Hello all,
let's not forget that bryonia has always been an important magical plant
(especially as ersatz for mandrake) - a good introduction with some older
literature to the subject can be found in "Handwoerterbuch des deutschen
Aberglaubens", Berlin 1987, vol 9., col. 884 - 887.
Two older authors are mentioned there for having dealt with the plant:
Pseudo-Apuleius (a nice ancient illustrated edition is on the www), and
Columella who called the plant with one of its alternative names "vitis
alba".
This is probably in following Dioscorides who calls it "Ampelos leuke" and
"Ampelos melaina", cf. also Hippokrates' "Ampelos agria" (which is nearest
to the modern Greek name: Agria Bryonia, not to be confused with Abryonia,
Tamus communis, popular as wild vegetable). More information (about other
ancient authors' and modern medical uses for the plant) comes from: G.
Madaus, Lehrbuch der biologischen Heilmittel, Hildesheim 1979, vol I, pp734.
Best from Crete
Sabine Beckmann
----- Original Message -----
From: "Allan Hall" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 7:24 PM
Subject: Re: Bryonia cretica dioica
> Monique's reference is, of course, to the on-line version of Mrs Grieve's
> Herbal, the source of the quote in my last posting. As so often, she gives
> no context, historical or geographical for the comment about the use of
the
> berries as a dye! Henslow (1905, Uses of British Plants) also comments
> about their use in this way - naturally, he might be the source of Mrs G's
> reference.
>
> Allan
>
> On Sep 20 2004, Monique Reed wrote:
>
> > There is some information on white bryony use at:
> > http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/b/brywhi77.html
> >
> > If, as this suggests, the fruits were used as a dyestuff, you might
> > indeed find quite a few, as the usual ratio of dyestuff to wool is about
> > 1:1 by weight. I think it's interesting that Caesar supposedly wore it
to
> > ward off lightning...
> >
> > Monique Reed
> > Texas A&M
> >
> >
>
> -- Dr Allan Hall, Department of Archaeology, University of York, The
King's
> Manor, York YO1 7EP, U.K. Tel. +44 1904 434950/fax: 433902
>
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