HOME
NEWS
MUSIC
PRESS
VISUALS
WRITINGS
FASHION
RELEASES
GALLERY
CONTACT
TRIVIA

WRITINGS

Deadly Nightshades
A Dark Herbal by Andréa Nebel, anno 1998

There are plants that have a dark history and a bad reputation. Some plants were said to be a bad omen to grow in the garden, others were used for detecting witches and demons... Some herbs were used as abortives, or they were popular poisons to slip into someone's drink or soup. Folklore tells us of many flora-based spells and herbs were used for magical purposes, as hallucinogenics and as a gateway to other worlds. Several plants were said to be ingredients of the so called "witch's flying ointment". Amongst those commonly thought to be part of are the following: Belladonna, Aconite, Henbane, Fly Agar, or Hemlock, Yarrow, Rosemary and Parsley were also mentioned. This is but a small guide to plants and flowers with sinister, and thus fascinating, reputations.

Aconite, or wolf's bane (aconitum napellus): This plant is very poisonous. In the Middle Ages, it was a very popular killer, often mixed into the drink of the unfortunate victim. Poisoning with aconite was common, and important public figures, such as kings or other unpopular leaders often employed a "taster", an unfortunate person who would taste the food or drink to make sure it was not poisoned. If so, the hapless fellow would experience a burning, itching sensation, then numbness and sedation. Death occurs when the breathing muscles are paralyzed and the heart stops. Nasty.
Rubbed into the skin, aconite gives a feeling of heat and itchiness combined with hallucinations. It affects the nervous system and may lead to the impression that the user is clothed in "feathers or furs", or even changing into an animal. Thus we can see that it once was a popular stimulant to use as a hallucinogenic to get into the spirit of an animal. Aconite can also induce sexual arousal to the point of a trance.

Belladonna (atropa belladonna): This deadly nightshade plant was very popular in the antique where it was used to create a sexual stimulant for women. For men, however, it does exactly the opposite. It sedates them. This surely was a popular drug for women who wanted to put their husbands to sleep, so that they could sneak out to meet their secret lovers. With help of belladonna, a witch's ointment could be made to achieve an ecstatic trance by using the shaft of a broom, anointing it with oil made from the plant and using it for sexual pleasure. Belladonna means "beautiful woman". Women in ancient Rome and Greece used it to get beautiful eyes, due to its content of atropine, which, like LSD, enlarges the pupils. Belladonna is very toxic and thus quite dangerous to mess around with.

Fern (matteuccia struthioppteris): This plant, growing in the shadows of the trees in the deep dark woods that elves, kobolds and gnomes call home, was long seen as a very mysterious plant. Its hidden seeds were believed to contain magical powers. Though hard to find, they were highly desirable and, according to folklore, seeds could only be found on special nights like Midsummer Night or May Eve. It was believed that if a person walks in the woods and walks right through a fern and the seeds drop into her or his shoes (which is very unlikely to happen), it is a sign of great luck and the seeds will provide a magical advantage. The magically potent seeds of the fern were used for things like meeting dead relatives, having a successful hunt, making its wearer invisible, enabling him/her to obtain treasures like gold and silver, winning card-games and communicating with animals (I only wish that was true). Indeed, the peasants desired fern seeds so much that in the 16th century its use became prohibited in Germany and people could risk accusation of witchcraft if they were caught lurking about in the woods beneath the fern.

Fly Agar (amanita muscaria): This mushroom is highly toxic and a powerful hallucinogenic. It also generally causes nausea and many other discomforts when taken internally. The fly agar mushroom is a most powerful symbol of the supernatural world in the Nordic and Germanic traditions. Many kobolts, gnomes and other mystical forest creatures wear red hats, as we know. The red hats and red caps, perhaps also the red hood of "Little Red-Riding Hood", all refer to the poisonous mushroom.

Henbane (hyoscyamus niger): This plant ranks on top of the witch's herb-list. The Germanic peoples used it for magical trances and sexual arousal. Naturally, it is also the herb of the Greek Goddess of magic and the crossroads, Hekate. Henbane is a hallucinogenic narcotic, and may give the feeling of flying and changing into another shape when taken in large doses. This again was a risky game, as the plant is toxic when taken in large amounts.
Commonly, the seeds were heated on iron plates and the steam inhaled. The seeds were also thrown on the heat in the steam bath houses - or saunas. Beer with a low alcohol content often had henbane seeds added to spice it up. Rubbed against the genitals the seeds were used to increase the sex drive in both men and women. Henbane was thus used by the enchantress to make her chosen victim helplessly aroused with desire for her. Shame we cannot buy it at our local drugstore...

Hemlock (conium maculatum): Another popular poison in the antique and Middle Ages. This is the famous herb that killed the Greek philosopher Socrates, who was trialed and sentenced to drink from the poison cup. It causes a horrible death, as the plant paralyses the muscles and the victim chokes while fully conscious. Yet, hemlock was also used as a local anaesthetic and sedative. It was said to successfully make men into "eunochs". The botanicer Hieronymus Bosch observed that goats like to eat it and "get all silly afterwards". It seems that not only humans like to get high.

