herbs-msg - 2/13/08
Herbs used in period and how they were used. Modern sources.
NOTE: See also the files: spices-msg, herbs-cooking-msg, p-herbals-msg, herb-uses-msg, Herbs-Sm-Grdn-art, seeds-msg, lavender-msg, herb-mixes-msg, Basic-Herbs-art.
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NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
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Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: evans at lvipl.csc.ti.com ("Eleanor J. Evans at 462-5330")
Date: 11 Dec 89 18:13:27 GMT
Organization: Society for Creative Anachronism
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Pennyroyal is an effective flea repellent - I assume it would work on
ticks and mites, as well.
Eleanor MacNaughton
evans at lvipl.ti.com
From: EPSTEIN%KSUVM.BITNET at MITVMA.MIT.EDU (Emily Epstein)
Date: 10 Aug 90 21:38:00 GMT
Organization: Society for Creative Anachronism
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
I checked a few references to reply to Owain of Shrewsbury's query of August
4:
>Is the herb Lemonbalm period? I wish to use some instead of mint in
>sekanjabin just to see what it tastes like. While I KNOW the use of it in
>sekanjabin isn't period (most likely) I simply want to try it for personal
>use. I've got access to lemonbalm (sp?) as it's growing in my backyard. Is it
>originally European or is it strictly a north american herb.
Milord, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is indeed of old-world origin, being
a Mediterranean native. It was grown by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and
was well known in south central Europe throughout period, under the names
Melisophyllon (Greek) or Apiastrum (Latin).
I have read (I forget where) that it was brought to Britain by the Romans, but
_Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World_ (Dover, 1972, p.359-60) says it
didn't arrive in England until 1573, which seems awfully late. According to
Malcolm Stuart (_Encyclopedia of Herbs & Herbalism_, Crescent, 1987, p. 222)
it was used exclusively as a bee plant until the 15th century, when it was
used by the Arabs to treat depression, ans as a tonic. Carol Ann Rinzler (_The
Complete Book of Herbs, Spices & Condiments_, Facts on File, 1990, p.23-24)
places its medicinal and culinary use as early as 1000. Oh well, pick your
expert and take your chances. :-)
I hope you find the above useful. Yours sounds like a worthy experiment, and
I'd be interested to hear the results. Frankly, the omnipresent tea and
lemonade at feast get tiresome. In Calontir of late, ginger water, orange
water and sekanjubin (sp?) have been served with some success, but I'm
always looking for new alternatives.
Yours in service,
<=========>
Alix Mont de fer |=======|
(Emily Epstein) |* * * *|
Shire of Spinning Winds =====/
(Manhattan, KS) /
|||
epstein at ksuvm.ksu.edu |
|||
/___
From: billmc at microsoft.UUCP (Bill MCJOHN)
Date: 21 Feb 91 17:43:00 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
CANNING at intellicorp.COM (Janet Canning) writes:
> It is spring and I would like to start a garden project. I am lookin into
> a Medieval/Renaissance herbal garden and I'm blocked by mundane problems.
>
> 2-mundane book titles that specialize in Medieval/Ren gardens, history etc.
You may wish to consult _Plants from the Past_, by David Stuart and
James Sutherland (Penguin Books, 1987). The authors are interested
in restoring and recreating gardens from various periods. The book
includes a short chapter describing the principle characteristics
of gardens of various times, following the changing fashions from
the late middle ages through the nineteenth century. The bulk of
the book is discussion of various genera (arranged alphabetically)
and their history in garden use. It is principally aimed at the
English flower garden, but herbs and continental references show up,
too.
The authors also give a list of primary sources (e.g. John Gerard's
_Herball_ of 1597) and refer to these sources frequently in the
main text. Finally, there is a short list of Further Reading.
All in all, this is a charming and informative book.
