The Seven Sisters

     Seven  Sisters is one of the names of  Pleiadi   constellation, and the  seven   Dover  chalk  cliffs'   name.  But  it  is   a  London  area  as well.  Speaking  about  the  area, at my arrival to London I got a wrong  information.   A   Briton,  who I worked  with,  told  me the name  came  from  a  landlord  of  the  area,  probably  the  Earl  of Northumbria, the  last  of  the  Great  Saxon  Earls, who had seven daughters. But the name  has  nothing  to  share nether whit   the  constellation  nether  whit  the cliffs. And even less with the unlucky Earl who generated just females.

  Instead it came from, and is used from  the  1732,  a group of seven trees  grew  in  circle on the Page Green  area,  seven  huge  Elms  whit  a Walnut tree planted in the middle of them.

     

     The Elm has an important role in the mythology of the Isles, linked to the Underworld and the Elves. About these trees, which are on the maps from 1600s but probably date back to the Roman Age, grew on a shrine or pagan holy ground, was said that "flourished without growing bigger". This was certainly due to the toxins which the Walnut (Juglans nigra) releases into the ground from its roots. Indeed the Walnut entered in the popular believing as malefic plant, often linked whit the witches or similar beliefs. In South of Italy is believed that sleeping underneath a Walnut during a full moon night bring misfortune and lost of manhood, while Lord Dunsany, writer in London, included a Walnut tree in some of his own horror tails -and big spider-form creatures, as well, which lived inside the hollow of the Walnut-. But you can prove it in your own trying to grow plants of Tomato underneath a Walnut. But don't eat what you'll eventually harvest.

    On the 1876 the Seven Sisters were replanted more to eastwards, still on Page Green, due the savage urban growth which was going to modify drastically the area. Forgiven all that was holy to the ancestors. But it's well-know, in every Pantheon, Mammon is the strongest god.
      The group of trees was replanted again on 1997. This time Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) was used, since it was no possible using Elms (Ulmus) due a disease, the "Dutch Elm Disease". This disease (DED) was first observed in Holland, and is caused by a fungus (Ophiostoma ulmi) which is beetle-dispersed. The Elm bark beetle (Scolytidae multistriatus, S. scolytus and Hylurgopinus rufipes) hollows out their tunnels just beneath the bark, spreading the fungus eating the wood. The fungus, growing among the cells, clogs up the vascular (water conducting) system, resulting in a progressive withering of the crown first, until a quite quick death of the tree.
     The Hornbeam, as well, is a native tree as Elm, grows well in clay soil, is resistant to urban pollution and thrives if planted in cluster.  Even more it constituted the great forest which covered the lands northwards from London. These are the reasons of the swapping to Hornbeam to recreate the new Seven Sisters circle.