# Apple Tree Man

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{{Short description|Spirit in English folklore}}
In [English folklore](/source/English_folklore), the '''Apple Tree Man''' is the name given to the spirit of the oldest [apple](/source/apple) tree in an orchard,<ref name=Bane>Bane, Theresa (2013). ''Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology''. McFarland & Co. p. 33. {{ISBN|0786471115}}.</ref> and in whom the fertility of the orchard is thought to reside.<ref name=Briggs>[Briggs, Katharine](/source/Katharine_Mary_Briggs) (1976). ''An Encyclopedia of Fairies''. Pantheon Books. pp. 9–10. {{ISBN|0394409183}}.</ref> Tales about the Apple Tree Man were collected by the [folklorist](/source/folklorist) [Ruth Tongue](/source/Ruth_Tongue) in the [cider](/source/cider)-producing county of [Somerset](/source/Somerset).<ref name=Tongue/> In one story a man offers his last mug of [mulled cider](/source/mulled_cider) to the trees in his orchard on [Christmas Eve](/source/Christmas_Eve) (a reflection of the custom and ritual of [apple wassailing](/source/apple_wassailing)). He is rewarded by the Apple Tree Man who reveals to him the location of buried gold, more than enough to pay his rent.<ref name=Tongue/><ref name=Taffy>[Thomas, Taffy](/source/Taffy_Thomas) (2014). ''Midwinter Folk Tales''. The History Press. pp. 114–116. {{ISBN|9780750955881}}.</ref>

In another tale a [farm cat](/source/farm_cat) was curious to explore some fields that people avoided working because they were haunted by [ghost](/source/ghost)s and [witches](/source/witches). She set out one day and got as far as the orchard when the Apple Tree Man cautioned her to go back home, because folks were coming to pour cider for his roots and shoot guns to drive away the witches. He persuaded her not to go wandering around at night until [St. Tibb's Eve](/source/Tibb's_Eve), and she never did because she did not know when St. Tibb's Eve was, nor did anyone else.<ref name=Tongue>Briggs, Katharine and Tongue, Ruth (1965). ''Folktales of England''. University of Chicago Press. pp. 44–47. {{ISBN|0226074943}}.</ref><ref name=Taffy/>

==See also==
*[Apple (symbolism)](/source/Apple_(symbolism))
*[Green Man](/source/Green_Man)
*[Vegetation deity](/source/Vegetation_deity)
*[Wish tree](/source/Wish_tree)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Christmas}}

Category:English folklore
Category:Trees in mythology
Category:Apples
Category:Christmas characters

{{Lit-char-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Apple Tree Man](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Tree_Man) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Tree_Man?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.