Rowan

According to the Edda, a rowan saved Thor’s life when a swollen river swept him away – in Norway it was believed to protect the home from evil.

The rowan is a small tree growing to 10–15 m, with smooth grey bark and pinnate leaves made up of a dozen or more narrow, toothed leaflets. In early summer it bears flat clusters of tiny white flowers with a pungent smell, and in autumn it is laden with bunches of orange-red berries. The berries are an important food for thrushes and waxwings, and people make them into jellies and fruit liqueurs. It is highly resistant to frost and wind, so it grows high in the mountains and far to the north.

Significance in the country

In Snorri’s Edda, Thor, swept away by the swollen river Vimur, saved himself by grabbing a rowan bush – hence the saying that the rowan is “Thor’s rescue”. Folk belief held that it protected against evil powers, so it was planted beside houses and its twigs were hung over the doors of homes and cowsheds.

Where it grows

Throughout the country as far as Finnmark – in forests, on field margins, in the mountains up to the birch zone, and by houses and in towns.

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