This is what we do.
This is Economic Botany.
Ever heard of The Society of Economic Botany? These are the people you want to study and what they study. In my y:1 class, that is what we did. I give you:
by Jose Antonio Gonzales, Monica Garcia-Barriuso, Manuel Pardo-De-Santayana, and Francisco Amich.
Trust me, this isn't a boring article. It may seem pretty boring, but its quite fascinating. The area of study was in Arribes del Duero. A small village that have a fear of witches embedded deeply in its historical and cultural roots. Out of 84 participants for the questionnaire only 52 returned it. The others would not even touch it because they wanted nothing to do with witches. Even the parish priest
is trying to cleanse the village of its super strong witch obsession/fear.
Anyways, onward to plants. The real reason for this to even exist.
The researches notice a certain 15 plants that appeared constantly in answers to the questionnaire. Below, I will list the plants along with their local name which are in Spanish.
- Allium sativum - ajo
- Centaurea ornata - trolla, arzolla
- Cynodon dactylon - grama
- Genista hystrix - piorno, bolaga
- Laurus nobilis - laurel, aurel
- Lavandula pedunculata - tomillo
- Magydaris panacifolia - canas de San Juan
- Olea europaea - olivo, oliva
- Ononis spinosa - gatunas
- Peucedanum officinale - yerbatu
- Romarinus officinalis - romero
- Ruta montana - ruda
- Scrophularia canina - maldeojo, hierba del mal do ojo
- Thymus mastichina - senserina de San Juan
- Triticum aestivum - trigo
Why these plants? Why would these plants make any greater difference than other plants lying about the village? A part of it has to do with the religious influence. During Palm Sunday and St. John's Eve, a good number of these plants make an appearance during these times.
Palm Sunday: olive branches, laurel, rosemary
St. John's Eve bonfire: canas de San Juan, senserina de San Juan
For Palm Sunday, the bunches of branches from the above list, are normally blessed at mass. The plants even hold a symbolic meaning to the people. The olive represents peace. Laurel is considered a symbol of Apollo which translate to a symbol of victory and eternal life. Lastly, rosemary is known for a close relationship to the Virgin Mary.
St. John's Bonfire is a really cool event, in my opinion. They make a bonfire and then you jump over the bonfire. The smoke cleanses you and your body and your soul. The smoke is used as a purifier.
The one thing I loved about this article was how people still do believe in the mystic powers of the herbs and plants. It may seem a little old-fashioned, but hey, if they think it will work, that's fine by me. I enjoy reading about traditional ways of thinking. How people knew which plants to use to treat certain things. How plants became a part of a culture without even trying.
Just shows how much plants can jump into people's lives without even trying.
Just shows how much plants can jump into people's lives without even trying.
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