In the cider-producing areas of the UK, January is wassailing time. It’s a time when people go out into the apple orchard and encourage the trees to produce a good yield in the coming year.
It’s believed that the spirit of the orchard, also known as the Apple Tree Man, lives in the oldest tree. So we gather around and wassail that tree. We sing to it, make noise to drive away any lurking evil spirits, and give the tree a drink of cider and a piece of bread.
There’s an old tale in Somerset that talks about wassailing the Apple Tree Man and my version goes something like this…
Tale of the Apple Tree Man
In the Middle Ages, there was a farmer who had a nice-sized farm in Somerset, England. He ran it with the help of his two sons. The oldest was a kind and gentle young man, but the younger son was mean, selfish, and jealous of his older brother. When the father died, the youngest son inherited the land, as was the custom in those days.
The younger brother (we’ll call him YB) didn’t like his older brother (OB) and wanted to kick him off the land, but to honor his parent’s wishes, he allowed him to stay in an old cottage on the far side of the property. The old peasant who had lived there had recently passed away and the place was empty and about to fall down.
The old house came with an even older barn. And along with the barn, OB inherited a donkey with a bad leg, and an ox with a broken-down sway back. In addition, there were a few gnarled old apple trees – all that remained of a former orchard. And for this little tumble-down section of the farm, YB demanded a very high rent.
Older Brother Makes the Best of It
But OB loved his father’s land and decided to stay and make the best of things. So he set about making repairs and taking care of his charges. He repaired and cleaned up the house and barn. And he grew vegetables to feed the animals and made herb poultices to treat their wounds. As he cared for them, they began to improve. Around the apple trees, he fertilized the land and pulled the weeds, then he trimmed off the dead branches.
When Christmas time came around and everyone was celebrating for 12 days, the older brother had no one to celebrate with. His younger brother wouldn’t let him go home to be with the family. So he made special meals for his donkey and ox, and each evening, he sat in the barn and talked to them while he drank his cider. On the 12th, and last, night of Christmas (the 5th of January) he fed his animals then went out into the orchard with his mug of cider.
He went to the oldest apple tree, as was the tradition, and he sang a little song and asked the tree to give a good crop of apples in the coming year. Then he poured his mug of cider around the roots of the old tree.
Apple Tree Man Appears
To his great surprise, the old tree trunk began to open up and an old man stepped out of it. OB rubbed his eyes and wondered if he had had a bit too much cider. “Who are you?” he asked.
The old man said, “I’m the Apple Tree Man. I’m the spirit of the orchard and I always inhabit the oldest tree. I wanted to come out tonight and thank you for the drink of cider and tell you that the apple trees are very happy with the way you’ve taken care of them this year, and they’ll do their best to produce apples for you.”
OB smiled. “It’s been a pleasure taking care of the trees” he said. Then his face saddened. “But, unfortunately, this is probably the last year I’ll be able to live here and tend the orchard. My brother demands a very high rent from me, and I don’t have the money. So, it looks like I’ll have to find somewhere else to live.”
Older Brother Finds Gold
Apple Tree Man patted OB on the back. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You won’t have to leave. Just dig down between my roots where you’ve poured the cider and there you’ll find a sack of gold. It’ll be enough to pay your rent for many years to come. But don’t tell anyone about it.”
OB promised and thanked the Apple Tree Man who disappeared back into the tree trunk. OB went back to the barn and got a trowel. He dug very carefully between the roots so he wouldn’t harm the tree, and soon his trowel hit something. He pulled out a sack filled with gold coins. It contained more wealth than he had ever seen. He reached out to a low branch and shook it as if he were shaking hands and thanked the Apple Tree Man who lived inside.
He took the gold back home and hid it under a floorboard. No sooner had he finished than he heard someone coming. It was his younger brother. YB charged in without knocking. He said, “Listen, I’ve heard a rumor that there is gold hidden on this disgusting little farm somewhere. So tonight, at midnight, I am going out to the barn – alone – and see if your animals know where it is. Because, as everyone knows, at midnight on 12th night, all animals have the power of speech.”
So at midnight, YB marched out to the barn and opened the door. Donkey and Ox looked up at him. “Okay, where is it?” YB growled without so much as a how-do-you-do. “I want to know where the gold is buried.”
Animals Can Talk, but They Won’t
The two animals looked at each other, then broke into laughter. Donkey, said, “Hey Ox, this man’s looking for the gold.”
Ox threw his head back and laughed some more. “Well, he’ll never find it because someone else has already taken it.” Then they both laughed again.
YB stomped around the barn and shouted, “Who took the gold, and where can I find them? That was my gold! Tell me who took it!”
But the animals just closed their eyes and didn’t say another word to him. YB stomped out of the barn and back home.
A few days later OB paid his rent, as he did for many years to come. He continued to take care of his little corner of the farm, and it prospered. And you can be sure that every year on 12th night he went out to the orchard and gave a cup of cider to the Apple Tree Man and every year, he had a bumper crop of apples.
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