What I learned about Elderberries today

When I look out my bedroom window, I see this bush in the woods nearby. Found out this is Elderberries. So, in my haste of reading about elderberries, I found this in Wikipedia about the folklore. My hubbie was going to cut it down today.

The Elder Tree was supposed to ward off evil influence and give protection from witches, a popular belief held in some cultures. If an elder tree was cut down, a spirit known as the Elder Mother would be released and take her revenge. The tree could only safely be cut while chanting a rhyme to the Elder Mother....... from Wikipedia

So, this is warding off bad spirits! LOL

But, on the medicinal side here~~~~~

In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study, Elderberry was shown to be effective for treating Influenza B. People using the Elderberry extract recovered much faster than those only on a placebo. This is partially due to the fact that Elderberry inhibits neuraminidase, the enzyme used by the virus to spread infection to host cells.....from Wikipedia

So, we may have a little chanting while we cut this down today.....or on the other hand, keep it around to make wine for the antiinflammatory effects and flu treatment this Winter.