People have been using herbs medicinally and culturally as far back as we know . By knowing the history of the herbs that we grow and use , we become more attached to the flora and their longstanding signification to human companionship .
Some ancient beliefs about herb are still relevant today ( like the addition of mint to oral hygiene products ) , while others may seem pathetic by modern standards ( like the belief that squander basil could cause scorpions to incubate in your brain … ) , but it is fascinating to watch the rich herbal histories of our preferred modernistic - day culinary plants from all around the humanity .
Mint (Mentha)
Greece : the Latin name for mint , Mentha , come from an ancient Hellenic myth . The story goes that a water houri appoint Minthe had an affaire with Hades , the graven image of the infernal region . Hades ’ wife , Persephone , was not happy about this and she used her powers to translate the water nymph into a low - growing industrial plant that would be tread by passersby . Hades could not undo the transformation , but he did give the plant a beautiful fragrance so that when Minthe was trampled , her true beauty would come along in the form of the aroma of plenty .
In ancient Greece , hatful was used in funerary rituals along with rosemary and other redolent herbs . The use of mint in funerals and association with death and the hereafter probably had hard-nosed reason and came about because the strong olfactory perception of the herbaceous plant would cover up any decompose odour from the body of the asleep .
Rome : ancient Romans caught on to coin ’s ability to cleanse and refresh and they commonly added it to their baths and used it to clean their tooth — an activity that has continued to this day and is the reason why most toothpaste are mint flavored .
Egypt : in the 1500s BC , Egyptians used wad as a medicine to cure digestive trouble . It was also used in the embalming and cold gangrene process and was highly valuable .
Israel : ancient Hebrew rituals included disperse plenty leaf upon the synagogue base so that as people stepped on the leaves , the bouquet of mint was released .
Western Europe : in the 1200s AD , mint had made its way to western Europe and was used commonly as a handling for stomach problems , concern , and other ailments . The herb ’s strong scent was used by cheesemakers , who determine that keeping mint in their storage room discouraged rat and mice from eat on the cheese .
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Greece : rosemaryhas been used by multitude as a culinary and medicinal herbaceous plant since at least 500 BC in Greece , where it is a native works . Rosemary ’s use as a remembering aid goes back as far as ancient Greece — scholars would wind rosemary sprig into their hair when studying for exams to avail them remember what they memorise .
England : rosemary came to symbolize lovemaking and loyalty and was unremarkably wear out by brides on their wedding day , usually woven into a crown . Henry VIII ’s fourth wife , Anne of Cleves , wore a rosemary wreath in her hair when she married him in 1540 , which made it even more popular for St. Brigid to wear down the herbaceous plant .
The price of rosemary skyrocketed in London in the early 1600s after the plague arrogate 1000 of lives because rosemary was think to keep the disease . At this point in time , the cost of a rosemary plant was six shillings , while a pig cost one British shilling .
Europe : rosemary is a woody herb and , if grown large enough , the wood can be used to make objects . During the 16th and seventeenth centuries across Europe , rosemary forest was valued and used to make melodic instruments as well as tomentum combs that were thought to bring health to the user . Rosemary wood was so worthful that people would often deal other wood scented with rosemary and pretend it was rosemary Mrs. Henry Wood so that they could get a better cost .
Thyme(Thymus vulgaris)
Sumeria : Thyme ’s use by humanity is recorded as far back as ancient Sumeria 3,000 years ago , when it was used as an antiseptic .
The Mediterranean : In ancient Greece , thyme was thought to work bravery to those who smelled its aroma . The name “ thyme ” actually come from the Greek Christian Bible “ thumos , ” which translate to “ bravery . ”
Ancient Romans considered thyme to have such herculean healing abilities that they trust eating thyme would protect against the effect of poisonous substance . Another Roman cure for poison was to soak in a bathing tub with fresh thyme sum to the water .
Europe : The Greek association of thyme with courage continue into the medieval flow and beyond . Thyme was consider a symbolic representation of bravery in many part of Europe . Medieval ladies would often aggrandise a sprig of thyme on to a scarf or kerchief and give it to a knight as a relic of fondness and a mark of bravery . Knights also often wore sprigs of bracing thyme into battle , as it was think that the scent of the herb would bring them courage .
Traditionally on the Eve of St , Agnes ( January 21st ) , young lady were guess to lay sprigs of thyme and rosemary around their seam . That nighttime , their succeeding husbands were mean to appear to them in their aspiration .
Basil (Ocymum basilicum)
India : The origin of St. Basil is not known for sure , but it is likely that it first grew in India , where basil became known as a symbol of tribute . It was planted around temple and thought to protect the dead on their journey to the hereafter .
Greece : Basil represented lamentation in ancient Greece , was used in funeral rituals and was sometimes paint on headstone .
Europe : Medieval Europeans thought that basil was vicious . Not only that , there are even some written criminal record that intimate that inhaling the fragrance of Basil of Caesarea could cause scorpion to hatch inside your encephalon ! This belike came from the mistaken idea that scorpions brood from Basil the Great , a confusion that arose from one Medieval botanist who saw scorpions scurrying out of basil plants and think that they brood out of the plant itself .
In the middle ages , sweet basil was associate with purity and was often given as a quixotic token from young men to the ladies they were courting .
Israel : Hebrew traditions used to apply Basil of Caesarea to cater enduringness during religious fast . Those take part in a spiritual fasting would wear florilegium of clean Basil the Great around their necks , the fragrance of which was consider to satiate hungriness and make fasting easy .
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
The Mediterannean : ancient Greeks and Romans usedsageas a preservative for core , as well as for various medicinal purposes . The Latin name “ salvia ” comes from the tidings meaning “ to save ” or “ to heal . ”
Egypt : ancient Egyptians thought that eat salvia would advertise fertility and used it to increase chance of pregnancy . It has continued to be associated with women ’s health throughout the age as it has been thought to boost fertility , control the product of breast milk , and is still used today to serve save symptoms of menopause .
France : in the 800s AD , the emperor butterfly decreed that every farm in France had to produce sage for the good of the state as a whole . The herbaceous plant was used to stave in off infection and often brewed into a healing tea . It was also important for France ’s economy , as they would sell sage to other countries where it was valued highly , in particular in Asia .
China : Sage tea became such a popular drink in China that , by the seventeenth hundred , Taiwanese merchants would on a regular basis trade three chests of tea leaves to European merchant for just one chest of sage leaves . The drink was popular both for its taste and because it was call back to increase longevity .
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