Tryskelion A Pagan Resource Site Old-World Names for Herbs and Plants



Thanks to Shakespeare, we're all familiar with phrases like "Eye of Newt" and "Toe of Frog," as well as "Lizard's Leg" and "Tongue of Dog." No doubt some country folk in the Middle Ages thought these names were literal, given that witches were given a bad rap by the Catholic Church at the time. In fact, in addition to midwifing babies, having knowledge of herbs and plants (either magically or medicinally) often was reason enough to accuse a woman of being a "witch." Though, more to the point, the woman in question was often a widow with land the church or a high noble desired; and the "witch" accusation just a means to obtain an end - her land. Than again, phrases such as those mentioned above could have been and probably were used to name the plant by using a descriptor that would be easy to remember, and easy to teach to others. There are many plants that start with "Eye of..." because on the plant is a darker (or lighter) rounded shape - many times in the middle of the leaf - which looks somewhat like an eye. Other plants were given names descriptive of their uses; still others, for something they generally resembled. This is just my opinion, but I can't help but believe that use of these names also kept the "secrets" from those who didn't believe, as well as from those who would rush headlong into trying something before they had the knowledge and skill to do so effectively (and safely). Old Herbal Name Herb/Plant Name Adders Fork Adders tongue Adders Tongue Dogstooth Violet Ass's Foot or Bull's Foot Coltsfoot Bat Flower Tacca Bat's Wings Holly Bat's Wool Moss Bear's Foot Lady's Mantle Beggar's Buttons Burdock Beggar's Tick Cockhold Bird's Eye Germander Speedwell Bird's Foot Fenugreek Black Maidenhair Black Spleenwort Black Sampson Echinacea Black Snake Root Black Cohosh Blind Eyes Poppy Blood Elder Sap or another tree sap Blood from a Head Lupine Blood from a Shoulder Bear's Breeches Blood of Ares Purslane Blood of Kronos Cedar Blood of Hephaistos Wormwood Blood of Hestia Chamomile Blood of a Goose Mulberry Tree's Milk Blood of a Titan Wild Lettuce Blood of an Eye Tamarisk Gall Blood Leather Reindeer Moss/Rock Tripe/Caribou Lichen Bloodroot Tormentil Bloodwort Yarrow Bloody Butcher Valerian Bloody Finger Foxglove Bone of an Ibis Buckthorn Brains Congealed Gum from a Cherry Tree Bread and Cheese Tree Hawthorne. Whitethorn, Hazels Broom Gorse Bull's Blood or Seed of Horus Horehound Bull's Foot Coltsfoot Burning Bush Fraxinella, White Dittany Butcher's Broom Irish Tops Buttons Tansy Calf's Snout Snapdragon Candelmas Maiden Snowdrop Capon's Tail Valerian Cat's Foot Canada Snake Root and/or Ground Ivy Cheeses Marsh Mallow Cherry Pie Heliotrope Chocolate Flower Wild Geranium Church Steeples Agrimony Clear-Eye Clary Sage Click Goosegrass Clot Great Mullein Corpse Candles Mullein Corpse Plant Indian Pipe Courtesy Summer Wind Crocodile Dung Black Earth Crow Corn Ague Root Crow Foot Wild Geranium Crowdy Kit Figwort Crown for a King Wormwood Cuckoo's Bread Common Plantain Cucumber Tree Magnolia Cuddy's Lungs Great Mullein Dead Man Ash Mandrake root poppet Death Angel Agaric Death Flower Yarrow Devil's Apple Datura Devils Dung Asafoetida Devil's Eye