With the threat of climate change, we tend to view nature on a wide scale and overlook wildlife on our doorstep. In Edinburgh, bright coloured Gorse dominates landmarks like Arthurs Seat and becomes part of the city’s landscape. But the plant isn't confined to Scotland, you can find it plant across the world.
My project is titled "Ruisg Conasg" which is Scottish Gaelic for Gorse.
More info: abiaverycom.wordpress.com
Ruisg Conasg is the Scottish Gaelic for Gorse and means prickly. Gorse’s vibrant yellow flowers are aligned with the Celtic god of light, Lugh, and the spring equinox. The scent and taste of the blossoms mildly resemble almond and coconut.
For centuries, Gorse held considerable cultural and economic importance. Often called Whin or Furze, the plant's high oil content made it the perfect fuel. There are reports of Gorse being used as one of the sacred woods burned in the Beltane fires in Celtic tradition.
Various recordings like the one in ‘Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx’ describe burning Gorse to cleanse the land from witches and faeries. “Fire, however, appears to have been the chief agency relied on to clear away the witches and other malignant beings; and I have heard of this use of fire having been carried so far that a practice was sometimes observed—as, for example, in Lezayre—of burning gorse, however little, in the hedge of each field on a farm in order to drive away the witches and secure luck.”
The work has been presented in two Edinburgh exhibitions.
