THE PALM SUNDAY CONNECTION

A more certain - and less war-like - use of the tree was on Palm Sunday. This is the day when Christians remember the time when Jesus entered Jerusalem. He was welcomed by people as someone who would deliver (save) them from oppression. They came out into the street as he rode by , cheering and waving palm branches as a sign of welcome (John 12:13).

During the Middle Ages there were elaborate church services to celebrate this event. In many churches the priest blessed flowers and yew branches (to represent the palms waved when Jesus entered Jerusalem). These were then carried out of the church in a procession. The priest carried bread from Holy Communion to represent Jesus Christ. Everyone followed the priest around the church until he reached the west door. Here he hammered on the door with a large wooden cross and the doors were opened - this symbolized both the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and looked forward to him bursting the gates of death at the resurrection. By doing this all the people were drawn into Jesus' experiences.

YEW LEGENDS

There is one yew tree which is said to have a direct connection with the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the churchyard of Fortingall in Perthshire there are the remnants of a gigantic, ancient yew. Guesses about its age range from 2,000 to 9,000 years. Local people say that Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor who tried Jesus, played under its branches when he was a child - his father was said to be a Roman legionary stationed in Scotland. This rather dark local myth is a reminder that Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem was soon followed by his arrest and trial.

Some people think that yew trees are older than the churches they were planted beside - in other words, the tree came first. They think churches were built near yew trees because they were in some way holy, perhaps a remnant of an ancient pre-Christian belief. Who knows! Unfortunately it is very difficult to date yew trees. It is thought they can live for thousands of years, but as they grow old their heart wood dies and this makes it impossible to be certain of their age.