The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-18
HERBAL LORE.
superstiuons Tnas Attach to Common
Plants.


| WYNN NAe hiu htFbNih-A~s VIM rlNh-
pies. were regarded with awe and reyer-
ence. That single little plant the iuHn-
drake has a wealth of tradition centrin g
round Il such a. Is seldom found In noral
lore Quite an Insignificant little plant.
| with a spindle shaped root often divided
into two OF three forks and rudely resembling
the human form, II l. doubtless from this
latter fact that Il has derived it, name.
Lanshorne In the latter part OF the eigh-
! tenth century tells ms to
/ Marx how the rooted mandrake wears.
His human feet bis human hands.
while II wls Snee believed that a person
pulling ny q mandrake would Instantly
| fall dead. This was said TO DO because the
mandrake had q human heart at it, roof
| and when pulled Il would scream In such
| fearsoms manner a. TO terrify the nearer
to death or else induce madness. shake
speare alludes to this where he says:
And shrieks like msndrakeS torn out of the earth.
That living mOTtsls hearing them run mad
And again in King Henry VII. where sur
folk asked by Queen Margaret whether he
has not spirit 10 curse his enemies. replies:
Would curses XIII as doth the mandrske's grOsn.
would invent - bitter searching terms.
As curst - harsh. - horrible 20 hear.
An old Jewish practice was TO take a dog
/ to the plant. tie his tail TO H. then run a
considerable distance. having nrst stopped
ones ears with war. and call the dog. who
would strain and pull and then fall dead
hearing the human wells In Custom and
! Myth Mr. Andrew Lang relates Of this
plant The root IL now taken mp. washed
| with wine. wrapped In silk. bathed every
Friday and clothed In a little new white
smock every new moon. when the man
drake acts n thus cons ideratelv treated as a
kind OF familiar spirit
From time immemoriaI the mandrake
/
and has ever been believed o bs one OF the
most powerful charms Of witches Mr.
CONWAY in a paper on Mystic Trees and
Flowers states that -bv popular super
stitions In some places II 10 said to b" per-
petually watched over bv Satan. and II n
be pulled up a. certain holy times and with
certain InvocatIons rho Evil Spirit will ap-
pear TO do the bidding Of the prac'itioneT.
Many superstitions are connected with
the herb parsley. probably through an an
cient Greek practice. the Rraves OF the dead
being strewn With u and the plant thereby
gaining a sinister signihcSnce. In Hamp-
shire u IL considered very unliCky To give
q root OF this herb away. since they zsv that
II this he done IN luck will fall upon them
In Devon-hire to transplant parsley IL
likewise to commit q serious offence against
the guardian genius who pre,ides over the
plants. In suffolk II - said that II parsley
lie sown on Good Friday " viii grow well
and flourish. but u N he sDwn on any other
dav ~ will not come double In Shropshire
they have a saving that where parsley grows
IN the garden til missis IL master In
hn. kin I nan i,', pal s.e Issa.usi as
dener once assured me on hearing me la
nien, ,.At w. -'''u hs 20 %, ~ nha DO, .o,ne
nine times before one could get any 10 grow
Th- SAYING ! have heard later in shrop,
sh.e; SheI. WI 'u 70, uT ~ : s ssns- ~
~, ,s 81, ~ ,s.n.,,to", W. nuI
"rInS sJN : es s,nnn.,d.,.d vary r,oL, o.
h.rs %on.,. i..E. Sr"S on 49,. bouss- ,hio
being supposed Ia insure all those IA the
house from di-eass or disaster.
The herb pirnpernel l. supposed nv the
people Of Oxfordshire 10 keep away witches
and TO PteNen, thelr arts from harming any
H,,, p,nDc,,,, I h,y, the. rorna
:.9s SRST lS !.' n. is ord .p.s . The.
When He shed nls blood uPSo ne iLse.
and tot shall bless me
Ana al that are With me. Amen.
Tba h,oou, and the thorn ar. bowa,.,
,sSS', pshiSh ~. ir.h cs,i ~. ,s a. me
horse Other plants beloved of Ht,che.
saw the peasant. are ~ Iohn : Wort. hen,-
Of Wight the ISLANDERS have a saving that
.u1s..t n fsiTv Lors. viii ri-e from the esr,h
, YOU In the morning wherever YOU NAV
.hsh'- 70 De 80, ~ W..
the iDeVII's Men and " omen the Greater
.titchv orr IL kpOwn a. the DevIl's I've. and
the broad leayed Esrhc TIE Devil Posy
lreioh plants are provetbialy lucky,
but q clover Isnt WIN Only Two leanet~ upon
" - considered ia The MIdlands 70 he sign
OF good luck 70 whoever hnd> " here -
a saving that II this leaf be put IN the right
sho" the hrst one net after thl- - done III
=. The future partner for life In Cam
I bTldEeshire the rhyme runs
4 cIoy.r clover Of two put IL in your rish, .ho.
Ana Inc ars, that yon meet In n~ld Iane OF street
Iou'I have him OF one Of bis name
,.t,,-,-., a., -. -S.,,,.. a.-,..,. ..,.,
Nhlsiord W. hls NatuIe SesIets relates
thA' treiol plants iorsteh, rough weather.
va, caves s,st,hs wv - u siIAM ,.,
w sonr puA.eln Ine i s kioNs ~ IckAIueu
"a wing nat The Witches usa the brlis on ths
blossoms a. thimbie- In most parts, how.
ever me We sma Ioik thht bone no W
are the BEING, mat hNee,ly nestle IN the
~ ~ s,i.t ar ~ i,y -, wv ''""'
Tb. .uio, bs,h rs aid he G.rard 10
stop bleeding. while for healing wounds,
driving Awav snakes. Gnats and fie- II had
no peer, and club moss was considered In
former days o rure remedy for all diseases
of the eyes This had To be- gathered on