Hawthorn,
Crataegus oxyacantha, is a small tree of the
rose family, and is also known as whitethorn. In
southern Europe, hawthorn was used as a symbol of hope and as a
charm against
witchcraft and
sorcery. As protection against witchcraft, people would place it in cradles of
infants, build a barrier of hawthorn around their house, or place pieces of hawthorn in the
foundations of houses to prevent the entrance of witches. Hawthorn was known not to fully stop
supernatural forces, but it was believed that it could slow down these forces, allowing time for other action to be taken.
In
Bosnia, hawthorn was used as protection from vampires-- when someone died, the visiting women would place hawthorn behind their
headcloth, and would throw the
twig away when they exited the house. According to legend, if the
recently deceased was a vampire, it would be attracted to the hawthorn, and would therefore be unable to follow the women home.