Rosemary: Rosemarinus officinalis is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. The leaves are used as a flavoring in foods such as stuffings and roast lamb, pork, chicken, and turkey. It is reasonably hardy in cool climates. It can survive droughts, handling severe lack of water for lengthy times. Flowers in spring and summer in temperate climates, but the plants can be in constant bloom in warm climates. According to legend, it was draped around the Greek goddess Aphrodite when she rose from the sea, born of Uranuss semen. The Virgin Mary is said to have spread her blue cloak over a white blossomed rosemary bush when she was resting, and the flowers turned blue. The shrub then became known as Rose of Mary. It is considered easy to grow and pest resistant. It is easily grown in pots. The leaves both fresh and dried are used in traditional Italian cuisine. They have a bitter astringent taste and are highly aromatic. Herbal tea can be made from the leaves. When burnt the leaves give off a mustard-like smell and a smell similar to burning wood, which can be used to flavor foods while barbecuing. Rosemary oil is used in fragrant bodily perfumes or to emit an aroma into a room. Also burnt as incense, and used in shampoo and cleaning products. Hungary water was first prepared for the Queen of Hungary Elisabeth of Poland to...renovate vitality of paralyzed limbs.... And to treat gout. It was used externally and prepared by mixing fresh rosemary tops into spirits of wine. Rosemary has a very old reputation for improving memory and has been used as a symbol of remembrance for the dead. In the Middle Ages, rosemary was associated with wedding ceremonies. The bride would wear a rosemary headpiece and the groom and wedding guests would all wear a sprig of rosemary, and from this association with weddings, rosemary evolved into a love charm. Newlywed couples would plant a branch of rosemary on their wedding day. If the branch grew, it was a good omen for the union and family. In A Modern Herbal, Mrs. Grieves says,A rosemary branch, richly gilded and tied with silken ribands of all colors, was also presented to wedding guests, as a symbol of love and loyalty. If a young person would tap another with a rosemary sprig and if the sprig contained an open flower, it was said that the couple would fall in love. Rosemary was used as a divinatory herb. Several herbs were grown in pots and assigned the name of a potential lover. They were left to grow and the plant that grew the strongest and fastest gave the best answer. Rosemary was stuffed into poppets to attract a lover or attract curative vibes for illness. It was believed that placing a sprig of rosemary under a pillow before sleep would repel nightmares, and if placed outside the home it would repel witches. Somehow, the use of rosemary in the garden to repel witches turned into signification that the women ruled the household in homes and gardens where rosemary grew abundantly. By the 16th century, men were known to rip up rosemary bushes to show that they, not their wives, ruled the roost.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 21:07:03 +0000
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