Part I: Medicinal and Magical Herbs of Medieval Europe
The Herb List
Key:
P used for a deadly plant. Used as a painkiller
mp used for mild poison M used for a magical plant
W used for a herb that was used as a remedy for wounds
F used for a herb that was used as a remedy for fractures
B used for a herb that was used as a remedy for burns
A used for a herb that was an "all-heal"
ALDER / (leppa) -B
Medicinal use: burns (bark)
ANGELICA / (Angelica Archangelica) - M
Medicinal use: plague, respiratory diseases
Magic & beliefs: It was believed that plant would protect a person who carried it from witchcraft
Historical notes: According to legend, Archangel Gabriel revealed the powers of this Nordic plant to the Benedictine monks hence its Latin name Angelica Archangelica. Angelica was the only medicinal plant that was brought from Scandinavia to Central and Southern Europe. During the Middle Ages it was commonly cultivated in monasteries. No. 1 herb for women, PMS, expectorant, antispasmodic.
ANISE / (anis) - A
Medicinal use: all-heal. (e.g. all poisonous bites and stings) Anise, a licorice scented ferny annual. The seeds were used to treat gas and to induce sweating, as well as in sweets and candies.
APOTHECARY’S ROSE: (Rosa gallica var. officinalis) –
This lovely rose grows on a shrubby plant that can spread via suckers if grown on own root but was often used in medieval gardens both for medicinal and religious purposes. The rose plant grows 2-5’ and is disease and pest resistant with 4” fragrant flowers. Apothecary’s rose will tolerate poor soil and part shade making it an excellent choice for less-than-ideal conditions in zones 3-10. See this blog with an authentic rose recipe from the medieval era.
APPLE TREES
Medicinal use: eye diseases, fever, gout, heart diseases, stomach troubles
Historical notes: a related species, quince, was very common in medieval monasteries.
ARNICA - W
Medicinal use: bruises, wounds (crushed root & flowers )
BARLEY / (ohra) - B
Medicinal use: burnt barley seeds and eggs were recommended as a remedy for burns. The bag of hot seeds was used used externally to kill pain.
BASIL / (basilika) - M
Medicinal use: scorpion bites, stomach troubles. It was also used to drive away flies.
Magic & beliefs: Aphrodisiac. In addition, it was believed that basil bred scorpions. According to one recipe " three crushed leaves are put under a clay pot. After a few days a tiny scorpion will be born ". With the help of basil one could also summon scorpions. Pliny claimed that a handful of basil pounded with 10 sea crabs would do the trick.
BLESSED THISTLE / (Gnicus Benedictus) - - mp
Medicinal use: Together with butterbur, the plant was considered to be the most effective remedy for plague.
Historical notes: As the Latin name hints, this thorny bush was very common in medieval monasteries.
BUCKBEAN
Medicinal use: appetite and digestive problems, intestinal worms
Historical notes: Buckbean was among the most important medicinal plants of Medieval Europe.
BURNET SAXIFRAGE
Medicinal use: Chewing the root of this plant was believed to keep off plague. It was also used as a remedy for cough and sore throat.
BUTTERBUR - W
Medicinal use: This huge plant was perhaps the most important medicine against plague. Therefore it is no wonder that it was commonly cultivated in the monastic gardens.
CABBAGE
Medicinal use: diarrhoea, eye diseases, kidney problems, stomach ailments
Magic & beliefs: It was claimed that cabbage would prevent drunkenness and hangover
CAPER / (kapris)
Medicinal use: parasites, paralysis
CARAWAY / (kumina) - M
Medicinal use: scorpion stings, snake bites, fever, respiratory diseases, digestive problems, stomach troubles
Magic & beliefs : Caraway was an important ingredient in love potions. It also offered protection from the evil eye. In addition, it prevented mischievous spirits and thieves from entering the house.
CENTAURY - W
Medicinal use: wounds, sprains
Misc. history: very common herb in medieval monasteries
CHAMOMILE
Medicinal use: fatigue, fever, snake bites. Women used it to ease the pains of labour . a short, creeping fringy annual with daisylike flowers. Used in handwashing waters and for headaches. Lawns and garden seats were planted with chamomile, for it 'smells the sweeter for being trodden on'. Chamomile: Abrasions, carminative, anti-ulcer, anti-arthritis, anti-acne, respiratory.
CHERRY TREE
Medicinal use: cough, eye diseases, fever, stomach problems
CHERVIL
Medicinal use: burns, bad dreams, stomach ailments
CHICKWEED
Medicinal use: skin diseases
CHICORY - M
Magic & beliefs: according to Pliny "those who have anointed themselves with the juice of chicory, mixed with oil, become more popular and obtain their requests more easily."