Henbane, Periwinkle Devil's Flower Bachelor's Buttons Devil's Guts Dodder Devil's Milk Celandine Devil's Nettle Yarrow Devil's Oatmeal Parsley Devil's Plaything Yarrow Dew of the Sea Rosemary Dog Fennel Anthemis Dog Grass Agropyrum Dog's Mouth Snap Dragon Dog`s Tail Cynosurus Dog's Tongue Conoglossum Officinale Dog`s Tooth Violet Erythronium Dove's Foot Wild Geranium Dragon Wort Bistort Dragon Bushes Toadflax Dragon's Blood Calamus Dragon's Scales Bistort Leaves Duck's Foot May Apple Eagle Wild Garlic Ear of an Ass Comfrey Ear of a Goat St. John's Wort Earth Smoke Fumitory Elf leaf Lavender, Rosemary Elf's Wort (Elfwort) Elecampane Enchanter's Plant Vervain Englishman's Foot Common Plantain Erba Santa Maria Spearmint Everlasting Friendship Goosegrass Eye of the Day Common Daisy Eye of Newt Wild Mustard Seed Eye of the Star Horehound Eye Root Goldenseal Eyes Aster, Daisy, Eyebright Fairies Eggs Molukka Fairie's Finger Foxglove Fairies Horses Ragwort Fairy Bells Sorrel, Wood Fairy Cup Cowslip Fairy Smoke Indian Pipe Fat from a Head Spurge Felon Herb Mugwort Filwort Centory or Feverwort Five Fingers Cinquefoil Flesh and Blood Tormentil Fox's Clote Burdock Frog bit Hydrocharis Frog fruit Phyla Frog Orchid Coeloglossum Frog's Foot Bulbous Buttercup Frog`s Lettuce Groenlandia From the Belly Earth-apple From the Foot Houseleek From the Loins Chamomile Gazel's Hooves Quickset, Albespyne Goat's Foot Ash Weed Goat's Leaf Honeysuckle God's Hair Hart's Tongue Fern Golden Star Avens Gosling Wing Goosegrass Graveyard Dust Mullein Great Ox-eye Ox-eye Daisy Hag's Taper Great Mullein Hagthorn Hawthorn Hairs of a Baboon Dill Seed Hair Maidenhair Fern Hair of Venus Maidenhair Fern Hare's Beard Great Mullein Hare's Foot Avens Hawk's Heart Heart of Wormwood Heart Walnut Heart of Osmund Royal Fern Herb of Grace Vervain Hind's Tongue Hart's Tongue Fern Holy Herb Yerba Santa Holy Rope Hemp Agrimony Hook and Arm Yerba Santa Horse Hoof Coltsfoot Horse Tongue Hart's Tongue Fern Hundred Eyes Periwinkle Indian Dye Goldenseal Innocence Bluets Jacob's Staff Great Mullein Jew's Ear Fungus on Elder or Elm John's Bread Carob Joy of the Mountain Marjoram Jupiter's Foot Houseleek Jupiter's Staff Great Mullein King's Crown Black Haw Knight's Milfoil Yarrow Kronos' Blood Cedar Jacob's Staff Great Mullein Jew's Ear Fungus on Elder or Elm John's Bread Carob Joy of the Mountain Marjoram Jupiter's Foot Houseleek Jupiter's Staff Great Mullein King's Crown Black Haw Knight's Milfoil Yarrow Kronos' Blood Cedar Lad's Love Southernwood Lady's Glove Foxglove aka Witches' Gloves Lady's Mantle Nine Hooks Lady's Meat May Flower blossom Lady's Slipper American Valerian Lady's Tresses Spira Root Lamb's Ears Betony Lion's Ear Motherwort Lion's Hairs Turnip leaves Lion's Tooth Dandelion aka Priest's Crown Lizard's Tail Breast Weed Little Dragon Tarragon Love in Idleness Pansy Love Leaves Burdock Love Lies Bleeding Amaranth or Anemone Love Man Goosegrass Love Parsley Lovage Love Root Orris Root Man's Bile Turnip Sap Man's Health Ginseng Maiden's Hair Maidenhair Fern Maiden's Ruin Southernwood Master of the Woods Woodruff May Black Haw May Lily Lily of the Valley May Rose Black Haw Maypops Passion Flower Mistress of the Night Tuberose Mother's Heart Shepheard's Purse