The Herbal Code - Folk Names

[Alura Noel]

I can't remember where I found this at

I thought this was kind of neat.

The Herbal Code - Folk Names

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Source

The herbal code is a legendary list of herbal names disguised by other names. Among the Witches of old there was a great deal of hidden herbal knowledge and lore. Much of this lore was kept secret due to the pharmaceutical properties of herbs and herbal combinations, many of which were dangerous in the wrong hands. Consequently a code was created to keep these recipes secret and to discourage their use by the uninitiated. The following list in part of the herbal code common to several traditions

• A Dead Man: Ash root, carved in a crude human shape
• Adder’s Tongue: Plantain
• Bat’s Wing: Holly Leaf
• Bat’s Wool: Moss
• Blood: Elder Sap
• Bloody Fingers: Foxglove
• Brains: Congealed gum from a cherry tree
• Bull’s Blood: Horehound
• Corpse Candles: Mullien
• Dragon’s Scales: Bistort leaves
• Ear of an Ass: Comfrey
• Ears of a Goat: St. John’s Wort
• Eyes: Eyebright or Daisy
• Fingers: Cinquefoil
• Hair: Maidenhair fern
• Hand: The unexpanded frond from a male fern
• Heart: Walnut
• Lion’s Tooth: Dandelion
• Skin of a Man: Fern
• Skull: Skullcap
• Snake: Bistort
• Tongue of a Dog: Hound’s tongue
• Urine: Dandelion
• Unicorn Horn: True unicorn root
• Worms: Thin roots

These animals called for the following herbs:

• Blue Jay: Bay Laurel
• Cat: Catnip
• Cuckoo: Orchis, plantain
• Dog: Couchgrass
• Frog: Cinquefoil
• Hawk: Hawkweed
• Lamb: Lamb’s lettuce
• Linnet: Eyebright
• Lizard: Calamint
• Nightingale: Hop
• Rat: Valerian
• Sheep: Dandelion
• Snake: Fennel of Bistort
• Toad: Sage
• Weasel: Rue
• Woodpeckers: Peony

When a recipe called for a certain part of something, the following herb was used:

• The Eye: Inner part of a blossom
• The Guts: The roots and stalk
• The Hair: Dried, stringy herb
• The Head: The flower
• The Heart: A bud or a big seed
• The Paw, Foot, Leg, Wing, Toe, or Scale: The Leaf
• The Privates: The seeds
• The Tail: The Stem
• The Tongue: The Petal

Source Unknown

[Firebird]

This is wonderful, thanks for posting. It is a perfect example of the folk names used in herb-craft, and an excellent example of how misunderstandings happened about what sorts of ingredients we were putting in our brews and healing potions.

several legs of toad
tail of a corpse candle
cup of bulls blood

this is a recipe for easing congestion...who would know? (Us!)

Blessings, Firebird

[Alura Noel]

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You're welcome! I thought this was some awesome information. And probably would be fun to label ingredients with it.

When I was in elementary school my best friend and I would talk in code and we had a code for writing letters to each other back and forth. Anything code is fascinating usually. I bet this would have given the teachers a good laugh when they attempted to read our letters



Alura

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[Pinkpower_80]

What a fun list! I am gonna work on some things with these names lol. It really does explain some of the jacked up ingredients passed down through time.

[Pinkpower_80]

I had had some cuckoo wing & tail last night. Lots more fun than saying I had some plantain.

[Alura Noel]

It really does explain some of the jacked up ingredients passed down through time.

That was my thinking too. Its truly neat how the coded everything.

[Echo_of_shadows]

Maybe I should start introducing myself as Bat Wing instead of Holly.

[TheGirlOfSecrets]

This is really cool

[Vervain]

This is AWESOME, thank you for posting this. This will for sure be going in my BoLaS.

[Heartsong]

I love this! Absolutely incorporating these into the language I use in my BoS. Thank you, Alura, you always have some of the best posts!

[Alura Noel]

Maybe I should start introducing myself as Bat Wing instead of Holly.

It's the perfect time of the year to start lol.

[Alura Noel]

Heartsong, that would be so awesome to use it in your BOS! And I enjoy reading your posts too, you're so well written.

[Karma]

This is truly awesome, thanks for sharing!

[Aceso]

I love knowing this. Thanks.