Medicine in Early Europe Herbs and their medicinal faculties

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Medicine in Early Europe
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Herbs and their medicinal faculties
were a part of all ancient cultures. Used to
cure illnesses, ward off evil spirits and
sanctify rituals, plants which were discovered to
have beneficial qualities were treasured by early
societies. An herb is technically any non-woody
plant, but can be more commonly defined as any
usable part of a plant. The practice of
herbology is the study of herbs, and the powers
that these herbs have. Before pills and shots,
our ancestors were dependent on their own
ingenuity to discover and then effectively use
plants as medicine. This presentation
gives an overview on the role of medicinal plants
in early Europe--focusing mainly on Northern
Europe. The Celts, Saxons, Teutons, Norse men
and all other tribes occupying this area were
pagan, worshipping an array of nature gods. In
accord, all these cultures were rich with folk
lore regarding medicinal herbs and what they
could contribute to society. Even after
Christianity, which brought down all the major
pagan religions, herb lore--in a modified
form--was still practiced in Europe. Today,
almost all our pharmaceutical drugs are synthetic
versions of plants discovered to have healing
properties centuries ago.
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In examining medicine in the tribes of
pre-Christian Europe, it is necessary to
understand what role herbs played in these
societies. Unlike today, medicine was not its
own separate practice. Healing was inextricably
tied up with spirituality, and often administers
of healing herbs were priests. Also, plants were
not only used to cure visible maladies, but were
as well agents of superstition. Plants were
used rarely by themselves, but as parts of spells
and potions. If someone was sick, they would not
just swallow some herb, but be fully treated with
prayers, incantations, and a cleansing of the
spirit. Potions from this era would be used to
cure eye infections, increase the harvest and
avoid the bad affects of elves. Plants,
as allies of the Europeans, gained a mythic
quality in many cultures. Each god and goddess
had a sacred plant, and these plants were often
used in rituals which did not deal with health.
In short, medicinal herbs entered almost every
aspect of early European societies.
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Celts and Druids
The Celts arrived in modern France,
Northern Spain, and the British Isles between
1500 and 800 BC, and prospered until the coming
of Rome. Although a warrior society, the Celts
had a rich religion, which was administered by
the Druids. Learned men--with knowledge
extending from ritual, poetry, and astronomy--the
Druids also functioned as the healers in their
society. Most rituals performed by the
Druids were enacted in a holy place, such as a
pool or grove. At these places, the priests
would harness the power of nature, and thus the
gods. Archeological sites throughout Brittany
and England have found evidence that local Druids
in many areas ran healing sanctuaries. Pilgrims
would come bearing wooden figures of themselves
which demonstrated their illness. These carvings
would be placed at the edge of a sacred spring,
in hope that the gods would recognize the
pilgrims illness, and in return for the
figurine, grant health. In other cases,
a local priest would come and administer healing
to a specific household. Because of their role
as the doctors in their society, the Druids
held all the knowledge of an areas herbs. Often
plants would be used in rituals by Druids to
reach alternate states of mind. These
vision-enducing herbs were known and used only by
the priestly class, solely for religious matters.
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The Angle-Saxons Nine Sacred Herbs
In old English ,wort cunning means
herbal smarts. Like the Celts, the medical
practices of the Angle-Saxons were holistic,
seeking to heal both body and spirit. Every
malady, from protection from spirits to cuts, was
cured with a combination of magical and herbal
means. The nine sacred herbs are the main
constituents of most of the Saxon charms which
have been passed down to today. The nine herbs
are mugwort, waybroad (plantain), stime
(watercress), atterlothe, maythen (chamomile),
wergulu (nettle), crabapple, chervil and
fennel. A Saxon poem
A worm came creeping, He tore usunder a man. Then
he took Woden Nine magic twigs And he smote the
serpent That flew into nine bits.
Now these nine herbs have power Against nine
magic outcasts Against nine venoms Against nine
flying things And against the loathed things
That over land rove.
