Anthony Quinn is an Irish artist and an Australian citizen who lives and works on the lands of the GuriNgai and Darug people in Sydney. His Irish heritage inspires his artistic practice and also helps him to forge a connection with his adopted home.
The Hawthorn: Feared and Revered in Irish Folklore and Myth
by Anthony Quinn
A solitary hawthorn, also known as Whitethorn, or a wild cluster of knotted bushes, is a common sight across the Irish landscape. The hawthorn is often intertwined in hedgerows and borders, not only because its thorny branches are well-suited for containing livestock and repelling intruders but also for much darker reasons.
The hawthorn has a long-standing association with ‘The Other Folk’—the Fae, the Faeries, or the Sidhe (pronounced ‘Shee’). These beings, including the mischievous leprechauns, are best left undisturbed, believed to inhabit underground fairy forts or an invisible realm that coexists with the human world. It was said that they would gather at hawthorn trees, with stories abound of travellers lured by ethereal music and glowing lights, finding themselves transported to other realms, sometimes as guests, often as prisoners.
A hawthorn tree faery, from the sketchbook of Anthony Quinn
A tree is a gateway between worlds
The hawthorn represents a liminal space, a gateway between worlds, where the veil separating the living and the spirit worlds thins. Especially during the Springtime festival of Bealtaine and the precursor to Halloween, or Samhain.
To damage or remove a lone hawthorn, especially one growing within an ancient fort or sacred site, was considered a provocation that would bring bad luck to the perpetrator. Superstitions linger today. Hawthorn is believed to carry potent energies. To bring it indoors is to invite misfortune to the household.
The Hawthorn as Protector, Symbol of Birth and Renewal
A detail from a larger drawing, inspired by the protective qualities of the Hawthorn tree.
Hawthorns are also associated with fertility, their musk-scented flowers blooming as harbingers of Spring. Their fruit ripens in time for Halloween, symbolizing death and rebirth. They stand as protectors, symbols of birth, death, and renewal, embodying a liminal space where exchanges occur between the human and spirit worlds.
Irish Poets Draw Inspiration from the Hawthorn
Irish poets, too, have drawn inspiration from the hawthorn. Eavan Boland, in her poem ‘White Hawthorn In The West Of Ireland’, speaks of the hawthorn as a threshold, marking a transition from the suburban into the wilderness.
Under low skies, past splashes of coltsfoot,
I assumed
the hard shyness of Atlantic light
and the superstitious aura of hawthorn.
‘White Hawthorn In The West Of Ireland’, Eavan Boland
Our Mutual Relationship with Trees
In the artwork “Mutualism / Comharaíocht,” the hawthorn and a seedling share a symbiotic relationship, symbolizing themes of life and death, resilience and hope, and peaceful solitude. The drawing invites viewers to contemplate the intricate connections that bind us to the natural world, offering a small moment of reward for those who discern the subtle shared visual element between the hawthorn and the seedling.
Connecting with Australia’s trees
As I reflect on the hawthorn and its place in Irish folklore and mythology, I consider the profound interconnectedness of the mutualistic relationships that sustain Australia’s ecosystem.
Trees like the towering gum are our silent partners in a vital dance. Their vast root systems act like natural sponges, soaking up rainwater and preventing floods. They also tirelessly filter our air, transforming carbon dioxide into life-giving oxygen.
Have you ever marvelled at the serpentine roots of a eucalyptus, clinging tenaciously to a rock, its branches twisting skywards? Have you ever found yourself in a stand of grass trees, sharing their presence in the vastness of the bush? Do you feel, in those fleeting moments, connected by an exchange that underpins the very essence of life?
Look out your window. Pause on your walk to work. Allow yourself to notice a tree in your landscape. Let your imagination wander through the rich tapestry of mythology and folklore surrounding trees like the hawthorn. These moments of connection with our heritage in the present inspire a sense of belonging.
Anthony Quinn, Artist
My art explores a parallel universe where Irish mythology crosses over into today’s world. I’m native to Ireland and also an Australian citizen, living in Sydney. I invite you to become part of an unfolding story where the doors of curiosity are thrown open, creativity flourishes and hope is a constant companion.
You can experience new art as it unfolds here
Tinteán 