For the ancient Greeks the tree of witchcraft and death, for the Celts the tree of immortality and transcendence of time, for Nordic people the world tree Yggdrasil: - immense, evergreen, connecting their 9 worlds of existence. God Odin hung himself from a Yew tree for 9 nights in search of wisdom. During this time he traveled through the 9 worlds to learn the secrets of life and death... Interestingly, the Yew emits a vapour which can potentially cause hallucinations if inhaled for a long time.
Needles, seeds, bark and wood are highly poisonous, the red flesh of its fruits is the only non-toxic part of the tree, it is edible, nutritious and sweet.