 |
| Édouard Schuré |
”Giftiga
växter” is a 1980 Swedish translation of a Danish book, written by Harald
Nielsen with really good illustrations made by Bente Sivertsen. Yes, it´s a
relatively popularized book about poisonous plants, mostly European ones
(plants as in “green” plants – no fungi in this one, the fungi not being plants
scientifically speaking, sorry). The species presentations describe the plant
itself and the exact effects of its poisonous substances (this is not light
bed-time reading!). In addition, we also get information about the role of the
various plants in mythology and history. It seems humans (who didn´t invent
modern medicine until fairly recently) always knew exactly how to kill each
other with noxious weeds! No problem there…
If not
used for murder or execution, plants were good for suicide. Thus, an entire
Iberian tribe surrounded by the legions of Augustus chose death by a last supper
on European yew, rather than being killed or captured by the hated Romans. Yew
was also used by a Belgian king who didn´t want to give himself over to Julius
Caesar, at least if Caesar himself is to be believed. There is (or was in 1980)
some debate on whether Socrates was executed by drinking hemlock (Conium) or
water hemlock (Cicuta). Apparently, Conium was once known as Cicuta, adding to
the confusion. The author thinks it was Conium mixed with wine and opium!
Another, somewhat peculiar, usage for poisonous plants was as a method to
suppress sexual urges – monks and nuns were admonished to use certain species
for this reason. Less peculiar is the use of noxious weeds as a form of
chemical warfare.
During the
First Sacred War in Greece, Solon (otherwise mostly known as sagely, wise and
bearded) supposedly poisoned the drinking water of the besieged town of Kirrha
(misspelled “Kirrka” in the book – it took me ages to find the reference on the
web) with optimal quantities of hellebore. Or maybe it wasn´t Solon. Earlier
versions of the same legend claim that it was Cleisthenes of Sicyon who
poisoned the water supplies on the advice of a certain Nebros, who was an
ancestor of Hippocrates! Either way, Kirrha had it coming, mistreating pilgrims
bound for Delphi. You.Don´t.Do.That.
Sometimes,
the author conflates mythology and real history. At least twice, he mentions
the legend that Aristotle instigated the murder of Alexander the Great by poison.
Supposedly, Aristotle then committed suicide by drinking a potion made of
wolf´s bane to avoid being executed (i.e. forced to drink hemlock…or water
hemlock). The Druids make several guest-appearances in this little book, being
fond of both mistletoe and ferns. But the most curious reference in “Giftiga
växter” is the claim that the Hindu god Rama was the first personage to learn
about the medical effects of mistletoe, by the help of which he saved the White
race!
Rama did…what?
Nielsen clearly
thinks this comes from an ancient myth, but it is obvious from context that it
must be modern. “The White race” is a modern concept, no matter what your local
unfriendly Twitter troll might have told you. It took me about five minutes to
find the source by simply reaching for my Android phone from Huawei: “The Great
Initiates”, a work from 1889 by French esotericist Édouard Schuré (who later
worked with Rudolf Steiner). In this book, Rama is a Druid (sic) who indeed
saves the White race from a deadly plague by medicine made from mistletoe. How
a claim from a French esoteric writer ended up in a Danish book on botany is,
of course, an interesting question!
“They” are
clearly behind this one!
No comments:
Post a Comment