Herb Folklore

Basil

In India basil was thought to be a sacred herb. They believed that if a leaf of basil was buried with them, the basil leaf would be their passport to heaven.

In ancient Rome, the name for Basil was Basilescus. This name was in reference to Basilisk, the fire breathing dragon. They thought that ingesting basil would protect them against Basilisk.

In Romania if a young lady offers a young man a sprig of basil, and he accepts, they are officially engaged.

Some people believe if you put some basil in your wallet, you will attract money, success and prosperity - this does not seem to work very well!!!!

Chives

The gypsies of ancient times used chives in fortune telling.

It was believed that you should hang bunches of dried chives around your house to ward off disease.

Dill

The modern word dill from the Norse word "dilla" which means "to lull" or "soothe."

The ancient Greeks thought of dill as a sign of wealth.

Hippocrates wrote of a recipe for cleaning the mouth in which you rinsed with dill seed which had been boiled in white wine.

During the Middle Ages, dill was thought to have magical properties and was used against witchcraft. If someone thought a witch had cast a spell on them, they would make a special drink which contained dill leaves to protect themselves from the spell or wear a charm made from dill leaves.

They also burned dill leaves to clear thunderstorms.

Charlemagne had vials of dill tea available at dinners to stop the hiccups of guests.

Fennel

In ancient Greece, the word for fennel was marathon. This name is based on the Greek victory over the Persians in 470 B.C. at Marathon which was fought on a field planted with fennel.

In Greek mythology, knowledge came to man as a gift from the gods in the form of a fiery coal held in a fennel stalk.

The ancient Romans chewed fennel stalks in the belief that it would control obesity.

In Medieval times, fennel was hung from the rafters to bring good luck, and put in keyholes to keep out ghosts and evil spirits.

In American history, the Puritans thought of fennel as a "meeting seed." Meeting seeds were seeds of various herbs which parishioners chewed during church meetings to stay awake.

Sprigs of fennel were believed to keep flies away when tucked into a horse's harness.

Marjoram

In Ancient Greece, it was believed that if you anointed yourself with marjoram, you would have dreams of a future spouse. They also believed that planting it on a grave would comfort the dead and ensure eternal peace and happiness.

During ancient times, wreaths of marjoram crowned the heads of bridal couples to symbolize love, honour and happiness.

Mint

Many of the herbs had Greek myths surrounding them, and mint is no exception. According to the legend, Minthe, a nymph, was Hades' lover. Persephone, Hades' wife, found out about Minthe, and turned her into a low lying plant to be trod upon. Hades could not undo Persephone's spell, and whenever anyone stepped upon Minthe, the air would fill with a sweet perfume.

Rosemary

Rosemary is considered to be the herb of fidelity. If you sprinkle some around the house it is said to bring good luck and protection.

Students in ancient Greece wore garlands of rosemary around their necks, or braided rosemary into their hair to improve their memory during exams.

Rosemary has been used at weddings, funerals, and even to ward off the plague.

In Hamlet, Ophelia said, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance."

Sage

Sage was a sacred ceremonial herb of the Romans and was associated with immortality.

It was believed to increase mental acuity.

Sage was used in the Middle Ages as a healing herb to treat fevers and epilepsy, memory loss, eye problems, infection, and intestinal problems.

Charlemagne had it grown in his royal gardens.

Thyme

The earliest recorded use of thyme was 3000 BC in Sumeria. The Sumerians used it as an antiseptic.

The early Egyptians also used thyme in mummification.

Thyme was a very popular herb during the days of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Greeks used it for massage and in bath oils, as incense, and for medicinal purposes. The Greeks often used the phrase "To smell of Thyme" as praise. Thyme was also considered the source of the best honey in ancient Athens.

The ancient Romans would bathe in water scented with thyme before going into battle