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The Herbal Code

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    The Herbal Code

    Source Unknown


    Mostly art.

    #2
    Re: The Herbal Code

    I've also heard that 'baby's blood' was strawberry juice, and the blood of a virgin was pomegranate juice.
    The forum member formerly known as perzephone. Or Perze. I've shed a skin.

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      #3
      Re: The Herbal Code

      I know a girl that labels her spice rack like this...one of these days, if I ever get cool containers for my herbs and stuff, I think it would be fun
      Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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        #4
        Re: The Herbal Code

        very informative!
        sigpic

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          #5
          Re: The Herbal Code

          This 'mis-labelling' was very common in the ancient world... a quick glance at the Greek Magical Papyrii for example, shows some very unlikely ingredients that were in fact quite common substances, plants etc. To be honest, I'm not sure how much was to discourage the uninitiated and how much to bamboozle the credulous

          One of my all time favourites is 'the tears of a Hamadryas Baboon' which turns out to be ... Dill Juice. Since Dill juice is a major ingredient in baby's gripe water (it's name derives from the Norse 'Dilla' meaning to lull to sleep, apparently) I quite like to think of soothing my grandchildren to sleep with the tears of a Hamadryas Baboon....
          www.thewolfenhowlepress.com


          Phantom Turnips never die.... they just get stewed occasionally....

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            #6
            Re: The Herbal Code

            I have heard of the Hamadryas Baboon tears before and often wondered what they were, i didn't realise there was actually a code for the common ingredients, though thinking about it, it makes a lot if sense. *seeks out his old copy of the scottish Play *

            Is there anywhere i could get more of the 'code'?

            M
            In the end, only you know if you were right or wrong, so tolerate others beliefs, no matter how wrong, they may be right...

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              #7
              Re: The Herbal Code

              Try Daniel Ogden's 'Magic Witchcraft and Ghosts in the ancient world...'
              www.thewolfenhowlepress.com


              Phantom Turnips never die.... they just get stewed occasionally....

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                #8
                Re: The Herbal Code

                Thanks Muchly, I found a copy on Scribd
                http://www.scribd.com/doc/34128738/O...-A-Source-Book


                M
                In the end, only you know if you were right or wrong, so tolerate others beliefs, no matter how wrong, they may be right...

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                  #9
                  Re: The Herbal Code

                  [quote author=Maulus link=topic=386.msg5297#msg5297 date=1287607118]
                  *seeks out his old copy of the scottish Play *
                  [/quote]

                  That's what this got me thinking of, too...

                  "Eye of Newt and Toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog...
                  Adder's wort and blind worm sting, lizzard's leg and howlet's wing...

                  Cool it with a baboon's blood, then the charm is firm and good."
                  Great Grandmother's Kitchen

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                    #10
                    Re: The Herbal Code

                    [quote author=Deseret link=topic=386.msg5404#msg5404 date=1287623634]
                    That's what this got me thinking of, too...

                    "Eye of Newt and Toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog...
                    Adder's wort and blind worm sting, lizzard's leg and howlet's wing...

                    Cool it with a baboon's blood, then the charm is firm and good."
                    [/quote]

                    Exactly, i remember reading that at school and wondering where they would get all those ingredients as they sound very specific.. it makes a lot more sense if they are using the Herbal Code. Which means that the people in the 17th Century were aware of what wise women/Witches would "use" as ingredients, not necessarily what they are. It would appear the the Witches were used to obfuscating their ingredients, almost like a lot of modern professions do today, using jargon and codes to keep the secret of their jobs..

                    M
                    In the end, only you know if you were right or wrong, so tolerate others beliefs, no matter how wrong, they may be right...

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                      #11
                      Re: The Herbal Code

                      Fascinating concept, isn't it? I never would have thought that it might be code words before this post.
                      Great Grandmother's Kitchen

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                        #12
                        Re: The Herbal Code

                        Coded ingredients are extremely common in many cultures - but especially in the PGM (Papyrii Graecae Magici) . So that basically covers ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.... although this late in the day it's difficult to tell which comes from which specific culture.

                        www.thewolfenhowlepress.com


                        Phantom Turnips never die.... they just get stewed occasionally....

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                          #13
                          Re: The Herbal Code

                          I'd love to apply this to my herb containers, rituals, etc. but I worry about inconsistencies in what's what and getting things mixed up!

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                            #14
                            Re: The Herbal Code

                            I agree, Rafe. I'd probably do something like Latin instead.
                            Great Grandmother's Kitchen

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                              #15
                              Re: The Herbal Code

                              This is so very cool! When I get a proper spice cabinet I'm definitely labelling my ingredients like this! Though I might have the key written down in case I forget :P

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