One of the plants strongly associated with the summer solstice is St John’s Wort. It often flowers around Midsummer’s Day, or the Feast of St John, hence its strong links with St John. St John’s Wort, or Hypericum Perforatum, is considered a weed in many places. Its other names include ‘balm of the warrior’s wound’, […]
Lemon Balm Folklore: Sweet Smells & Folk Remedies
Lemon balm, or Melissa officinalis, is a member of the Lamiaceae family, along with mint, rosemary, marjoram, sage, basil, and lavender. Its popular name comes from the fact the leaves smell of lemon when crushed. Lemon balm is a perennial, growing across Europe, North America, and Asia. That gorgeous lemon smell certainly came in handy. […]
Poppy Folklore: The Symbol of Sleep, Death, War, and…Love?
It’s somewhat surprising that of all the plants I’ve featured on this blog, I’ve never quite made it to the humble poppy. Why surprising? Orange and yellow poppies fill my garden with joy every year, and I always look forward to them popping up. Not to mention the fact poppies have amassed a range of […]
Iris Folklore: Perfume, Remedies, and a Rainbow Goddess
Depending on where you are in the world, you might be lucky enough to see the iris bloom before it fades for the year. Where I am, they finished in mid-May, but with the changing climate, that might vary for you. The iris is one of those instantly recognisable flowers, showy and bright with its […]
Milan Legends of Dragons, Ghosts, and the Devil
Milan first appears in the ancient record in c. 590 BC as a Celtic settlement, later conquered by the Romans. When Diocletian divided the Roman Empire, Milan was the capital of the western half. But here in the 21st century, it’s perhaps better known as a fashion capital. Or maybe as the home of AC […]
What was the Dancing Plague of 1518 in Strasbourg?
When it comes to plague outbreaks in Europe, your mind probably doesn’t immediately jump to a so-called dancing plague. Yet that’s precisely what seemed to grip Strasbourg, France in the summer of 1518. Townspeople started dancing, seemingly against their will, and couldn’t stop for almost a month. Hundreds died of exhaustion, with contemporary commentators blaming […]
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