CHIVES
Medicinal use: cough, respiratory diseases
CLOVES - M
Medicinal use: plague
Magic & beliefs: aphrodisiac Cloves, the fruits of a tropical tree. Used in cooking and as an antiseptic and painkiller.
COLTSFOOT - W
Medicinal use: Inhaling the smoke of the burning leaves was believed to be an effective remedy for cough and other respiratory diseases. It was also used to cure wounds.
COMMON COMFREY - B, F, W
Medicinal use: burns, fractures, wounds, pain killer
Historical notes: Arabs introduced this plant to crusaders, who brought it to Europe. It was a fairly important herb in Medieval Europe.
COMMON RUE - A, W, M
Medicinal use: all-heal
Magic & beliefs: Rather powerful plant. For example, Pliny tells us that person who carries it is never bitten by venomous creatures. His argumentation was based on "fact" that "weasels, when about to fight with serpents, eat rue." Thanks to this story and the awful smell of the plant, it was believed to be an antidote against all kinds of poisons. In addition to this, Ibn Botlan reminds us that rue "will turn off the light of Venus". It was also thought to have a power to repel evil spirits. And finally it protected people from plague and other deadly epidemics.
Historical notes: Charlemagne mentioned it and it was quite common in the monasteries (e.g. at Saint Gallen in the 10th century)
CORIANDER - M
Medicinal use: cramps, paralysation, sleeplessness, cough, plague, worms
Magic & beliefs: Coriander was believed to improve memory. In addition it was claimed that coriander would cure libidinous patients. Oddly enough, some scholars tell us that it also increased potency. Deter fever.
COWBANE - P , M
Medicinal use: Cowbane is a very poisonous plant and internal use will quite often lead to a painful death. The symptoms are cramps, hallucinations and eventually paralysis of the respiratory organs. Despite the dangers, this herb was used as a pain killer and also as a remedy for epilepsy and cramps.
Magic & beliefs: Among the most important plants of medieval witchcraft
Historical notes: Because of its believed ability to check sexual desire the plant was commonly cultivated in the monastic gardens
COWSLIP
Medicinal use: paralysation, strokes
Magic & beliefs: important magical plant
CRESS
Medicinal use: Remedy for cough, eye diseases, parasites, respiratory diseases, restlessness, scorpion stings
Magic & beliefs: According to Pliny, the smoke of burning cress keeps away serpents
CUCUMBER
Medicinal use: Remedy for fever, infections.
CUMIM
the seed of an annual plant. Used in cooking and to treat gas.
CYPRESS/ - (cypressi) - W
Medicinal use: Remedy for the poison of spiders, scorpion stings, snake bites, wounds,
DAFTODI / (narcissus) - mp, B, W
Medicinal use: crushed root was used externally to heal burns, sprains and wounds
DEADLY NIGHTSHADE, BELLADONNA (belladonna) - P, M
Medicinal use : pain killer, nervousness
Magic & beliefs : Deadly nightshade, devil's herb, enchanter's nightshade. All these names reflect the bad reputation that this plant has had for centuries. Just for example, an unknown Greek scholar tells us that even a small amount of this notorious plant can cause madness. Another reveals that one dose will cause hallucinations, two downright insanity and three an instant death. So, it is no wonder that such a deadly and hallucinogenic herb was - together with henbane, cowbane, mandrake and monkshood - among the most important plants of Medieval witchcraft. Assassins, though, preferred other herbs because the symptoms of the belladonna poisoning were pretty commonly known.
Historical notes In Italy, women used to wash their eyes with a diluted juice of deadly nightshade in order to enhance their beauty (this treatment enlarged the pupils). Hence it's other name, belladonna.
DILL
Medicinal use: eye diseases, stomach ailments
Magic & beliefs: Dill protected people from witchcraft. In addition, if one placed the seeds of the plant in one's shoe before entering the court room, one would win
the case. Dill (Anethum graveolens) – A widely used and attractive herb plant, dill is also an excellent choice for cut flowers or cottage gardens. Dill plants are beautiful with large clusters of yellow flowers that attract a variety of beneficial insects, and fine cut foliage that blends nicely with other plants. Dill is an annual herb that will self-sow readily in the garden but should be kept away from fennel to avoid cross-pollination.
DRAGOON - M
Medicinal use: snakebites
Magic & beliefs: a twig protected the person who carried it from dragons and prevented snakebites
ELECAMPANE - M
Medicinal use: infections, cough, eye diseases, heart diseases, respiratory diseases, worms
Magic & beliefs: According to Pliny, elecampane protects a person from bites of poisonous creatures.
