mandrake-art - 9/4/00
"Hildegard van Bingen's treatise on the use of mandrake" translated by Cairistiona nic Bhraonnaguinn
NOTE: See also the files: seeds-msg, herbs-msg, herb-uses-msg, lavender-msg, rue-msg, spices-msg, p-herbals-msg, roses-art.
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NOTICE -
This article was submitted to me by the author for inclusion in this set
of files, called StefanŐs Florilegium.
These files are available on the Internet at:
Copyright to the contents of this file remains with the author.
While the author will likely give permission for this work to be
reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first
or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris
AKA: Stefan li Rous
stefan at florilegium.org
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Hildegard van Bingen's treatise on the use of mandrake
translated by Cairistiona nic Bhraonnaguinn
Algarica is called Mandrake: it is hot in the first degree and dry in
the other. And Mandrake is formed from the earth, out of which Adam
was made, and looks a bit like a person but is a herb and comes in two
forms: one is the man, the other the woman; the form of the woman is
rather better.
And for the sake of comparison, so the devil lies therein and his
ghost is there more when in a container (?) with other herbs. And
because of that he grows out of people's desires, be they good or bad,
as he sometimes does with idols. So one digs this herb out, so should
one throw it into a spring for *xii hours, a day and a night; thus the
water bites all evil humours out, that it is therefore no longer good
for backsliding. It is, however, the man who pulls the herb out with
the earth and the earth hangs onto it, so that one does not wash it,
as I said before, so it is linked with various backsliding things and
sends a great deal of evil with it, as sometimes happens with idols.
So the great masters say that the herb mandrake, the one which has the
man's form, is better for doctoring than that which has the woman's
form, because the man is stronger and more perfect than the woman.
A) It should be known that mandrake is good to use for all trembling.
Whoever has headache, from whichever disorder it springs, he should
eat from the head-like part of the herb, however much he wants, [and]
it will be reduced.
B) Has he pain in the throat, so should he eat from the throat of the
form; it goes from him.
C) And to whichever kind of pain the person has, so should he eat the
aforementioned herb from the place where the similarity lies; it helps
him well.
D) Whoever cannot control himself and is uncouth from backsliding ways
or from the uncouthness of burning heat (?), he should take the female
form of mandrake, which bites himself in water, as I have described
earlier, and cut from it that [part] which is in the form between the
breast and the navel on the herb, and bind it on his navel for three
days and three nights. And cut then the same piece in half, and bind
on piece on each hip also for three days and three nights. And powder
also the left hand of the herb, and add a little camphor to the
powder, and eat that, and in this way his impure desires will be
*reduced.
E) And if it is a woman who cannot control herself for uncouthness,
she should take the aforementioned herb the mandrake, which has the
man's form, and works with it in all the manner which is written down
before: and powder from the right hand. And use it as said earlier:
so it will be reduced.
F) Mandrake is good to use against poison.
G) It is also good to use against disorders of the liver.
H) It is also good to use against disorders of the loins.
I/J) It helps also against disorders of the lungs.
K) It also reduces swelling of the spleen.
L) Whoever has a depressed nature and always has sorrow and worry in
his heart, he lays the mandrake, which has been bitten, beside him in
his bed, so that the herb heats with his sweat, and speaks thus: "God,
who from the clod made men on the earth without pains, I lay now by me
this earth, which has never broken out (?), that my earth also feels
joy, as you intended." So you will feel the depression [going] and
sense the joy in your heart. And if you do not have mandrake, then
take the *fruits of the tree called Fagus, that is, the first which
shoots here: the hand of nature and holiness of people: and break
them off whole: and watch that you do not break them: and lay them
by you in the bed, that they may become warm from you and that they
may touch your sweat. And say also the words written before. Instead
[you may take] of the Cedar tree or aspen: so you will gain joy in
your heart.
* xii - this may be either a mis-transcription of XII (12) or an
idiosyncratic spelling of zwei. I would go with the former, as Mother
Hildegard is fairly consistent with her spelling in this text, and
elsewhere spells zwei (2) as zwey. The day-and-night comment
immediately after bears me out, I think.
* reduced - the modern usage of the word has a flavour of penance
about it.
* fruits - technically hips or haws, although it would appear that
in this context it is beechmast.
------
Copyright 1999 by Christina van Tets. <cjvt at hotmail.com>
Mitrani Dept. of Desert Ecology
Blaustein Institute for Desert Research
Midreshet Ben-Gurion
84990 Israel
Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications,
provided the author is credited and receives a copy.
If this article is reprinted in a publication, I would appreciate a notice in
the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also
appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being
reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.
<the end>