Elm Tree

In “The Lady's Maid's Bell”, plants such as “thickets”, “shrubs”, and “woods”1 as well as “in the gardens”2 are mentioned throughout the story; however, when Hartley follows Emma through the snow field and ends up in front of Mr. Ranford's place, Emma stops under an “old elm by the gate”.3 Interestingly enough, in Greek and Celtic mythology, the elm tree has a rather negative connotation in contrast to other plants and trees in Greek and Celtic mythology. In both mythologies, the elm tree is heavily associated with death and the underworld.4 In the Greek mythology, Orpheus, an “ ancient Greek legendary hero endowed with superhuman musical skills”,5 is trying to retrieve his wife, Eurydice, from the underworld after she died from a snake bite. With his overflowing grief over his loss and his musical skills that not only could charm other humans and animals but even inanimate objects, he is able to move Hades, king of the underworld, who then allows him to take Eurydice back to life under one condition: On their way back to the real world, Orpheus is not allowed to look back at his wife once. However, he eventually breaks the promise right before they enter the real word and Eurydice returns to the underworld.67 It is said that the first elm tree appeared at the place she disappeared.8

Just like in Greek mythology, elm trees are connected to the underworld in Celtic mythology. In addition to that, they are also associated with “the otherworld of faerie”.9 It is said that elm trees grow near gateways that lead to either the underworld or the otherworld (ibid.). Besides the connection with the underworld within the Greek and Celtic mythologies, elm trees also have other “deadly” historical associations like in London, for example. Simon Wills writes the following in “A History of Trees”:


'The Elms' in London was a place once synonymous with public execution and originally located outside the city, where elm trees were common and could be used for hangings. Two such places were frequently documented - one in Smithfield and once in Tyburn. One of the earliest references to such an event comes in 1196 when populist leader William FitzOsbert was condemned to death for sedition; a contemporaty account says that he was dragged by the heels 'through the centre of the city to the elms, his flesh was demolished and spread all over the pavement and, fettered with a chain, he was hanged that same day on the elms with his associates and died'.

(Wills, Simon. A History of Trees. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Pen & Sword White Owl, 2018.)


Older elm trees are also known for suddenly dropping their large branches. The reason for it is that elm trees grow branches that the main trunk cannot support anymore the more the tree ages. The main trunk becomes hollow and the side branches too heavy which gives the tree some instability. The boughs of an old elm tree are heavy enough to injure or even kill a living creature who is resting underneath the tree.

Depending on the age and quality of the tree, elm wood was also used for the construction of gates, boat keels, etc., but especially for coffins.10 It is kind of ironic that the elm tree is yet again associated with death.

The fact that Emma is stopping her lead and pausing under the elm makes Hartley realize that they “had reached the end of [their] journey”11 and that it was now her time to take action. It shows the parallels of symbolism of the elm tree and in the story. The old elm represents one point – her ending point, to be precise, because Emma is not able to do more than that for her – that connects the real world with the underworld.


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1 Lewis, R. W. B. The Collected Short Stories of Edith Wharton. (Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1968. 457-474, Print.), 458.

2 Ibid., 462.

3 Ibid., 471.

4 Sherman, Josepha. Storytelling: An Encyclopedia of Mythology and Folklore. (Volumes One - Three. New York: Tayler & Francis, 2015, Print.), 136.

5 Encyclopedia Britannica, “Orpheus”, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Orpheus-Greek-mythology. Accessed January 18, 2020.

6 Ibid.

7 Sherman, Josepha. Storytelling: An Encyclopedia of Mythology and Folklore. (Volumes One - Three. New York: Tayler & Francis, 2015, Print.), 136.

8 Ibid.

9 Ibid.

10 Wills, Simon. A History of Trees. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Pen & Sword White Owl, 2018, Print.

11 Lewis, R. W. B. The Collected Short Stories of Edith Wharton. (Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1968. 457-474, Print.), 471.

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