It was said, among other things, that it was produced from the semen of a hanged man, so it was sought especially near the gallows. According to Slavic beliefs, dwarf demons were said to have originated from its roots.
European traditions have preserved many detailed instructions on how to obtain this magical plant. A widespread belief was that anyone who unearthed a mandrake root without proper precautions would soon die. The root was said to scream and moan when pulled from the ground, and anyone who heard these voices from the inhuman underworld would either die or go mad.
Anyone who looks at a mandrake risks soon going blind. An herbalist who wants to obtain a mandrake should, at midnight or during the full moon, stand with their back to the wind, draw three concentric circles around the plant, pour wine over it, and then, turning westward, dig it up with a knife. Breaking the instructions can have tragic consequences, including death. To avoid the dangers posed by the mandrake's cry, the herbalist, after raking the earth around it, should tie the plant with a string, the other end tied to a dog, then plug the ears and order the animal to pull out the mandrake. It was believed that the animal would be doomed to die [War, 78]. It was also said that an herbalist should avoid a headwind: otherwise, they might hear the mandrake's cry rising from the earth, and then suffer the same fate as the animal. Another tradition holds that if someone fails to follow the instructions exactly, they might go blind or go mad if struck by lightning. Armenians used a kid or a rooster to pluck the deadly plant, so as to turn the "anger" of the injured plant onto the victims [Mo2, 337]. The choice of animals is certainly not accidental - all of them are attributed with demonic meanings and connections to the dark afterlife.
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