Another approach would be to simply read period writings (especially
recipes) looking for references to common plants. I doubt that the
species forms of our common herbs (thymus vulgaris, salvia officinalis,
rosmarinus officinalis, lavandula angustifolia, nepeta cataria, the
various alliums) have changed much since the middle ages. Herbs
simply haven't been subjected to the same intense breeding as flowers.
Roses, on the other hand...
I would certainly be interested in the results of your search.
Good luck!
Bill McJohn
billmc at microsoft
From: jane at STRATUS.SWDC.STRATUS.COM (Jane Beckman)
Date: 1 Nov 91 23:42:01 GMT
Gillyflower is also called "clove gillyflower." Generally, it's Dianthus
caryophyllus---clove carnation. For flavoring purposes, it's generally a
strongly spicy carnation. In common vernacular, it can also refer to the
sweet-scented stock.
Turnsole or giresole is the "pot marigold," the calendula. "Marigold
observes the sun/More than my subjects me have done." --Shakespeare
The petals are used for flavoring. And very tasty with meat, I might add.
-Jilara of Carrowlea [jane at swdc.stratus.com]
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: hwt at bcarh11a.bnr.ca (Henry Troup)
Subject: Rhubarb
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Ottawa, Canada
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1993 20:01:07 GMT
odlin at reed.edu (Iain Odlin) writes:
|> PS: Was rhubarb eaten in period (was it *known* in period)? It's another
|> one of those fun plants that has poisonous leaves.
Only as a laxative, in my reading. It's in most of the herbals.
Rhubarb needs *lots* of sugar for most people's taste. Sugar was very
expensive.
--
Henry Troup - H.Troup at BNR.CA (Canada) - BNR owns but does not share my opinions
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: ritchiek at sage.cc.purdue.edu (unknown)
Subject: Re: Rhubarb
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1993 14:32:32 GMT
From what I found when documenting my rhubarb wine. rhubarb
was used mainly as a medicinal herb in period and was not eaten as we
do now in pies, crisps and jellies until the early nineteenth century.
Alcoholic beverages using rhubarb as a flavoring or as the vegetable of
fermentation were known in period. See Gerard's herbal.
-Isabeau Pferdebandiger, Barony of Rivenstar, Middle
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: ritchiek at sage.cc.purdue.edu (unknown)
Subject: Re: Rhubarb's taste
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1993 14:40:01 GMT
In period Rhubarb was not eaten as it is now it was considered
a medicinal herb. People often thought the whole plant was poisonous because
the leaves are. and some persons prone to gout cannot eat the stalk either
because of the high oxalic acid content. Rhubarb did not come into real use
until the late eighteenth, early nineteenth century. Prior to that it was
used as a flavoring in alcoholic beverages, and medicinally as a laxative
and purifier.
-Isabeau Pferdebandiger, Barony of Rivenstar, Middle
From: JLC at vax2.utulsa.EDU (JENNIFER CARLSON)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Kibbutzing (was Skirrets)
Date: 24 Nov 1993 11:28:59 -0500
Actually, salsify is both an Old World and New World plant. _Tragopogon
porrifolius_, also called 'goat's beard', is indigenous to continental Europe
and the British isles. 'Meadow salsify', _Tragopogon pratensis_ is the North
American version.
Yours in service,
Dunstana Talana the Violet
Northkeep, Ansteorra
Jennifer Carlson
Tulsa, Oklahoma
JLC at vax2.utulsa.edu
From: jab2 at stl.stc.co.uk (Jennifer Ann Bray)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period brewing and herbs...
Date: 25 Nov 93 13:14:42
Organization: STC Technology Ltd., London Road, Harlow, UK.
Alecost was used for brewing, I've got some growing in my back garden,
but sadly I haven't any recipes. So if anyone knows what part it did
play let me know. I suspect it was used like hops are now.
The fruit of the service tree was used to make beer in england, and
pubs serving ale made from service fruit were called chequer pubs
because of the trees chequered bark. You can still find old pubs
called chequers which probably started out serving ale from the
service tree.
