Huath (Hawthorn) Gaelic H – Christmas Ornament

2 inch high same on both sides

Designed by Angus MacLeod

Handcrafted by Piper Pewter

8th in The Gaelic Tree Alphabet Series –

Huath (Hawthorn) ??? Queen of the May or The Faery Tree- wild and enchanted – wound about with powerful fairy magic from its slender thorns to its deepest roots. The dense shrub, with its gnarled and twisted trunk, was employed to enclose fields. The tree supports lots of wildlife, its gnarled crevices being home to many insects. Both tree and root wood is useful for making small things ??? polished boxes, carved handles for tools and sticks. It burns very hot, so was used for fuel and can make good charcoal. Young leaves were eaten raw, with a nutty flavour and both flowers and Haws have found uses in jellies, wines and herbal medicines. The H is not considered to be a letter in Gaelic writing. It is a marker to show that the sound of the letter before it has changed. For example, the m sound of the letter m becomes a v sound when mh is written. The lower case letter was used in this design to indicate it’s different status.