A plant from the nightshade family (like potatoes and tomatoes), with numerous varieties, grows in the Mediterranean region, the Himalayas, and Turkmenistan. Deadly nightshade (belladonna) grows in northern and eastern Europe, belonging to the same family and with similar properties, hence the beliefs associated with them show remarkable similarity. This, in turn, allows them to be used as substitutes in many magical practices. The meanings attributed to them are based on two characteristics that seem to have no close connection: atropine, an alkaloid present in the leaves and root, which is sometimes used for medicinal purposes (including as a pain reliever), and the peculiar shape of the root, reminiscent of a human figure. The root of the plant depicted in many engravings was shaped like a small human, whose hair formed the abundant foliage.
Pain relief Due to the presence of atropine or other alkaloids, mandrake was used in ancient times to relieve pain and induce sleep.
The Roman historian Pliny described how patients undergoing various painful surgeries would chew a piece of mandrake root to ease the pain. This method was still recommended by old Polish herbalists: mandrake root wine was supposedly effective. Modern folk medicine also knows this use of mandrake and nightshade. They were given to chew "if someone were to be cut (by a barber) or burned with a hot iron (a medicinal remedy) to prevent pain" [BiU, 482]. It was also administered for convulsions, rheumatic ailments, toothaches, and as a remedy for melancholy. In larger doses, it was said to induce delirium and even drive one to madness; the 16th-century English herbalist, W. Turner, claimed that anyone who smelled a "mandrake apple" (in reality, these are berries) would quickly fall asleep. If you smell it for too long, according to Turner, you can even become speechless. Josephus, a Jewish chronicler (1st century AD), maintained that mandrake was originally used to exorcise demons from sick people who, during possession, were unable to detect its scent. Mandrake (or nightshade), henbane, and nightshade, as one 16th-century English physician determined, were ingredients of a "witchcraft ointment" that witches rubbed themselves with before setting out on the Sabbath. Modern research has shown that the atropine contained in mandrake, among other things, easily penetrates the skin and has a hallucinogenic effect. Native Americans exploited these properties in their rituals. The effects of using such an ointment include dreams and visions of wild rides, wild dances, and the like [Ha, 209].
Aphrodisiac The ancients considered the fragrant mandrake berries to be an effective means of stimulating potency and ensuring fertility [BiU, 481].
The Old Testament tells how Leah used mandrake to persuade Jacob to sleep with her, and subsequently conceived Issachar. This is linked to its aphrodisiac properties. According to beliefs (e.g., Arabic ones), mandrake is said to aid in female infertility. In England, the orange mandrake fruit was called the "love apple," but this term later transferred to the tomato. The hallucinations caused by its consumption likely contributed to heightened erotic sensations, although its toxic properties, potentially leading to fatal poisoning, should also be considered. To this day, the belief persists that simply carrying a piece of mandrake root ensures fertility and prevents impotence (War, 78). In the folk version, dressed in a Christianized costume, a similar idea appears: if you touch the naked body of a young man with a root resembling Christ's hand, he will certainly remain faithful for life [BiU, 231].
Brak komentarzy:
Prześlij komentarz