I have no idea if it had any medicinal properties, but I would
guess its an old beverage because service trees won't seed in our
currently cold climate, so the custom might date to when the country
was warmer a millenium ago? Nowadays the tree will grow from seed in
France but is infertile here where, though it can extend by suckers
from the root system.
When the queen got into the supers of my beehives she layed brood all
over the honey and the result was a bitter tasting honey. In medieval
beekeeping where the queen was not restricted in her movements about
the colony honey flavoured with bitter brood food would be common. We
used the honey to brew a spicy metheglin and it tasted quite good,
perhaps some of the metheglin recipes which use herbs or spices in
mead were a result of brewers making best use of their worst honey?
I suppose spices were quite expensive whereas herbs could be home
grown, so disguising a bad taste might be a more likely use for herbs
than spices?
Jennifer
Vanaheim vikings
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: marian at world.std.com (marian walke)
Subject: Re: Pre-1600 flower dishes - sources for flowers
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 1994 12:41:57 GMT
Have you tried your local health food/organic food stores?
Some of them sell dried flower parts (rose petals, rose hips, elder
flowers, dried violets, etc) for making herbal teas. Also available in
bulk from herb companies that do mail order - Frontier, Penn Herb, etc.
While rather expensive (compared with roadside gathering the stuff), you
have a good chance the items were meant for human consumption.
--Marian of Edwinstowe, Carolingia, EK
marian at world.std.com
From: una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org (Honour Horne-Jaruk)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: woad
Summary: wear to get it- good quality & good price
Date: Wed, 04 May 94 20:01:19 EDT
Respected friends:
Baroness Meghan ni Leine, when not busy being informative and
wonderful, also sells processed, purified, ready-for-use powdered Woad.
contact her C/O Linda Anfuso, Wilton, NH, 03082
By the way- the blue part of the woad is not and never was any
sort of hallucinogen. The raw sap crushed from fresh woad leaves
_sometimes_ causes surface skin numbness, slight dizziness, and (in
certain bloodlines) a vague impression of less danger or more confidence.
No hallucinations- sorry about that, but Picts wearing woad charged
Romans wearing armor because they were like that, not because they were
'orf ther 'eads:->.
It also requires you have one of the right half-dozen out of several
hundred subspecies/varieties of Woad plant to start with. In other words,
not much chance. And since any form of heating seems to destroy the whatever-
it-is completely, feel free to find something more likely to worry about.
Like Black Widows in the privy.
Honour/Alizaunde
From: kkeeler at unlinfo.unl.edu (kathleen keeler)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: juniper
Date: 10 Jan 1995 15:53:27 GMT
Organization: University of Nebraska--Lincoln
Alban listed juniper, juniper seeds, juniper berries, questionable. I
wrote an article in Calontir's cooking guild newletter on juniper some
years ago. This is mostly from memory, ask if you want the sources-
"Juniper" _Juniperus communis_ common juniper, is a
European tree/shrub. As noted previously, the seeds are used to make
gin. The seeds were eaten--used as a flavoring--in Europe in the
Middle Ages. It was also a medicinal herb (berries and leaves).
[Botanical detail: The berries are actually small fleshy
(seed-containing, pistilate) cones, this being a Gymnosperm].
It is discouraged as a food and medicinal herb
today because it is hard on the kidneys--to be avoided by preganant
women and anyone with kidney problems. The USDA concluded there are
safer plants with the same medicinal effects. In cooking, you'd use
only a few berries--STRONG flavor--so chances of harm low, but one
might not want to serve it to a feast.
_J. communis_ is planted all over the US, and can be gathered from
plantings, or purchased. My copy of Gray's Manual of Botany suggests
it has naturalized in the Eastern US, here in Nebraska we only have it
where its planted.
The US has several native Junipers, "cedars" in our vernacular.
I considered substituting them ('creative anachronism').
