Untitled

Also known as: Inifri Duir, Bodachan na Croibhe Moire.
The Oak-men are very protective of their host tree and, though they far prefer to live in the most ancient and imposing Oaks, they will begrudgingly settle in pollards and coppices should their mature tree be lopped or chopped. However should this occur the Oak-men would sometimes seek revenge, not necessarily upon the ‘guilty’ lumberjack or tree-surgeon but upon any passing human. A typical means of vengeance was to assume the form of bucolic human traders and, in apparently generous spirit, offer appetising looking cakes to hungry and weary passers-by. However these succulent treats would actually be poisonous fungi glamorised to look good and wholesome. Though their opinion and treatment of humankind is generally low, the Oak-men are reputedly very protective and nurturing towards the various other natural creatures that share their woodland habitat.

image & text © Andy Paciorek : http://www.batcow.co.uk/strangelands/

Adapted from the book

'Strange Lands: A Field Guide to the Celtic Otherworld'

 which contains many many more images and information and is available now from - 

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1957828

The preview below shows a limited selection of pages from the book

<div style="text-align:left; width:450px"><div style="display:block;">Strange Lands by Andrew L. Paciorek  : foreword by Dr. Karl Shuker | Make Your Own Book</div></div>