Earlier Stories About MandrakeĪn earlier version of this story from the 5th century C.E. When the dog pulled the root from the ground, the scream would kill it, rendering it safe for collection. For that reason, strange practices, to combat the lethal screams, including leaving a dog tied to the plant at night. Uprooting mandrake was a supposedly deadly business, because the sought-after root would utter a terrible scream that killed anything near it. Possessors of mandrake roots also sometimes saw them as potential hosts of spirits, homunculi that could be given offerings to bestow blessings upon their owners. In a medical world ruled by the doctrine of signatures, which posited that a plant’s use can be inferred by what it resembles, the mandrake’s similarity to the human form lent credence to the belief that it could be used to influence and control people. Mandrake root’s reputation persisted well into the Middle Ages, when it was thought to be a panacea. The Biblical Books of Genesis and Song of Solomon mention mandrake for its supposed properties as a fertility treatment and an aphrodisiac (another name for its fruit is the love apple). Pictorial renditions of mandrake also decorate Egyptian tombs, where it was used as a funerary and, perhaps, a shamanistic plant. The Greek physician Dioscorides first recorded its use as an anesthetic in the 1st century C.E. In Homer’s Odyssey, the witch Circe uses a brew made from mandrake to transform Odysseus’ crew into swine. With use documented as early as the 15th century B.C.E., mandrake is mentioned in ancient texts from Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Roman and Greek Empires. RELATED: Best Kratom Powder Of 2022 Mandrake Root In Early Modern History And Culture Some sources even posit the existence of “male” and “female” mandrakes. The large and tuberous mandrake taproot, which can reach up to two feet in length, is often forked, a feature that occasionally makes it look humanoid in form. Native to the Mediterranean, the mandrake root has large rosette leaves and produces violet flowers and small berries, which were reportedly eaten cooked or raw as a delicacy. (Tobacco, a poisonous plant that has also been utilized as a ceremonial and cash crop, is another famous family member.)īoth the toxic mayapple ( Podophyllum peltatum), which is native to North America, is sometimes called the American mandrake, but is not the same species as Mandragora officinarum. This family contains some of humanity’s most beloved food crops, like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, as well as some of its most poisonous, like deadly nightshade, jimsonweed, belladonna, and henbane. The mandrake root is part of the Solanaceae family, commonly known as the nightshades. RELATED: Do Shrooms Show Up On A Drug Test? All In The Family Why does mandrake root continue to enthrall us in both fiction and reality, and what are safe ways to work with this evocative plant? While it is not commonly used medically now, interest has risen in the mandrake as a magical, poisonous, and potentially psychoactive plant. Documented use hails back to Antiquity, when it was used as a weapon, a surgical anesthetic, a fertility treatment, and an aphrodisiac. The storied mandrake root has deep roots in our collective imagination. And, a plant that most people know about from Harry Potter. A poisonous plant that supposedly utters a deathly scream when you pull it, draws a beloved to you, protects you from demonic influences, and can bring inner peace. Integrative Medicine mandrake mandrake root.Mandrake Root: Healing, Harming, And Magical Properties
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