They differ from each other and from _J. communis_. For example,
eastern red cedar _J. virginiana_ ranges from the Atlantic to nearly
the Rocky Mountains. Since reports of Native Americans eating it are
few, but they used it medicinally, I conclude its generally too strong
for food. The contrast is Rocky Mountain red cedar, _J. scopulorum_
which was widely used by tribes as a flavoring. I think that could be
used to replace "juniper" in a Period recipe. All three have
wonderfully similar medicinal uses, for example to make a vapor to be
inhaled for congestion as in a cold.
My favorite Medieval tale of juniper, is that it would protect your
house from witches: hang a branch over the door, the witch has to
count all the needles correctly to come in (so if you use a big
branch, you should be safe)
copy or the references.
Agnes deLanvallei
**Juniper berries are hot in the third degree, and dry but in the
first, being a most admirable counter-poison...Culpeper**
From: callred at carbon.cudenver.edu (Curtis L. Allred)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: juniper
Date: 10 Jan 1995 11:27:32 -0700
Organization: University of Colorado at Denver
Dearest Gentles, Greetings!
kathleen keeler (kkeeler at unlinfo.unl.edu) wrote:
<article cut, portion included below>
A most enriching article about Juniper! One of my favorite
bushes/trees.
: It is discouraged as a food and medicinal herb
: today because it is hard on the kidneys--to be avoided by preganant
: women and anyone with kidney problems.
This piece of advice is very helpful, as I have
frequently eaten the fruit of the juniper on hikes in the outdoors, as
well as sharing it with others (I cannot think now if I have given some
to pregnant women--I hope not!). The best way to eat it, I have found
is to select a female bush (there are male and female junipers, females
have berries, males don't), then find a nice, dark blue (the color of
brand-new Levis) berry. Carefully hold it up to your teeth and
nibble the outside peeling, which has an incredibly sweet, sharp
taste, well worth the trouble of trying to perform this feat of
oral dexterity. You may eat the innards of the berry, but it is
not as tasty and has lots of seeds.
Juniper berries are full of things that are good for ya
(vitamins, body tonic, etc), and so are good for pepping you
up when you are tired on a hike. They also give your breath a
refreshing taste. My experience is that junipers are MOST plentiful
out here in the Western US, where they grow very well in dry climates
and poor soils. There is nothing as beautiful as a 100 year-old
female juniper tree out in the desert, providing shade and
protection from blizzards to the desert creatures that also
eat its berries. A lot of people mistakenly know junipers as
cedars, but they are easily distinguished--cedars have fan-shaped
foliage, junipers don't. Most trees and bushes that are juniper/
cedar-like are indeed junipers, although they are mostly called
cedars. And, it is the lowly juniper bush that gives gin its
unique flavor.
Anyway, just a postscript to the wonderful article preceding this
one.
--Hugh Makpease, the mercenary, who smells of elderberries
From: kathy.duffy at buckys.com (Kathy Duffy)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: period plants
Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 03:59:00 GMT
Organization: *Bucky's BBS* (609)861-1131
B>> berries(?), juniper seeds(?), juniper(?), jyllowflowers (red)
>>
>> that enough? <grin> the ones with question marks i'm not sure
>> about.
B> Juniper (berries, seeds and leaves) can all be used to help mfg &
>flavor the alcoholic spirit gin........... Can't help with the others,
>though........
Also found in many recipes such as pork roasts and helps add a gamey
flavor
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: destry at netcom.com (Fellwalker)
Subject: Re: Lets talk about herbs
Organization: Ask about rec.gardens.organic :)
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 23:48:14 GMT
David Salley (salley at niktow.canisius.edu) wrote:
: Mandrake are now known by the modern name, Mayapples. They affect deer the
Nope! _American_ Mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum), a common North
American plant, is the Mayapple. _European_ Mandrake (Mandragora
officiarum) is the historic mandrake and has no relation to the Mayapple.