Yew & Backbone
Eihwaz is the yew, the evergreen world tree that joins beginning and end. It stands for steadfastness, transformation and the deep backbone that carries you even through dark places. Rooted and yet changeable – so today you may trust your path, even when it leads through shadow.
‘Eihwaz’ is the yew – a tree that grows ancient, stays evergreen, and whose wood is at once poisonous and tough. The best bows were made from yew wood.
The Old English poem describes the yew as a tree rough on the outside, firmly rooted in the ground, keeper of fire, a joy on the homestead.
The yew was regarded as a tree between life and death – evergreen and yet poisonous. Some see in it an emblem of Yggdrasil itself. Eihwaz stands for backbone, endurance and the connection of above and below.
Yew bows were Europe’s high-performance weapon for over a thousand years – the material behind this rune decided battles.