When we think Halloween we think of witches. Witches were well presented in Shakespeare’s
Macbeth standing around a cauldron chanting this:
"Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."
Did you know that the items mentioned were actually phrases
to symbolize different herbs? Although
there are variations of the plants symbolized in the chant, here is a mostly
accurate presentation of the more accepted versions:
 |
| Peggy Trowbridge Filippone |
Eye of newt – mustard seed
Toe of frog – buttercup leaves
Wool of bat – holly or moss (I lean toward moss, what do you think?)
Tongue of dog – hounds tooth
Adder’s fork – violet
Blind worm’s sting - Knotweed
Lizard’s leg – Ivy
Howlet’s wing – garlic or maybe ginger (but garlic was more
common)
Happy Halloween!
Fascinating! Moss looks more likely to me, too.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really cool post.
ReplyDeleteThese are all just made up names after Shakespears time, not the other way around. If you look back to records of herbology back them they mostly had other common names. Heck, Houndstongue hadn't even been introduced to England by that stage, and Adder's Fork is a cultivar of the Dogtoothed Lily, not a traditional name
ReplyDeleteI Appreciate your insights. Thank you for making me better at my craft!
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