Pollard Willow (Botlófűz), the Emblematic Trees of Csallóköz

In the vernacular the willow was called the magic tree, witch tree, tree of death, though they could have just as well been called tree of life, as their bark was used for healing and their branches provided firewood. Fűzfabotolás, or pollarding, a way of getting firewood, was an age-old trade in Kukkónia.

Firebote or wood cutting in the forests was generally carried out in winter, it was a man’s job. Men went to the forest in small groups, armed with axes or saws, to gather the family’s firewood. This was no different on this cool morning. János Csicsai and his family drove the tractor instead of the wagon out to the forest belt on the Bős border. They also packed a chainsaw, in addition to the axe to facilitate the work. There was something inside his pocket: a license to prune and pollard trees. After all, he could not do what was forbidden, not even for our sakes.

As we reach the site we stop at a splendid example of a luxuriant Salix alba or white willow.  The people of Csallóköz call these white willows botlófűz or pollard willows with their bare branches on this barren region. They got their name from the fact that they tolerate the pruning of their branches from time to time.  Indeed, this tree, which is partial to humid regions, is improved by this human intervention. The branches that make up the crown of the tree can grow too thick with time and the trunks can no longer bear the enormous weight, so they simply split. The water that flows into the hollow rots the tree from the inside and ultimately condemns it to a slow death.

The formerly plentiful white willow on the floodplains of Csallóköz was the tree of the poor, as it grew quickly, and could be pollarded or pruned every two years. The denuded tree grew in strength, and its roots pumped the nutrients to grow the new crown. In the spring following the pruning, the tree could send forth new branches as long as four metres. The old folks loved it, but not only because of this. Its bark was used in folk medicine for lowering fever and easing pain. Much later medical science found the reason for this effect, salicylic acid was first derived from the bark of the white willow. In addition to being a preservative element used in canning and potting, it is very similar to synthetically produced acetylsalicylic acid that is the active agent in aspirin. The switches made from these willows were used to weave baskets and to make all kinds of useful things. In several places they made whips for the Easter sprinkling*. The best time for collecting the bark of the white willow is the time of the February snows and early spring. Animals too love the young bark on the thinner branches and switches, deer strip them in winter. Old trees provide refuge for many other species, wild ducks, wild geese, hoopoes, tits nest in them and numerous species of insects feel at home inside them. This tree is a treasure not only for humans but for the animal world too. It is a shame that this emblematic tree of Csallóköz is losing ground on the island.

All right, but let’s get back to our original goal, the pruning of the willows. János begins to work from the ground up, he cuts down the lower branches, then climbs up the tree. Pruning the willows is work for one person, as even one person has difficulty finding room among the thick branches. The thinnest branches have to be cut with an axe, so as to prevent them from putting out his eyes. Then the real work can begin. In the modern age he uses an electric tool. János is a clever worker, he cuts the branches so as to use them as steps to climb higher. When he has cleared enough room high up with his hard work, another hardy worker, who is a skilled member of the family, joins in. You cannot rush this. You must pay attention to every step, every movement. The tree is tall and the perpetual Csallóköz wind blows harder the higher you are. The others have work to do at the base of the tree. They pull the pruned branches to a safe distance, then they cut them with an axe, that is, they cut off the thinner branches. The bare trunks are cut into pieces a metre long and piled up. 

This is no ordinary work. Even in modern times, it takes several hours, imagine how long it took in the age of axes. Not even a day’s intense work would have achieved such a result. But the work is worth it, generations can keep warm by the fire crackling musically in the kitchen stove. A carefully pruned white willow could provide a family with firewood for up to 100-150 years.

 

húsvéti locsolkodás custom in which young men sprinkle the girls with water or cologne and hit them with switches on Easter Monday.

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