In very early times flowers were mcuh in request as love-philtres,
various allusions to which occur in the literature of most ages. Thus, in
"A Midsummer Night's Dream," Oberon tells Puck to place a pansy on
the eyes of Titania, in order that, on awaking, she may fall in love with
the first object she encounters. Gerarde speaks of the carrot as "serving
for love matters," and adds that the root of the wild species is more
effectual than that of the garden. Vervain has long been in repute as a
love-philtre, and in Germany now-a-days endive-seed is sold for its
supposed power to influence the affections. The root of the male fern was in
years gone by used in love-philtres, and hence the following allusion:
"'Twas the maiden's matchless beauty
That drew my heart a-nigh;
Not the fern-root potion,
But the glance of her blue eye."
Then there is the basil with its mystic virtues, and the cumin-see and
cyclamen, which from the time of Theophrastus have been coveted for
their magic virtues. The purslane, crocus, and periwinkle were thought
to inspire love; while the agnus castus and the Saraca Indica (one of the
sacred plants of India), a species of the willow, were supposed to drive
away all feelings of love. Similarly in Voigtland, the common basil was
regarded as a test of chastity, withering in the hands of the impure. The
mandrake, which is still worn in France as a love-charm, was employed
by witches in the composition of their philtres; and in Bohemia, it is said
that if a maiden can secretly put a sprig of the common clover into her
lover's shoe ere he sets out on a journey, he will be faithful to her during
his absence. As far back as the time of Pliny, the water-lily was regarded
as an antidote to the love-philtre, and the amaranth was used for curbing
the affections. On the other hand, Our Lady's bedstraw and the mallow
were supposed to have the reverse effect, while the myrtle not only
created love, but preserved it. The Sicilians still employ hemp to secure
the affections of those they love, and gather it with various formalities,[2]
fully believing in its potency. Indeed, charms of this kind are found
throughout the world, every country having its own special plants in
demand for this purpose. However whimsical they may seem, they at
any rate have the sanction of antiquity, and can claim an antecedent
history certainly worthy of a better cause.
Footnotes:
- Thorpe's "Northern Mythology." 2. Fraser's Magazine, 1870, p. 720.