In the middles ages superstition played a large part of peoples drudgeries and difficult lives many people needed help emotionally and of course physically to endure these trying times. To add a little hope to survival among the fierce plagues, disease, murders and terrors many families would grow a medicinal herb garden to ward of evil spirits, heal emotional wounds, to give courage or confidence to weakened spirits, to help over come grief or anger and to tend to their sick or dying with the use of different experimental or tried and tested remedies, while some may have done good others may have caused more harm, none the less herbs created a vision of hope to the peoples prognosis at these dark times.With each herb lies a medieval tale of mysterious cure, these people were obviously aware of the herbal properties and so the mystical myths that run freely along side each plant may only appear be a distant tale may also have some level of unknown truth, we can only guess.
In the Middle Ages the nuns grew many herbs, they also gave out herbs to help the sick. If someone had a fever, they would give them basil, marigold petals, and sage to reduce the fever pain. To soothe a sore throat and a cough, they would use rose petals, herbs with honey and sage. To prevent nightmares and induce sleep, you would use lemon, verbena, lime flowers, and chamomile. If you have some bruises and sprains, you would use ground ivy, marigold, marjoram, and comfrey to soothe them.
Medieval Cures.
Many times people needed help emotionally. Some herbs were believed to help cure grief, confidence and courage, anger and lovableness.
To help cure grief you would use sage. Borage would be used to keep confidence and courage. If you were angry, you would use marigold to keep anger away. Thyme was used for lovableness.
1 packet of each.
1 Henbane- Medicinal use: pain killer, anaesthetic. For example it was commonly used in amputations and other surgical operations.Magic & beliefs: Henbane's hallucinogenic and deadly properties have been known for hundreds of years. E.g. It is believed that Delphi's oracle, Pythia, received her visions by inhaling the smoke of the burning seeds of henbane. The plant was also very popular among the assassins and witches of Medieval Europe. The latter used it in ointments that they used to rub into their skins. Scholars believe that these ointments caused hallucinations, such as the sensation of flying.
1 Poison Hemlock-Medicinal use: pain killer. Magic & beliefs: A deadly plant, but the symptoms of poisoning are less painful than if cowbane is used. Common ingredient in the potions of the witches and assassins.
1 Rue- Medicinal use: all-heal Magic & beliefs: Rather powerful plant. For example, Pliny tells us that person who carries it is never bitten by venomous creatures. His argumentation was based on "fact" that "weasels, when about to fight with serpents, eat rue." Thanks to this story and the awful smell of the plant, it was believed to be an antidote against all kinds of poisons. In addition to this, Ibn Botlan reminds us that rue "will turn off the light of Venus". It was also thought to have a power to repel evil spirits. And finally it protected people from plague and other deadly epidemics
1 Mugwort- Medicinal use: flu, parasites, women's diseases. Magic & beliefs: Mugwort was believed to be a rather magical plant. For example it was said that this plant, if wrapped around a traveller, would protect her from wild beasts, fatigue and poisons. It was also believed that mugwort would protect valuable books by repelling bookworms and other insects.
1 Garden Sage- Medicinal use: 'How can a man die when sage is growing in the garden?' This often quoted sentence describes pretty well the omnipotence of sage. The bush was definitely among the most important medicinal herbs of Medieval Europe. It was believed to have the power to cure all imaginable diseases and therefore a Covenant garden without it would be extremely rare. Magic & beliefs: aphrodisiac.
1 Wood Betony-Betony was once used to treat chest and lung problems, worms, fever, gout, uterine bleeding, dizziness, and many other afflictions, including protection against witchcraft
1 Foxglove- Medicinal use: From the 11th to 18th century foxglove was mainly used to cure dropsy. Overdoses were often lethal.-
1 St Johns Wort - Medicinal use: wounds, infections, pains of labour. Magic & beliefs: The juice of the plant protected books from mice and insects
1 Wormwood - Medicinal use: Wormwood was an all-heal, but as the name hints the herb was used mainly to kill and repel all kinds of insects. Magic & beliefs: This plant had strange powers. For example, Pliny tell us that the person who has wormwood in her shoe is protected from seasickness and sea monsters. In addition, the fellow who carries the twig of the herb is protected from fatigue. It was also believed that wormwood juice repelled bookworms and other nasty bugs. Therefore medieval scholars used to add this juice to their ink in order to protect their books. Others preferred rinsing vellum sheets with the same juice. People also thought that wormwood would turn moths away from wardrobes. It was also claimed that wormwood, if cultivated in the garden, would keep off all kinds of snakes.