The Poisonous History of the European Yew Tree
This video explores the poisonous history of the European yew tree (Taxus baccata), tracing its role in European culture from ancient ritual sites and churchyards to battlefields and royal courts. Drawing on historical records, folklore, and early medical texts, it looks at how this evergreen became a symbol of death and eternity, feared for its deadly toxins yet prized for its wood and its place in sacred landscapes.
We follow the yew through the Middle Ages and early modern period, examining its association with longbows and warfare, its presence in monastic gardens, and its reputation in witchcraft trials and village superstition. Along the way, the documentary reflects on how a single tree species shaped beliefs about poison, power, and the boundary between the living and the dead in European history.