Mullein, Candlewick, Hag's Taper (verbascum thapsus/phlomoid): Mullein was believed to be especially potent during Summer Solstice. On this day, the magical seeds of the fern (see above) could be found if one laid a mullein leaf underneath the fern. The soft furry hair on the leaves and stem was used as a candlewick by the peasants. It was also believed that witches used mullein as lamps in their rituals, thus the name Hag's Taper. This plant was, indeed, also said to be a contraceptive if a woman wore the root around her neck, close to the heart. However, this would only be effective if the root was gathered with a special ceremony in the Midsummer night (and still I would not consider this to be a very reliable form of birth control...).

Parsley (petroselinum crispum): The seemingly inconspicuous herb that adds a fresh taste to dishes and makes a great garnish actually has a rather dark history. In large doses, parsley was once used as an abortive. Parsley oil is indeed rather poisonous, so the procedure was not without danger. Its clandestine use gained parsley the reputation of being associated with the devil in the Middle Ages, and parsley use was connected to black magic. It was called Maitre Persil in central Europe, indicating that the devil was the leader of the midwives and abortionists. In fact, the traditional song "Scarborough Fair", a song made famous by Simon and Garfunkel, names parsley plus other herbs used for abortion purposes (sage, rosemary and thyme), giving us an idea what the song is about. "Are you goin' to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme". A story of either wanting an abortion or having had one...
Parsley was said to "help raise a man to his horse and bring a woman down to her grave". In other words, parsley was known to be potent as a source of iron, yet can kill a woman if she uses the herb in a blend for abortion purposes.

Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis): Rosemary was considered an aphrodisiac, and has been used to stimulate sexual excitement in ancient times. Traditionally used in a blend to bring forth abortion, rosemary was avoided during pregnancy, as it could induce premature labour. Rosemary has also been used as a part of the bridal garland in Germany. But it was believed to spell bad luck if rosemary was kept in the bedroom. To dream about the herb was believed to be a warning of impending death because it was custom to lay a branch of rosemary in the coffin next to the dead. Again, we see the relationship between sexual arousal and death.

Sage (salvia officinalis): Leaves of sage, put in an amulet, were believed to protect against negative spirits. The leaves were also burned as an incense to cast out negative energies. Sage further strengthens nerves and was used to promote tranquility.

Valerian (valeriana officinalis): Valerian was believed to protect against all dark forces, even the darkest of them all, the plague. In the Middle Ages, a bundle of dried valerian was hung in the bedroom to keep demons and vampires away. Apparently, the bundle would turn itself around if a witch, or worse, a demon entered the room. Can you imagine the unfortunate person that walked in through the door and the draft turned the bundle around...? In the days of religious madness and superstitions this could be cause enough to make ridiculous accusations. The smoke of valerian thus also played a part in exorcisms, and was used to "drive out demons".

Worrmwood (artemisia absinthium): As the name suggests, this herb was part of the mixture for Absinthe, the popular green liquor that inspired the 19th century decadent circles of poets, writers, surreal artists and musicians. The green fairy, as the drink was called, was believed to inspire surreal visions, thus creativity. It was often the same crowd that would smoke opium, to kick off surreal inspiration. The wormwood in Absinthe would attack the nervous system, thus leading to hallucinations and even delusions and the drink in its original blend is now forbidden. Wormwood (artemisia absinthium) has a historical dark side: absinthe. This clear green alcoholic beverage, which contains essential oil of wormwood and other plant extracts, is highly toxic and presently banned in many countries. A favorite liqueur in 19th France, absinthe was addictive and associated with a collection of serious side effects known as absinthism (irreversible damage to the central nervous system). The toxic component of wormwood that causes absinthism is thujone.

Yarrow (achillea millefolium): Yarrow was believed to bring easy sleep and sweet dreams, keeping nightmares away. A yarrow sprig held over the eyes was also believed to give second sight, thus supernatural visions. Yarrow was said to be yet another ingredient of the witch's flying ointment.


Deadly Flowers

Carnations: Carnations are flowers with a bad reputation. Traditionally, the flowers are used for funerals and to pay respect to the dead. Thus it is believed that bringing carnations into the house would be an omen of bad luck, unlucky love and even death. In other words bringing someone a bouquet of carnations could be viewed as an ill-wish; a wish of bad fortune, or even a death wish.

Poppies: Because of its narcotic properties (opium), the beautiful red poppy has been a symbol of sleep, oblivion, and even death. Somnus, the Roman god of sleep, is always crowned with poppies or lying surrounded by them. The Greek goddess of the harvest, Demeter, created the poppy as a means of getting some sleep after the loss of her daughter, Persephone. The twin brothers Hypnos and Thanatos (gods of sleep and death in Greek mythology) are typically represented as crowned with poppies or carrying poppies in their hands. Connected to them, of course, is Morpheus, the god of dreams...
The 19th century decadent and surreal artists and poets often referred to the poppy as a symbol to describe surreal visions induced by the opium hazes that inspired their art. Many paintings from that period feature poppies as a symbol of sleep, surreal images and death. And I, myself - as the typical gothic artist - am totally inspired by 19th century surreal and decadent art and writings.

Back