It were in this ‘ow't’ rocker comed off t'cradle, and he hadn’t no more gumption than to mak’ a new ‘un out on illerwood (elder wood) without axing the Old Lady’s leave, and in course she didn’t like that, and she came and pinched the wean that outrageous he were a’most black in t’ face; but I bashed un off, and putten an eshen on, and the wean is gallus as owt agin.
Another tale not only has the elder-tree witch (sometimes later claimed to be various famous characters such as Mother Shipton) as the somewhat dubious heroine, but also with saving England from being conquered by a king and his knights (sometimes said to be Danes).
"However, on the King's seventh stride a hill rose up before Long Compton making him unable to see the town.
In Denmark, the Hyldemoer (“Elder-mother”) or Hyldequinde (“Elder-woman”) is a spirit like a wood-nymph or dryad that lives in the elder tree.
[2][3][4] In Denmark, an elder twig put in the mouth was traditionally thought to drive out evil spirits and thus could cure toothache.
Farmers used to protect their animals from evil by placing a cross made from elder on their cow-sheds and barns.