Story: How the Birch Tree Got It's Slashes

This is a resharing of story once shared with me when became "ill tempered" as I was not standing rooted in my truth.



Laura Tasheiko Artist

“Tonight I will tell you why the Birch Tree wears slashes in it’s bark.  The wind outside will help you understand.”  There was a great Northeaster wind that whipped across the forest this eve.  “Of course this all happened during the summertime when the wind was warm.  You know there are great winds that happen during the summertime as well.”

The storyteller went on, “It was a hot day and an old one was trying to sleep, but the heat had made him fall ill tempered.  The old one wandered to the hilltop to find the wind to cool the fever of ill temper but found no relief blowing.  The old one travelled to the forest, but there it was shady but the heat was oppressive.  The travelling had only served to increase the fever of emotion, but the old one would not stay still.

The old one called out to the winds to blow upon the earth.  The skies answered with a soft breeze.  The winds did not wish to blow harder for fear they would anger this old one.  But the old one cried out again.

“Blow harder.  Blow harder than ever before.  Blow to send this heat from the world.  Blow the heat from my body.”

The winds began to blow.  Blow harder than they had ever blown before across the earths.

The old one cried out “bend and break the Fir-Tree”.  The Fir-Tree began to bend and break it did.  The old one cried out “bend and break the Pine-Tree”.  The Pine-Tree began to bend and break it did.  “Bend and break the Spruce-Tree” and the Spruce-Tree did bend and did break.  The old one cried out “bend and break O Birch-Tree!”.  But the Birch-Tree did bend.  The Birch-Tree bent further and further, but would not break.

The old one cried out “Ho!  Birch-Tree hear me, bend and break I call to you.”  The Birch-Tree would bend but would not heed the call to break.  It bent to the ground.  It bent double to please the old one, but it would not break.

The old one cried out, “blow harder, wind.  Blow hard and break the Birch-Tree!  Heed to my cry!”  The wind blew harder, and whipped across the trunk of the Birch-Tree, yet it could not break its will.  The old one became angry and screamed out to the Birch-Tree, “Break!  I command you – break!”

The old Birch-Tree whispered in the wind “I won’t break; I shall never break for any wind.  I will bend, but I shall never, ever break.”

Hearing the whispers in the wind, the old one rushed towards the Birch-Tree with a great knife, “You won’t heed to the winds or to my call,” the old one grabbed the top of the Birch-Tree as it was bent to the ground and began to slash upon it.  Slashing over and over again until the old Birch-Tree was covered with the slashes from the great knife.

“This is for not heeding to my call.  For not heeding the winds.  You are marked as one who will not mind its maker.  All the Birch-Trees in all the world shall have the same marks forever as the rule breaker, the one who stands rooted to the ground in his own truth.”

"'You won't, hey?' cried OLD-man, and he rushed at the Birch-Tree with his hunting knife. He grabbed the top of the Birch because it was touching the ground, and began slashing the bark of the Birch-Tree with the knife. All up and down the trunk of the tree OLD-man slashed, until the Birch was covered with the knife slashes.

Applachian Trail / Maine Wilderness - Cool Roots At Hurd Brook



This golden birch tree near Hurd Brook either been undermined by erosion or perhaps simply had a very strange growth pattern. In any event, the roots have formed a complex set of "legs" that seem about to spirit it away.

This is the story of the slashes behind the Birch-Tree and why it remains as a sacred reminder for both the ill tempered winds and the importance of standing rooted to the ground in your own truth.