Mouse's Ear Hawk Weed Mouse's Tail Common Stonecrop Mutton Chops Goosegrass Newt`s Tail Saururus Nose Bleed Yarrow Old-Maid's-Nightcap Wild Geranium Old Man Mugwort Old Man's Flannel Great Mullein Old Man's Pepper Yarrow Old Woman Wormwood Oliver Olive Organ Tea Pennyroyal Paddock Pipes Horsetail Pantagruelian Marijuana Password Primrose Peter's Staff Great Mullein Pig's Tail /td> Leopard's Bane Poor Man's Treacle Garlic Poor Man Weatherglass Pimpernel Priest's Crown Dandelion leaves Pucha-pat Patchouli Queen of the Meadow Meadowsweet Queen of the Meadow Root Gravelroot Queen of the Night Vanilla Cactus Queen's Delight Silverleaf Queen's Root Stilengia Rabbit's Foot Field Clover Ram's Head American Valerian Red Cockscomb Amaranth Ring-o-Bells Bluebells Robin-Run-in-the-Grass Goosegrass Scaldhead Blackberry See Bright Clary Sage Semen of Ammon Houseleek Semen of Ares Clover Semen of Helios White Hellebore Semen of Herakles Mustard-rocket Semen of Hermes Dill Semen of Hephaistos Fleabane Seed of Horus Horehound Serpent's Tongue Adder's Tongue Seven Barks Hydrangea Seven Year's Love Yarrow Shameface Wild Geranium Shepherd's Heart Shepherd's Purse Silver Bells Black Haw Skin of a Man Fern Skul Skullcap Mushroom Snake's Blood Hematite Stone Snake's Friend Indian Paintbrush Snake's Head Balmony Snake's Milk Blooming Splurge Snake's Tongue Adder's Tongue Fern Snake/ Snakeweed Bistort Snow Drop Bulbous Violet Soapwort Comfrey or Daisy Sorcerer's Violet Periwinkle Sparrow's Tongue Knotweed Spider Lily Spiderwort Squirrel's Ear White Plantain St. John's Herb Hemp Agrimony (This is not St. John's Wort) St. John's Plant Mugwort Stag's Horn Club Moss Star Flower Borage Star of the Earth Avens Starweed Chickweed Sweethearts Goosegrass Swine's Snout Dandelion Leaves Tanner's Bark Common Oak Tarragon Mugwort Tartar Root Ginseng Tears of a Baboon Dill Juice Titan's Blood Wild Lettuce Thor's Helper /td> Rowan Thousand Weed Yarrow Thunder Plant House Leek Toad Toadflax Toe Of Frog Bulbous Buttercup Leaves Tongue of dog Hound's Tongue Tooth or Teeth Pinecone(s) Torches Great Mullein Tree of Heaven Chinese Sumach Unicorn's Horn False Unicorn Unicorn Root Ague Root Wax Dolls Fumitory Weazel Snout Yellow Dead Nettles/Yellow Archangel Weed Ox-Eye Daisy White Ox-eye Daisy White Man's Foot Common Plantain White Wood White Cinnamon Witch Bells Foxglove Witch Herb Mugwort Witch's Asprin White Willow/Willow Bark Witch's Brier Brier Hips Witch's Hair Dodder Witch's Thimble Datura Witchbane Rowan Wolf Claw Club Moss Wolf Foot Bugle Weed Wolf's Hat Wolfsbane Wolf's Milk Euphorbia Worms Gnarled, thin roots of a local tree





Animal Herb Blue Jay Bay Laurel Cat Catnip Dog Couch Grass Eagle Wild Garlic Frog Cinquefoil Hawk Hawkweed Lamb Lettuce Lizard Calumniate Nightingale Hops Rat Valerian Toad Sage Weasel Rue Woodpecker Peony





When a specific part of an herb needed to be used, they were referred to usually as a body part. Below is a handy table of these notes. Old Name for Part Actual Part of the Herb Used Eye Inner part of a blossom Paw, Foot, Leg, Wing, or Toe Leaf Guts Roots and stalk Privates Seed Hair Dried, stringy herbs Tail Stem Head Flower Tongue Petal Heart A bud or seed







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