druid Fellowship, for nine years. She
is the founder of the Whiteoak internet mailing list, an on-line Druid ethics study
group, and a co-founder of The Order of the Whiteoak (Ord Na Darach Gile)
www.whiteoakdruids.org. She is also a co-founder of the North East Druid
Coalition
She is the author of a trilogy of Iron Age Druid novels; Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey, The Druid Isle and Priestess of the Fire Temple - a Druid's Tale.
Her books on trees include a revised and expanded new edition of Tree Medicine Tree Magic (Pendraig Publishing) and
A Druids Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine (Destiny books/Inner Traditions Bear
and Company)
Her other books include;
Secret Medicines from your Garden (Healing Arts Press), Secret Medicines of your Kitchen (mPower Publishing), The Sacred Herbs of Samhain (Destiny Books) The Sacred Herbs of Beltaine (Destiny Books), Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore (Pendraig Publishing), A Legacy of Druids (Moon Books),
A Druid's Herbal For the Sacred Earth Year ( Inner Traditions/Destiny Books ),
Being a Pagan (with Lawrence Bond)(Inner Traditions/Destiny Books), Walking
The World In Wonder - A Children's Herbal (Healing Arts Press), she is a
co-author of Grimoire For The Apprentice Wizard (Newpage Books).
She has released the
video/DVDs Gifts From the Healing Earth and Pagans -the Wheel of the Year ( From
Sawmill River Productions, http://www.sawmillriver.com/ )
She has released three audio tapes The Druid Path: Herbs And Festivals,
Celtic Gods and Goddesses, and The Herbal And Magical Powers Of Trees (from
Creative Seminars, POB 203, West Hurley, New York 12491).
She has been a teacher of Herbalism since 1983 and of Druidism since 1990 . Find her books, workshops and blog at www.elleneverthopman.com
M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling. She is a certified writing instructor
through Amherst Writers and Artists. She is Archdruid of Tribe of the Oak www.tribeoftheoak.com, a Druidic teaching Order, and was a former Co-chief
of the Whiteoak Druid Order (Ord na Darach Gile) and Vice President of
The Henge Of Keltria, an international Druid Fellowship, for nine years. She
is the founder of the Whiteoak internet mailing list, an on-line Druid ethics study
group, and a co-founder of The Order of the Whiteoak (Ord Na Darach Gile)
www.whiteoakdruids.org. She is also a co-founder of the North East Druid
Coalition
She is the author of a trilogy of Iron Age Druid novels; Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey, The Druid Isle and Priestess of the Fire Temple - a Druid's Tale.
Her books on trees include a revised and expanded new edition of Tree Medicine Tree Magic (Pendraig Publishing) and
A Druids Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine (Destiny books/Inner Traditions Bear
and Company)
Her other books include;
Secret Medicines from your Garden (Healing Arts Press), Secret Medicines of your Kitchen (mPower Publishing), The Sacred Herbs of Samhain (Destiny Books) The Sacred Herbs of Beltaine (Destiny Books), Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore (Pendraig Publishing), A Legacy of Druids (Moon Books),
A Druid's Herbal For the Sacred Earth Year ( Inner Traditions/Destiny Books ),
Being a Pagan (with Lawrence Bond)(Inner Traditions/Destiny Books), Walking
The World In Wonder - A Children's Herbal (Healing Arts Press), she is a
co-author of Grimoire For The Apprentice Wizard (Newpage Books).
She has released the
video/DVDs Gifts From the Healing Earth and Pagans -the Wheel of the Year ( From
Sawmill River Productions, http://www.sawmillriver.com/ )
She has released three audio tapes The Druid Path: Herbs And Festivals,
Celtic Gods and Goddesses, and The Herbal And Magical Powers Of Trees (from
Creative Seminars, POB 203, West Hurley, New York 12491).
She has been a teacher of Herbalism since 1983 and of Druidism since 1990 . Find her books, workshops and blog at www.elleneverthopman.com
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 19, 2011
Review of Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore by Ellen Evert Hopman
The heart of this book is the herb lore, but there is so much more: the whole history of Scotland, its peoples, languages, agriculture, religion, and traditional ways. There is a list of heathen gods, a vast collection of folklore and charms, even the origin of the wishing well. I love the snarky little aside in the section on magical uses of metals, "as everyone knows there are Witches who bless and heal, and others who are more interested in power struggles." Sounds like the voice of experience. It's obvious that the author knows her subject deeply and from the inside, from the perspective not only of an able folklorist but also of a person who practices this ancient folkway.
The ancient Scotts apparently practiced pasteurization, only they called it magic. It's refreshing to see an author matter-of-factly relate the traditional magical uses of human skulls and bones, a subject others prefer to sweep under the rug. There are recipes, traditional holiday songs, various life cycle customs such as weddings, births, and funerals, and customs around farming and fishing. I didn't know why having a woman onboard a ship was considered bad luck; now I know! Of course there is lots of herb lore, fairy lore, and magical practices. This book even includes a really simple, if time-consuming, way to properly place the stones of a henge to align with the astronomical solstices; perhaps the very method used to lay out Stonehenge!
The book is well-organized and has lots of lists, with a pronunciation guide, bibliography, and index in the back. It contains loads of practical information for anyone studying the folklore or magic of Scotland. Highly recommended.
Review by Erin Lale, author of Asatru For Beginners.
The heart of this book is the herb lore, but there is so much more: the whole history of Scotland, its peoples, languages, agriculture, religion, and traditional ways. There is a list of heathen gods, a vast collection of folklore and charms, even the origin of the wishing well. I love the snarky little aside in the section on magical uses of metals, "as everyone knows there are Witches who bless and heal, and others who are more interested in power struggles." Sounds like the voice of experience. It's obvious that the author knows her subject deeply and from the inside, from the perspective not only of an able folklorist but also of a person who practices this ancient folkway.
The ancient Scotts apparently practiced pasteurization, only they called it magic. It's refreshing to see an author matter-of-factly relate the traditional magical uses of human skulls and bones, a subject others prefer to sweep under the rug. There are recipes, traditional holiday songs, various life cycle customs such as weddings, births, and funerals, and customs around farming and fishing. I didn't know why having a woman onboard a ship was considered bad luck; now I know! Of course there is lots of herb lore, fairy lore, and magical practices. This book even includes a really simple, if time-consuming, way to properly place the stones of a henge to align with the astronomical solstices; perhaps the very method used to lay out Stonehenge!
The book is well-organized and has lots of lists, with a pronunciation guide, bibliography, and index in the back. It contains loads of practical information for anyone studying the folklore or magic of Scotland. Highly recommended.
Review by Erin Lale, author of Asatru For Beginners.
April 19, 2025
Filled to the brim with inspiration and information. Great for getting in touch with your Scottish ancestry, history, and traditions. If you wanna know how to worship nature n honor your bloodline, go for it n take notes!!!
Want to read
July 10, 2011I just came back from the islands and highlands of Scotland, how funny is that. I will have to get this book and check it out.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews