Fig- Ficus carica -The fig was dedicated to Bacchus and was the main diet of the early Greeks and Romans. All parts of this herb are poisonous, but the root is most often used. It was possibly first cultivated in India, where it has been considered a sacred herb associated with love and faithfulness. I would never claim to be a gardener but over the years, ideas for garden design have come easily. Herbs in Mythology. Take it out of the ground on a Monday (the day of the moon), a little time after the vernal equinox. Homer was a poet around 900 B.C. Hawthorn has many colloquial names such as the May, May thorn, and thorn apple, and it typically produces its white flowers around May 1st. 1.HAWTHORN. I count myself lucky to have a superhero, who has transformed my … Walnut- Juglans nigea - In the Golden Age" when men lived on acorns the gods lived on walnuts thus the name Jovis glans or Jupiter’s nuts. He also tried to stop the bleeding wound in his heel, but alas, he died from his wound. Venus is often depicted with a quince in her right hand. The inhabitants of Cyrene crowned themselves with fig wreaths when sacrificing to Saturn holding him to be the discoverer of the fruit. Featured . That being said, here are 5 magical herbs in Slavic mythology which serve us to this day. When Thisbe returned and found her love dead she took up his sword and killed herself. [citation needed], CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, "Herbs: A -Z List: (...The Medicinal, Spiritual and Magical Uses of...)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sacred_herb&oldid=980286863, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 25 September 2020, at 17:11. Som… Uploaded By: Sally Pointer DOWNLOAD The Mythology of Herbs PDF Online . She had a large arm full of these flowers when Paris stole her from her husband Menelaus that started the Trojan War that lasted ten years. Ceres, the goddess of corn, wore a crown of grain interwoven with poppies. Myrtle– Myrtus communis – The emblem of fertility and purity and therefore used in wedding bouquests. Fennel- Foeniculum vulgare - This herb was held in reverance by early man because Prometheus brought fire to man in the hollow stem. The mingled blood from both traveled up the tree and the berries which had been white, were turned deep red as they have remained to this day. Both savorys can be used in meat and bean dishes. Apollo saw her and fell madly in love and thought he must have her for his own, she became frightened and started to run from him. Legend has it that he was shown mistletoe by a serpent in a tomb. It angered Minerva and she changed her into a spider to weave through eternity. She planted the herb in her garden on Mt. Some of their children were: Apollo, god of the sun, music and medicine; his twin Diana, goddess of the hunt; Hercules, man of strength; Neptune or Poseidon, god of the ocean; and Minerva goddess of crafting and wisdom (she and the Three Graces wove all the clothes and sails for the gods). Rose- Rosaceae - The word rose comes from the Greek word rodon (red) and the rose of the Ancients was a deep crimson and supposedly sprung from the blood of Adonis. In Hinduism a form of basil called tulsi is worshipped as a goddess for its medicinal value since the Vedic times. It was called "tears of Isis" in ancient Egypt, and later on "Juno's tears". There were many lesser gods, nymphs, satyrs, muses, furies, fates, and sirens that did the bidding of the gods. Opthomologists use Atropine to dilate the eyes, and it is used as an antispasmodic.Bittersweet is also a nightshade. Herbal Myths, Lore, And Legends: Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) Commonly considered a woman’s herb, the dew of this plant has fascinated various cultures through the ages. Verbena or Vervain has long been associated with divine and other supernatural forces. Eventually, it also became associated with the fidelity of lovers, and was presented to wedding guests as a gift. The Muses were the nine daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne(Memory). Some believed the dew of lady’s mantle would change into diamonds. It is used as a stimulant, diuretic, expectorant and is used in healing ointments. The genealogy of the mythical characters is interesting, but we will only touch on a few to get us started. Basil is used mainly as a culinary herb. Bay is used in all meat dishes and soups. We offer an ever growing number of relaxing, stimulating and psychoactive herbs from all over the world that can be ingested in a … Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome, Remus died and Romulus collected all the thieves and outlaws to populate his city. Atlas was happy to oblige and soon arrived with the apples, but refused to take the world back on his shoulders. She was grief stricken and as he lay dying she said "My Adonis, my grief shall endure, but your blood shall be changed into a beautiful flower." These are only a few of the herbs pertaining to mythology, please add to this list with your own research of this delightful study. When Paris was killed Helen returned to Menelaus and through difficulty they returned to Sparta where they lived happily ever after. Although associated with healing, like his twin sister Artemis, he could also inflict disease and plague. Medea another sorceress and wife of … Herbs under the dominion of Venus include ale hoof, amaranthus, anemone, annual rocket cress, apple tree, arrach, barberry, birch tree, blight, bramble or blackberry, bugle, burdock, carnation, catmint, cherry tree, coltsfoot, common alder tree, common tansy, columbines, cornel tree, cowslips, crabs claws, crane's bill, cudweed, currants (red, white, black), daisy, elder, figwort, … The generic name is the ancient Roman term for sacrificial herbs considered very powerful. To the primitive mind, deaths opposite are sex and fertility and mistletoe stood for this also. by Elizabeth Renter Posted on November 25, 2014. The folklore behind the cutting of hawthorn is quite interesting. They were told to explain dreams or reasoning for certain happenings or to understand their gods. This herb was dedicated to Persephone, goddess of the underworld, and was used in funeral rites. He was too fast and started to capture her, she cried to her father the river god Peneus to please save her from Apollo, so her father, who loved her very much turned her into a Laurus nobilis tree. It is said that it is an invention of Hecate, goddess of sorcery and witchcraft. The golden apples were regarded as a symbol of love and happiness. Poppy- Papaver somniferum - Opium poppy - Somnus, god of sleep was always crowned with poppies or lying surrounded with them. Herbal remedies are enjoying an immense upsurge in popularity. Greek mythology says that Daphne, a nymph who rejected the love of Apollo*, was turned into a laurel tree. Her father was the sun god Helios and her mother was, depending on the source, either a naiad or the goddess of magic Hecate.. She is rarely described as a goddess though. When Rhea delivered Zeus she hid him in a cave and gave Cronus stones to devour in lieu of the infant Zeus. and was the main recorder of most myths, although there were poets who sang hymns and told stories of the mythological characters some 2,000 years before Homer. All rights reserved. So curious, she opened the box and released all the ills of the world, leaving only hope at the bottom of the box, which she kept. One day they were all playing quoits and a stray quoit of Zephrus killed Hyacinthus. Hazlitt's Faiths and Folklore (1905) quotes Aubrey's Miscellanies (1721), to wit: "Vervain and Dill / Hinder witches from their will. Cereal is named in honor of Ceres. I'm looking for herbs in my acreage and this will help me tremendously. Mistletoe- Loranthacea – It was considered the "Golden Bough" which opened the world of the dead to Aneas. It is deadly poison, but is a valuable medicine. Herbs are used in many religions – such as in Christianity (myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), ague root (Aletris farinosa) and frankincense (Boswellia spp)) and in the partially Christianized Anglo-Saxon pagan Nine Herbs Charm. Ceres was so distraught over the loss of her daughter that she let the crops die and Pluto then made a bargain with her to release Persephone for half the year during the growing season. THE MEANING OF HERBS will make a nice party favor, thank-you gift, or a small present for a friend. Basil Native varieties of basil are found throughout Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. Herbs were also considered sacred in European pagan beliefs. Narcissus- Amaryllidaceae - A beautiful youth named Narcissus saw his image in a pool of water and fell in love with it. Venus also hid behind a myrtle when the satyrs were chasing her, Myrtle and roses were dedicated to Venus. He took Rhea for his wife and they had many children that Cronus devoured because it had been prophesied one would overthrow him. Herbs are used in many religions – such as in Christianity (myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), ague root (Aletris farinosa) and frankincense (Boswellia spp)) and in the partially Christianized Anglo-Saxon pagan Nine Herbs Charm. Minerva, the goddess of knowledge is also associated with this herb. Interestingly enough, Maypoles were said to be made from hawthorn trees (Masé, 2013) which are very fitting as those beautiful flowers pop just in time for May Day and Beltane celebrations. Artemisia- Artemisia absinthium- Named after Artemis or Diana, goddess of the hunt. Yarrow was called the military herb by the Ancients. [6], Other examples of sacred herbs include valerian, yarrow, hemp, and mugwort. There are at least 52 herbs that are influenced by the gods and goddesses of mythology. Apollo was teasing Cupid about his tiny arrows, and Cupid shot one of love into his heart. It was used at both weddings and funerals as it is today. He represents not only the intoxicating power of wine but its social and beneficent influences also, so that he is viewed as the promoter of civilization and a lawgiver and lover of peace. At Herbs of the Gods we've been collecting herbs since 1999, which has led to an unmatched high quality selection. Eyebright- Euphrasia officinalis - Euphrasia is of Greek origin meaning gladness. The seeds can be used in cakes. A leaf in your cornmeal or flour will keep the weevils away. Minerva had a favorite virgin, Myrsine, and Minerva saved her by turning her into a myrtle bush. Quince- Cydonia vulgaris - This fruit has been eaten throughout history. The juice removed from the head is used medicinally for pain. Bay Laurel- Laurus nobilis - One of the favorite myths pertaining to herbs. The word, narcissism, meaning to love oneself comes from this myth. Gerard said "It takes away the infirmities of the heart and taketh away sorrowfulness." Yarrow was called the military herb by the Ancients. Asclepus, the son of Apollo learned the art of healing and was considered the father of medicine. Elecampane is used medicinally and the roots can be candied and eaten as a sweet. Apollo was the son of Zeus (named Jupiter by the Romans) and the Titan Leto, born on the sacred, alluring island of Delos, now site of monumental antiquities from the Classical an… , simple and to flavor sweets and vegetables gardener but over the years, ideas for garden have! Were spread on the floors at great celebrations and were scattered at the feet of,... To have the scent of aphrodite on it dishes and soups honor to poets and conquers rose and myrtle centaury. Great celebrations and were scattered at the crossroads as a crown to remember you. and wife …... 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