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Methods of Preparation for Medicinal Uses
Drying One of the most common forms for
medicinal herbs, the result should yield a
completely brittle plant, with leaves flakey and
snappable roots Infusion Placing the
fresh herb in either hot or cold water and
leaving for many hours. After prescribed time
the liquid is drained and the left over herb
thrown away. Salve Grinding the fresh
herb in high-proof alcohol, and then squeezing
result through thin cloth. With enough squeezing
the oil of the herb can be rendered.
Poultice Like a salve with a heavy base (such
as flax) a poultice is used hot, placed between
cloths, to reduce inflammation. Tincture
Placing of either fresh or dried herbs into a
large quantity of high-proof alcohol. After
several days, the liquid will take on a green
tinge and will contain all of the healthful
constituents of the herb.
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under its leaves. This tradition comes from a
Scandinavian myth which tells the story of
Frigga, the goddess of love, and her son, Balder,
who was the god of the sun. One night Balder had
a horrible dream that he was soon to die. In
desperation (knowing that if her son died all
life on earth would as well), Frigga went to
every thing which occupied the earth and
extracted a promise from each that they would not
harm her son. But Loki, the god of mischief,
knew she had forgotten one plant mistletoe,
which was Friggas own sacred plant. So Loki
made an arrow and on its tip put a leaf of
mistletoe. He tricked the blind god Hoder into
shooting the arrow, and Balder was hit and died.
For three days and three nights all things of the
world tried to restore Balder, and finally Frigga
brought him back to life. She was so happy that
her son was alive that every person who passed
under mistletoe received from her a kiss.
It is now known that mistletoe, although
thought by many to be poisonous itself, has a
general numbing affect on the nervous system.
The plant can be used to treat epilepsy, mainly
in preventing seizures. But, if taken in large
doses, mistletoe can wreck havoc on the body.
Mistletoe (viscum album)
Mistletoe played a vital role in many Early
European societies. Revered for its healing
properties, the plant was thought to cure
illnesses, counter poisons and drastically
increase fertility. The Celtic word for
mistletoe is translated as all-healing.
In the Celtic societies of Gaul and Britain,
mistletoe that grew on oak trees played a
particularly important role in religious
ritual. As described by the Roman historian
Pliny the Elder, every ritual a Druid performed
was accompanied in some way by a bough from an
oak tree. Early each year, on the sixth day of
the moon, the high Druid would cut mistletoe
with a golden sickle from the branches of an oak.
According to Plinys account, two white bulls
would then be sacrificed--both the mistletoe and
the blood of the bulls was supposed to increase
the fertility of the tribe and its domesticated
animals. Today, mistletoe is mostly known
for its holiday function making people kiss
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Plantain, Waybread (plantago maior)
The role that the plantain played in early
European medicine was mostly due to the plants
hardiness. Today known mainly as a weed, the
plant exists in nearly all areas of the world
which were at one time colonized by the British
empire. What was once considered a potent
medicine is now merely a headache for anyone who
wants an orderly lawn. When plantain was
more appreciated, it was used to help heal
wounds, stop bleeding and soothe skin irritation.
In the Highlands of Scotland, the plant is to
this day known as Slan-lus, meaning plant of
healing. In Pliny the Elders diaries, he
accords plantain with the ability to re-form any
organism which has been torn apart. Even in the
U.S. it was found that juice from a plantain is
the most effective agent against the poison of a
rattlesnake.
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Mugwort (artemisia vulgaris)
Deemed the mother of all herbs, mugwort
was revered for its repelling qualities it
would protect its user from demonic possession
and ward off evil spirits. More mundanely, the
plant is supposed to cure headaches and sore
throats. A more common use, though, was as a
flavoring for beer before the discovery of hops.
Like mistletoe, mugwort also helps balance the
nervous system, and can be used to treat epilepsy
and hysteria.
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Chamomile (anthemis nobilis)
The main quality of chamomile which bewitched
early Europeans was its wonderful smell. Still
sold today as herbal tea, chamomile has a long
history as an emollient. For centuries the herb
was used to help soothe the pains of
menstruation.
It is a completely harmless sedative which can
prevent nightmares, hysteria, and delirium.
Further uses as are poultices to relieve swelling
and inflammatory pain.
