Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-11-01
WORSHIP OF PLANTS.


,ry,vai, Of the Practice sun Lingering
On In the Oid World.
rha nlant worship which holds go
monument place in the history OF tho
.,,.,,ni,ive races OF mankind would APP
near to have sprung from perception
~ the beauty and utility of trees. Sur
viv,ls OF this still linger on In many
narts of Europe. The peasants In
nohemia will sally forth into their
,nrdens before sunrise on GOOD FRIDAY.
and falling upon their knees before
roe will exclaim: IL pray. y green
,ree that God may make thee good
At NIGHT time they will run to and fro
about their gardens crying; bud y
trees bud, or will fog you" In our
own country the Devonshire farmers
and their men will to this day go out
into their orchards after supper on the
,vening of Twelfth Day. carrying with
Them a large milk pail OF cider, with
roasted apples pressed into IL. All
,resent hold in their hands an earthen-
ware cup filed with liquor. and taking
up their suaHu peHo"'H ' -Ff
trees which have borne the most fruit.
address them in these words:
Health to thee, good apple tree,
We'll to bear pocket fulls, hat fu'ls.
Peck fulls, bushel bag fulls
simultaneously dashing the contents
of their cups over the trees. In most
countries certain plants are to be found
associated with witches and their craft.
Shakespeare causes one OF his witches
| IN DISCOURSE OF root OF ''hemlock
diced + the dark" likewise also OF
"slips of yew silver'd in the moons
eclipse" Vervain was in olden times
known as 1.-The enchanter's plant" rue,
again, was regarded as an antidote
AGAINST their spells and Vaccinations.
Their partially for certain trees is
we'll known. Accord ng to Grimm.
the trysting-place of the Neapoitan
witches was walnut tree near
Benevento In walnut and ell
der trees they are also said
to be in the habit of lurking at night
fall. Witches. too had their favorite
lowers Among these the foxglove
was known as the witches bells;''
the harebell as the witches thin.
bles." Tradition asserted that on
moonlight nights they might be seen
living through the air. mounted on the
stems of the ragwort, reeds or bull
PUSHES Throughout Germany it is be-
| ~, thrnt1. rh III "a
midnight skies on hay. Many plants
were pressed into the service OF
charms and spells for the detection Of
witches and evil spirits when wander
ing about on their nefarious errands,
particularly the st. Johns wort, still
largely worn by the Germany peas
antry as kind of amulet on st. Johns
Eve. 1t was an old belief that al
baptized persons whose eyes had beer
stepped in the green juice OF the inner
bark of the elder tree would be en-
abled to detect witches any where
The same property, according to Ger
man folklore, is possessed by the wilG
; radish, ivy and saxifrage on Wal
; purgis Night. Among other plant
which have had the reputation o
averting the crafts and subtleties O
withcraft, the juniper, holly. mistle
toe little pimpernel, herb paris, cycla
men. angelica. herb betony, rowal
tree, bracken and twigs of the ash ma,
oe mentioned. In the Rhine distric
the water lily is regarded as antago
nistic to sorcery. Lavender is be
|ieved in Tuscany to possess the powe
. of averting the evil eye. DIV
branches are said to keep the witche
y from the cottage doors in the rural dis
tricts of Italy. and the Russian peas
. antry will lay aspen upon the grave c
witch to prevent her spirit fror
:. walking abroad or exercising any ev
= influence over her neighbors. Gentle
u mans Magazine.