ELM - W
Medicinal use: wounds
FENNEL - M
Medicinal use: For more than 15 hundred years fennel was thought to be the most effective remedy for eye diseases. Perhaps this was based on Pliny's story about snakes, that eat fennel seeds in order to restore their vision. In addition to eye diseases it was also used to cure fever, insanity and stomach ailments.
Magic & beliefs: it was thought that fennel hung over door prevented witches from entering the house. Fennel: Carminative, lactagogue, mild menstrual stimulant, treat diarrhea, cramps.
FEVERFEW - To treat migraine headaches (prophylactic), treat arthritis, psoriasis.
FIG - W, B
Medicinal use: wounds, burns, sprains
FLAX - Flax: the plants of flax make linen, and the seeds cooked in water made a laxative and invalid's porridge;a flax seed, placed in the eye, helped remove foreign bodies because of the mucilage it exudes.
FOX'S CLOTE - W
Medicinal use: skin diseases, wounds, infections
Historical notes: A very important herb during Middle Ages and therefore commonly cultivated in the gardens of the monasteries.
FOXGLOVE - t
Medicinal use: From the 11th to 18th century foxglove was mainly used to cure dropsy. Overdoses were often lethal.
GARLIC - A, M
Medicinal use: all-heal
Magic & beliefs: Garlic protected people from various kinds of evil forces. (e.g. plague, witchcraft, vampires, scorpions and snakes). Like many other magical plant it was also an aphrodisiac (if taken with coriander and neat wine). It was also believed to increase courage.
GENTIAN - W
Medicinal use: poisons, wounds
GINGER - M
Medicinal use: flu, poisons, stomach ailments
Magic & beliefs: It was claimed that ginger prevented people from getting older. It also offered protection from plague and was an ingredient in love potions. Ginger, an Indian root plant. Used in food, including gingerbread, cakes, meats and sidedishes. Its warmth was used medicinally to treat stomach problems, and as a remedy for the plague.
GRAPES
Medicinal use: stomach ailments
GREAT MULLEIN - W
Medicinal use: respiratory diseases, wounds, pain killer
Historical notes: Women also used great mullein to dye their hair yellow.
GREATER PLANTAIN - W
Medicinal use: wounds
GROUND IVY - W
Medicinal use: Ground ivy was an extremely important remedy for wounds. It was also used to cure respiratory diseases.
HAZEL NUT
Medicinal use: cough, fatigue, infections
HEMLOCK - P, M
Medicinal use: pain killer
Magic & beliefs: A deadly plant, but the symptoms of poisoning are less painful than if cowbane is used. Common ingredient in the potions of the witches and assassins.
HENBANE - P, M
Medicinal use: pain killer, anaesthetic. For example it was commonly used in amputations and other surgical operations.
Magic & beliefs: Henbane's hallucinogenic and deadly properties have been known for hundreds of years. E.g. It is believed that Delphi's oracle, Pythia, received her visions by inhaling the smoke of the burning seeds of henbane. The plant was also very popular among the assassins and witches of Medieval Europe. The latter used it in ointments that they used to rub into their skins. Scholars believe that these ointments caused hallucinations, such as the sensation of flying.
Historical notes: Surgeons of the School of Salerno (900-) used the plant as a pain killer. Henbane juice was also used as an arrow poison.
HERB PARIS - M
Magic & beliefs: yet another popular plant of Medieval witchcraft.
HOLLYHOCK:Immunity, fevers, dysentery, diarrhea, laxative, sore throats.
HOPS
Medicinal use: mildly narcotic, enhances appetite
Historical notes: It was believed that hops checked sexual desire. Therefore it was commonly cultivated in the monasteries. (e.g. Saint Gallen in the 8th century)
HOREHOUND
Medicinal use: cough, snake bites, stomach ailments. Pliny also tells us that it is the most effective antidote against poisons. Horehound, a wooly short periennal. Horehound cough syrups and drinks were prescribed for chesty and head-colds and coughs.
HORSERADISH - M
Medicinal use: cough, dropsy, fever, gout, parasites, respiratory diseases, stomach ailments,
Magic & beliefs: Hildegard of Bingen tells us that if one has a piece of horseradish in one's purse during the New Year's Eve, one shall not run out of money during the next year.
HOUSELEEK - M
Magic & beliefs: It was believed that houseleek protects houses from storms and lightning. It also prevented evil spirits from entering the house.
Historical notes: Charlemagne ordered that peasants should grow houseleek on the roofs of their cottages.
HYSSOP - W
Medicinal use: cough, infections, parasites, respiratory diseases, snake bites, wounds
IVY - B
Medicinal use: infections, burns
IRIS - F