Hence, just as some plants would in process of time acquire a sacred character, others would do the reverse.

Amongst the legendary stories and folktales of most countries we find frequent allusion to the devil as an active agent in utilising various flowers for his mischievous pursuits; and on the Continent we are told of a certain evil spirit named Kleure who transforms himself into a tree to escape notice, a superstition which under a variety of forms still lingers here and there.[2] It would seem, too, that in some of our old legends and superstitions the terms Puck and Devil are synonymous, a circumstance which explains the meaning, otherwise unintelligible, of many items of plant-lore in our own and other countries.

Thus the word "Puck" has been identified with _Pogge_--toad, under which form the devil was supposed to be personified; and hence probably originated such expressions as toadstools, paddock-stools, &c.

The thorns of the eglantine are said to point downwards, because when the devil was excluded from heaven he tried to regain his lost position by means of a ladder composed of its thorns.

But when the eglantine was only allowed to grow as a bush, out of spite he placed its thorns in their present eccentric position.