S9 Ep 5 Ancient Vines: The Superstitions & Folklore of Ivy

Welcome to this week's episode of the My Slice of Life podcast. From ancient Greek gods to bringing good fortune to a church’s congregation, the ivy has a wide, varied and often contradictory place in folklore and magic. Find out whether this wondrous plant really does bring trees down and why you should ONLY ever bring it into your house at Christmas!

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Further Information:

Ruth Binney book 'Plant Lore and Legend': https://amzn.to/4i7uxYD

Margaret Baker book ‘Discovering The Folklore of Plants’:

https://amzn.to/4c8v4Yh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/ivy/

https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/English-Ivy-Symbolism-Traditions-and-Mythology

https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/english-ivy

https://www.eldrumherbs.co.uk/content/content_files/profiles_ivy_hedera-helix_state-1.html

https://www.icysedgwick.com/folklore-of-ivy/

https://khkeeler.blogspot.com/2021/10/plant-story-folklore-of-english-ivy.html

https://www.youtube.com/@TheStoryCrow

Frazer, J. (1890). The Golden Bough. Macmillan.

Guiley, R. E. (2008). The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft, and Wicca. Facts on File.

Culpeper, N. (1653). The Complete Herbal.

Intro music: Exciting news by Diamond_tunes - used with thanks

All images/video: © Sharon O’Neil 2025