Rowan

The rowan tree is symbolic of survival. When Trian and Cormac first discover the tree on the island, they recall that it is meant to ward off evil spirits. The tree, therefore, is mythically capable of protecting those around it. Throughout their time on the island, the tree is indeed one of the creatures that outlasts all of the others. When Artt later cuts it down to turn it into a cross, the other men mourn, seeing the tree's death as a sign of their inevitable deaths.

Host

The host is symbolic of communion. The host is literally the bread the men use for the Communion sacrament. However, its increasingly rotten or haphazard state is symbolic of the men's deteriorating communal structure. The mold on the bread is an omen of the men's rotting relationships. The use of the oatcake for the host is symbolic of...