Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1884 — The Mandrake. [ARTICLE]

The Mandrake.

Few flowers have had an earlier or more superstitious reverence than the Mandrake. Solomon speaks of its fragrance, and includes it “among all manner of pleasant fruits.” As a plant of potent power and occult virtues, it is used extensively in Syria at this day. The Arabs call it the “devil’s apple,” the Greeks call it “love apple,” and their women nearly universally wear it as a love charm. Many ceremonies were anciently observed in the gathering of it. Josephus describes the manner of pulling it by tying firmly to its root or stem a dog. It was said to utter a shriek when drawn from the earth, which was fatal to those who heard it; hence the Jews used a dog to gather it, or else carefully closed the orifice of the ear. The singular resemblance to the human form, often observable in its roots, has given it a fame greater than any other plant in all magical pbtions. Among the Rosierucians it was believed to have the power of discovering subterranean treasures. In the fifteenth century it was commonly worn in France and Southern Europe as an amulet, and the powdered root was the celebrated “love powders” of the wise men and women of those days. Even at the present tune it is only pulled in Germany, aftersigning the cross three times over it, and in the Tyrol pieces of the root worn round the neck are believed to protect the wearer from robbers. It retains with us a shadowy remnant of its once great medicinal virtues as an homeopathic pellet to cure rheumatism. It is much easier to change dogmas than svmbols, and it is somewhat remarkable that the death of Baldur, in Norse mythology, is identified with the nativity of, John the Baptist in Christian faith. On this night, in pagan times, all witches were abroad, and the plant known now as St. John’s Wort was dedicated to them. After the introduction of Christianity, the same plant, mingled wi h the cross, was used as a protection against them. The red juice of the plant suggested the blood of the Baptist, and was believed to confer the gift of second sight, and to wrest the secrets of the future from the powers it was supposed to rule. Four centuries ago, in England, it was customary on St John’s Day to build large bonfires, and young men and ■women, wreathed with St. John’s Wort, danced around them, invoking the saint and praying for blessings on the coming yeay. In tine Tyrol it is still put into the shoes to prevent weariness in walking, and in Lorraine there is a decided prejudice against cutting grass for hay until this anniversary.— Floral World.