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Nettle (urtica urens)
The stinging nettle, like the plantain, is a
hated weed throughout much of the world. Known
mainly for its burning properties, pain caused by
the plant can last for days after contact. Armed
with stinging hairs, both the stem and leaves can
cause extreme pain.
Medicinally, nettle is an effective arrester
of bleeding, and can also help alleviate lung
ailments, such as consumption. Ironically, a
lotion made from nettle is an effective healer of
burns. In the Middle ages--before the
large-scale cultivation of cotton--nettle also
served as a fiborous base for cloth.
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Beginning with Caesar's Gallic Wars, nearly
all of Europe fell to Rome. As Romanization
spread, many of the religions which had existed
for centuries in Northern Europe became muddled
with Roman practices. Constantines declaration
of Christianity as the official religion of the
Empire only continued the decline of the European
religions--and thus their medicinal practices.
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Christianity and Pagan Medicine
Leech books (physician desk guides in the
Middle Ages) did include many herbal remedies
carried down from pagan society. The Leech Book
of Bald, copied between 924 and 946 from an
earlier Saxon leech book, references many herbs
used by pagan practitioners. Herb knowledge in
the early Middle Ages was carried on by nuns and
monks in their monasteries--mirroring the
responsibilities of priests in pre-Christian
societies. Monks kept extensive herb
collections, growing hundreds of plants in abbey
gardens, effectively carrying on the herbal
tradition.
Although Christianity took centuries to
wipe out paganism, early on in its introduction
to Europe medicinal practices were stifled. Many
of the old traditions were thought threats to
Christianity, and were termed heresy. The new
emphasis was health through faith healing, i.e.
asking God for forgiveness. The concept of sin
also greatly changed the medical mindset. The
new doctrine blamed physical shortcomings, such
as ill-health, on the sins of the patient.
Opposed to pagan practices, the new healing
techniques rarely examined the whole patient--and
explained illness through the imbalances of the
four humors black bile, yellow bile, blood and
phlegm. Common prescriptions were bloodletting
and diet modification.
In a sort of limbo between paganism and
Christianity, the new medicine was both
incredibly superstitious and yet lacked the
holistic sense which had made pre-Christian
medicine strong. Medieval physicians would
generally only examine a patients excreta, and
occasionally prescribe herbal medicines.
Christian prayers replaced the incantations of
pagan healing.
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The Witch Hunts
Beginning as early as the 10th century and
reaching their zenith from 1400 to 1700, the
witch hunts of Europe were an example of the new
role of the church.
Women, who in pagan societies were often
healers and wise women, became midwives and local
healers under Christianity. Using many of the
herbs and spells already discussed, these women
lived by helping other women give birth and cure
minor illnesses. Because these women carried
on the practices--and held the knowledge--of the
pagan healing techniques, the Church attempted to
eradicate them. Religious zeal fueled many to
try and kill witches because the women were a
convenient target to name evil. Blamed for poor
harvests, pestilence, and general misery, these
women became the scapegoats for Medieval society.

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Within the last few decades there has been a
Rediscovery of the benefits of medicinal plants.
As more people become disillusioned with the
medical establishment, or simply curious as to
other options, herbal medicine has become more
popular. Hopefully, we can use the knowledge of
our ancestors as a partner to modern medicine.
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Sources
Christianity Medicine http//www.planetherbs.c
om/articles/ herbhist.html, http//www.intermaggie
.com/med/index.php Druids Medicine Green,
Miranda J. The World of the Druids. London
Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1997 Herb Information
http//www.heorot.dk/woden-notes.html,
http//www .allthingschristmas.com/traditions.ht
ml, http//www. skell.org /explore/medtexts.htm,
http//www.christmas.com/pe/1327,
http//www.botanical .com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html
Images http//www.canoe.ca/HealthHerbal/m.html
mistleto http//www.findonvillage.com/0420_stanle
y_roy_badmin.html http//www.24carat.co.uk/1987coi
nsets.htm http//www. imcclains.com/gallery
2001.html, http//www.antique-maps-online.co.uk/ro
man-empire-map-2.htm Saxon Herbs
http//www.octavia.net/wort/worcunning
equalsherbalsmarts.htm, http//www.regia.org/dianc
ech.htm
Presentation by Francesca Root Dodson