At the present day, the yarrow or milfoil is used by love-sick
maidens, who are directed to pluck the mystic plant from a young man's
grave, repeating meanwhile this formula:
"Yarrow, sweet yarrow, the first that I have found, In the name of Jesus
Christ I pluck it from the ground; As Jesus loved sweet Mary and took
her for His dear, So in a dream this night I hope my true love will appear."
Indeed, many other plants are in demand for this species of love-
divination, some of which are associated with certain days and festivals.
In Sweden, for instance, "if on Midsummer night nine kinds of flowers
are laid under the head, a youth or maiden will dream of his or her
sweetheart."[3] Hence in these simple and rustic love-charms may be
traced similar beliefs as prevail among rude communities.
Again, among many of the American Indian tribes we find, according
to Mr. Dorman,[4] "a mythical tree or vine, which has a sacredness
connected with it of peculiar significance, forming a connecting-link and
medium of communication between the world of the living and the
dead. It is generally used by the spirit as a ladder to pass downward and
upward upon; the Ojibways having possessed one of these vines, the
upper end of which was twined round a star." He further adds that
many traditions are told of attempts to climb these heavenly ladders;
and, "if a young man has been much favoured with dreams, and the
people believe he has the art of looking into futurity, the path is open to
the highest honours. The future prophet puts down his dreams in
pictographs, and when he has a collection of these, if they prove true in
any respect, then this record of his revelations is appealed to as proof of
his prophetic power." But, without enumerating further instances of
these savage dream-traditions, which are closely allied with the animistic
theories of primitive culture, we would turn to those plants which
modern European folk-lore has connected with dreamland. These are
somewhat extensive, but a brief survey of some of the most important
ones will suffice to indicate their general significance.
Firstly, to dream of white flowers has been supposed to prognosticate
death; with which may be compared the popular belief that "if a white
rosebush puts forth unexpectedly, it is a sign of death to the nearest
house;" dream-omens in many cases reflecting the superstitions of daily
life. In Scotch ballads the birch is associated with the dead, an illustration
of which we find in the subjoined lines:--
"I dreamed a dreary dream last nicht;
God keep us a' frae sorrow!
I dreamed I pu'd the birk sae green,
Wi' my true love on Yarrow.