What is a mandrake plant used for?
Initially used as an amulet for good luck, as an aphrodisiac and to treat infertility, its use from the 1st century was as a sedative and anaesthetic in surgical procedures. Plyny gave his patients a piece of root to chew before operations and Dioscorides used mandrake wine as an anaesthetic and to ease pain. The mandrake is a perennial herb with a large root, purple flowers and poisonous yellow fruit. It is native to the Mediterranean region and was familiar to the Romans, Greeks and Middle Eastern cultures. It has a long history of medicinal use, and one of the oldest and most common uses was as a fertility aid.In addition to its narcotic and analgesic properties, mandrake was used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions including asthma, arthritis, inflammations and ulcers. For centuries mandrake was associated with myths and magic, being one of the ingredients of the witches’ ‘flying ointments’ in the Middle Ages.Long used in Wiccan ritual, its roots were thought to emit a fatal, supersonic scream when dug up. Because mandrake actually smells of strong red apple, we gave the fragrance a red fruity heart but grounded it with birch leaf and birch root to suggest the roots of the flower dug into the soil.
What does mandrake do to the human body?
It was used as a soporific (sleep inducing) and pain-killing plant for many hundreds of years. Mandrake is a powerful narcotic, emetic, sedative, and hallucinogen; its poisons can easily lead to death. Because mandrake contains deliriant hallucinogenic tropane alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine, apoatropine, and hyoscyamine, and the roots sometimes contain bifurcations causing them to resemble human figures, their roots have long been used in magic rituals.Mandrake plants aren’t widely used today, although herbal mandrake is still used in folk medicine and is studied by people who are interested in the occult or modern witchcraft. Mandrake is a mysterious plant with a long, thick taproot that resembles the human body.The Mandrake plant is a nexus of symbolism, revered for its mystical properties. In various cultures, it symbolizes love, fertility, and protection. The root’s human-like form has historically amplified its magical reputation, making it a staple in love spells and fertility rituals.When growing mandrake in planters, pots should be at least twice as wide and twice as deep as the root ball of the plant. Planting deeply will allow for the development of the plant’s long taproot. To plant, make certain to use well-draining potting soil, as excess moisture may cause issues with root rot.
Can mandrake be eaten?
The alkaloids make the plant, in particular the root and leaves, poisonous, via anticholinergic, hallucinogenic, and hypnotic effects. Anticholinergic properties can lead to asphyxiation. Ingesting mandrake root is likely to have other adverse effects such as vomiting and diarrhea. When taken by mouth: European mandrake is likely unsafe. It may contain chemicals that can cause many side effects, including confusion, drowsiness, dry mouth, heart problems, vision problems, overheating, problems with urination, and hallucinations. Large doses can be fatal.
What is mandrake used for in the Bible?
Mandrake is mentioned in the Bible (Gen. Biblical use is generally attributed to its supposed fertility power. Whenever unearthed, the root screams. The scream of a mature Mandrake when it is unearthed will kill any person who hears it, but a young Mandrake’s screams will usually only knock a person out for several hours.The scream of a mature Mandrake when it was unearthed was powerful enough to break glass and would kill any person who hears it, but a young Mandrake’s screams would usually only knock a person out for several hours. They stopped screaming once they were replanted in the soil.In one superstition, people who pull up this root will be condemned to hell, and the mandrake root would scream and cry as it was pulled from the ground, killing anyone who heard it.Mandrakes, or Mandragora, are magical plants (resembling crying babies, initially) which have incredible, restorative powers.