The Witches'Tree

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

Today we took a field trip downtown to visit another great Louisville legend- The Witches' Tree.

According to local lore the once beautiful tree was the meeting place and center hub for the witch community in the late 19th century- that is until city officials decided to chop it down before the big May Day celebrations even though the witches never really bothered anyone!

This displeased the witches greatly. So much so, they cast a curse. And exactly 11 months to the day after the tree was cut down, the city suffered a storm so severe that it was generally assumed that the witches had made good on their curse and summoned a storm demon. During the storm, lightning struck the stump of the old witches tree and a new tree began growing there. Not a healthy, happy tree, but rather the otherworldly thing that stands there now.

The storm brought crazy weather, we're talking high winds, tornadoes, torrential rains and lightning- and it virtually destroyed a good chunk of the city!  Word to the wise: Don't piss off the witches!

Today the gnarled old girl stands guard over a quiet, shady neighborhood. The people we encountered were friendly and though I doubt any witches put a curse on us we left an offering just to be on the safe side!

Link with short recap of story with better pics than I took!

My pics for your viewing pleasure:












Our next field trip will require some research. It is a supposed hidden, haunted cave in E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park that was featured on an episode of "These Woods Are Haunted". Hopefully we can narrow down the location and find this hidden local treasure of weirdness!

Until next time Rogues!

[gordi]

Wow!
That's a gnarly old girl there - as burly as a burly thing (Burr?).

I'd bet the wood from those burrs would be amazing for carving or turning, there's usually amazing graining inside burr-wood. I think it's usually caused by a growth (almost like a tumor) which forms around imperfections caused by damage, fungus etc?

[Ninurta]

I used to carve dipper-cups for drinking out of oak burls. Yes there is amazing grain to be discovered in them, and yes, it's a grade a bitch to work around that grain while whittling them out!

One was shaped like a human breast, which the oak burl itself suggested when the grain at what became the nipple area refused to be whittled down without destroying the cup. Sometimes, a carving insists on it's own form, and there ain't nothing you can do about it but follow it's suggestion.

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[VioletDove]

I love that tree! I think it is beautiful with it’s gnarls and burls. I’ll bet it has a lot of stories to tell if a person knew how to listen.

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

I love that tree! I think it is beautiful with it’s gnarls and burls. I’ll bet it has a lot of stories to tell if a person knew how to listen.

It is definitely beautiful! Also it is surprisingly peaceful in that area regardless of being just a few blocks away from the busiest part of downtown- with a huge festival going on to boot. It was so shady and quiet there, almost like we weren't even in the same city anymore. 

I felt bad that I had been living here for over 8 years and had never been to visit her. I will definitely visit her again before we move from this place.

[Brotherman]

If I were to be stumbling through Louisville, I would probably pee on it if my doggie doggie did it first.

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

If I were to be stumbling through Louisville, I would probably pee on it if my doggie doggie did it first.

If you've ever been to Louisville you would have to know there's not a tree in this place some poor drunk hasn't pissed on, that one included! lol! 

[Brotherman]

If I were to be stumbling through Louisville, I would probably pee on it if my doggie doggie did it first.

If you've ever been to Louisville you would have to know there's not a tree in this place some poor drunk hasn't pissed on, that one included! lol! 

One of mt good friends his name is Micheal Sims was born and raised in Louisville Kentucky, he was a United States Marine and he lost his life during our campaign in Ramadi Iraq with 3rd battalion 8th Marines in 2006. Any time i am in any of my brothers land i make it a point ti drink one for all of us. It is my way of subdued anger, respect, and remembrance. And then sometimes piss happens.