Social Icons

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Herbal Myths and Legends

Since Halloween is tomorrow, The Feisty Organics thought it would be neat to share a few herbal myths and legends. Don't worry these stories won't leave you clinging to your favorite teddy bear at night but, hopefully they will make you appreciate the important part that plants and herbs play in history and  folklore.


Fennel Plant- Greek legends believed that Prometheus hid the heat of the sun in the hollow stems of the fennel to bring it from heaven to our lovely earth. Fennel also was thought to offer protection against witchcraft.

Lavender- According to legend, When Jesus was an infant, Mary laid his clothing upon a bush to dry and the scent got on his clothes. Afterwards, the plant became known as a herb to avert evil. During the time of the black plague , Lavender was worn on the wrist as protection from the bubonic plague.

Dill-In medieval times, dill was used by witches for many of their spells and charms. It also was used as protection from spells, drinking dill water, was a means to remove a spell. Bathing in dill was also considered a way to seduce a love interest. In ancient Roman and Greek cultures, dill was a sign of wealth and power.

Basil- Need protection from a dragon anytime soon? Ancient Romans called basil, "Basiliscus,"after the fiery dragon Basilisk.Legend has it, Basilisk could kill people just by his gaze. It was believed that consuming basil would offer protection from this dragon. Hindus believed basil was their passport to heaven. Building a house on a spot where basil was grown was thought to bring good fortune. However, digging up that basil plant.... I'm sorry , bad luck for you!

Other Herb myths and legends
 There are many more myths and legends related to herbs that could've been addressed here but, we would've ran out of space! However, if you are interested in reading more than a good book to read is " The Meaning of Herbs: Myth, Language and Love," by Ann Fields and Gretchen Scoble.

Tell us..Do you know any good myths or legends?

2 comments:

  1. Well this one is not a legend or anything but Do you know the poem Jack and Jill? It is said that Jack is actually Henry xvi and they are really talking about his beheading and Jill is actually Maria Antoinette .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me heard this from my mama. It be the truth.

      Delete

 
 
Blogger Templates