Healing Herbs of the Ancient Celts

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Willow - (Saille)

In the Turraun bogs of Co. Offaly lies the water-loving Willow, another of the herbs used for medicine by the ancient Celts. The Willow was sacred to the Celts, representing the month from the 18th of March to the 15th of April on the Celtic calendar, and may have been used by the Celts to combat rheumatism, common in the dampness of the bog areas. Willow was also sacred to the Moon goddess Arduinna and the Druid god Beli.

Acetyl salicylic acid, derived from the bark of the Willow, has perhaps been used by us all at one time or another. It is commonly known today as aspirin!

The common mode of administering Willow bark for anti-inflammatory conditions by herbalists is in a tea, several grams of the bark being boiled in a pint of water and administered about 3 times per day.