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By Billy Singleton | Contributing Writer

One of the great joys of leaving the interstate and taking the road less traveled is the opportunity to experience the world apart from the billboards and traffic of our most heavily utilized transportation system. Driving along old state highways and county roads that once served as the main arteries of commerce and transportation affords the inquisitive traveler the rare opportunity to experience sights that have been lost along the interstate highway — where the scenery often varies only in the signage that beckons motorists to a particular brand of gas, food or overnight accommodations.

Recently, while on a leisurely drive along one of the many backroads of Alabama, I happened upon a sight that brought back memories of the tales passed along to me by my grandmother many years ago. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, I passed a weathered, wood-frame house with a front yard that was devoid of a single blade of grass and appeared to have been swept recently. Prominently situated in the center of the front yard was a small tree adorned with blue bottles.

Struggling to recall the tales of my grandmother after the passage of more than five decades, I began to recall the legend of the Bottle Tree. The typical Bottle Tree consists of cobalt blue bottles placed on the ends of the limbs of a tree, preferably a Crepe Myrtle.  It was believed that the bottles had the power to protect the home and its occupants by attracting and capturing evil spirits during the dark of night. The vivid colors and reflections would mesmerize and entice evil spirits to enter the bottle. Once inside, the evil spirit would be unable to find its way out. Tradition held that the sound created as the wind blew across the neck of the bottle was the howling and moaning of the spirit trapped inside. With the arrival of dawn, the spirit would be destroyed by the reflection of the rays of the morning sun.

Homes were not the only areas protected from evil spirits by the placement of bottle trees. Bottles often adorned trees near important locations such as meeting places or crossroads to capture evil spirits that might be traveling from place to place.

The Crepe Myrtle tree was an important consideration in protecting against evil spirits. Although the Crepe Myrtle is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, verses refer to the Myrtle tree as a symbol of God’s blessing upon his people. Spiritually, the blossom of the Myrtle tree symbolizes love, rebirth and purification.

The color blue held particular significance in Southern culture and bottle tree tradition as many believed it possessed mystical qualities, deterring evil spirits more effectively. Mistaking the blue bottles for water, spirits were compelled to enter and would become trapped inside where they could do no harm.

Keeping the yard around the home free of grass was another prudent measure of an earlier time.  Because snakes typically avoid areas of exposure, a dirt yard helped discourage these reptiles from getting too close to the house. During winter, the lack of dead grass helped prevent the house from being destroyed by fire should an errant ember escape from the fireplace through the chimney. The yard was swept to maintain a neat appearance. Typically, brooms for sweeping the yard consisted of a bundle of small twigs while sagebrush was the broom of choice for indoor cleaning. Sweeping the house and yard were chores typically accomplished on Saturday in preparation for the day of worship and rest on Sunday.

The significance of the Bottle Tree and the practice of yard sweeping have faded with the passing of generations. The superstitions and tales of our ancestors have been replaced by the mind-numbing onslaught of superstitions and tales of social media influencers. Once upon a time, stories handed down through generations, silly as they may seem today, provided a connection with our ancestors. As these tales are lost to the passage of time, the sole remaining option to connect with those who preceded us is often only available through an ancestry website. However, sitting on my back porch listening to the sound of the breeze blowing through my new bottle tree does provide a sense of comfort and security while allowing me to feel just a little closer to those who came before me.