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rom Aristotle, the bible or Dioscorides, to Gerard and Culpepper and even to modern books, medicinal and culinary uses of herbs have been documented throughout time.  Even playwrights like Shakespeare  have extolled their virtue.  And let us not forget Ellis Peter’s character Brother Cadfael.  Magical uses for herbs have been handed down from one generation to the next through stories and lore. And that is the focus of this article—herb lore and more importantly—what could go wrong. 

rosemaryRosemary is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 6 ft tall over time. Its uses are numerous. The leaves can be used to flavor meat and stuffing. An infusion of the leaves in a tea is said to relieve nervous headaches and colds. It makes a hair rinse for dark hair and a muslin bag full of rosemary dropped in water provides an invigorating bath. 

Most people know that rosemary is for remembrance. Greeks and Romans would twine it in their hair to quicken their mind and improve memory. The herb can also be used to ward off evil spirits and bad dreams if used correctly. But who’s to say what could happen if used incorrectly?  Could a sprig cause a person to forget the giver? Lose their memory? Could it call forth evil spirits or nightmares?

yarrowYarrow, with its feather-like leaves and flat topped flowers could be found in any 12th century soldier’s pouch. The leaves were used to heal wounds and staunch the flow of blood. It can add a sharp “bite” to salads or cream cheese. The flowers make a good lotion for cleansing the skin, or a face pack for oily skin.

More importantly, for this article, a yarrow sachet placed beneath one’s pillow, while reciting the poem below,  will enable them to dream of their true love.

 

Thou pretty herb of Venus’ tree,

They true name is Yarrow:

Now who my bosom friend must be,

Pray tell thou me tomorrow.

Since looking for the things that could go wrong is much more fun, what if you flubbed the words of charm and instead of seeing your true love or bosom friend in a dream, you saw your enemy—someone attacking your home?  

 

 

lemon_balmLemon Balm was used as a strewing herb because of its fragrant, mint-leaf shaped leaves. It was also claimed to be good for insect bites and fevers. Infused in water with honey or sugar, it makes a mild tea useful for longevity.  It is still an ingredient in liqueurs like Benedictine.

When steeped in wine, lemon balm will draw love your way—when presented to the right person of course! But, again, what if the goblet somehow ended up in the hands, or in this case mouth, of the wrong person? Would you be stuck with a lover you didn’t want? Or, would you accidently find true love?

borageBorage can be used to decorate wine cups, chopped into salads or egg dishes and eaten with cucumbers. Infused with water it’s used as a diuretic, fever reducer or a laxative. The fresh leaves make a face pack for dry skin.

The Celtic term for borage was barrach—a man of courage. While Dioscorides claimed that borage brought about absolute forgetfulness, Pliny said that it makes a man merry and joyful. So, naturally, I’m forced to wonder what happens with a courageous warrior who cheerfully can’t remember a thing…

Herblore can be found in almost any herbal reference book. Applying a good dose of Murphy’s Law will go a long way with figuring out what could go wrong.

 

Check out these books to learn more...

The Rodale Herb Book—How to Use, Grow and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants , Edited by William H. Hylton,  copyright 1974 by Rodale Press. 

The Herb Book by Arabella Boxer and Philippa Back, 

copyright 1980 Reed Consumer Books 

The Modern Herbal (Vol I) and The Modern Herbal (Vol II) by Mrs. M. Grieve, copyright 1982 Dover Publication, Inc. 

(These are two of TMC's favorite!)

 

 

Denise Lynn’s latest medieval release Pregnant by the Warrior (A case of yarrow inspired dreams going really wrong…) is a January 2010 release from Harlequin Historical.  Visit Denise at Denise-Lynn.blogspot.com

 

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