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the superstitious Scandinavian and German peasantry the Sorb
is esteemed a magical tree, typical of fecundity and generation; it
is also regarded as a funereal tree, and Mannhardt relates an Icelandic
legend, according to which the Sorb sprang from the bodies
of two young men, who, although quite innocent, had been condemned
to death.
S E S A M E .—It is from the delightful story of ‘ The Forty
Thieves,’ in the ‘ Arabian Nights’ Entertainment,’ that most English
people have become acquainted with the Sesame—the wondrous
plant that at the command of Ali Baba—“ Open, Sesame! ”—
gained him an entrance to the secret treasure-cave. In this capacity
of opening the doors of caverns, &c., the Sesamum-flower
resembles the Springwort, and, like that mystic plant, would
seem to be an embodiment of lightning, if we may judge from
its Indian name of Vajrapushpa, Thunderbolt-flower. Gerarde,
in his ‘ Herbal,’ speaks of it as “ the oily pulse called Sesamum”
(or Sesamd), and says “ it is one of the summer grains, and is sown
before the rising of the seven stars, as Pliny writeth.” The plant
is a native of the East Indies, and the Hindus say that it was
created by Yama, the god of death, after a lengthy penance. They
employ it specially in funeral and expiatory ceremonies as a purifi-
cator and as a symbol of immortality. In their funeral rites in
honour of the departed, they pour Sesame grain into the three
sacrificial vases, wherein the sacred Kusa and the holy oil have
already been placed, the while invoking the pulse as “ the Sesame
consecrated to the god Soma.” At the annual festival in honour of
the childless god Bhishma, the four Indian castes pray for the departed
god, and by this adl of piety procure for themselves absolution
for all sins committed during the past year, provided that, at
the conclusion of the ceremony, an offering is made of water.
Sesame, and Rice. Sesame, with Rice and honey, enters into the
composition of certain funeral cakes offered to the Manes in the
ceremonies, but eaten by the persons present. The Indian funeral
offering, made at six different periods, is called “ the offering of six
Sesames,” and if this is faithfully made, the natives hope to be
delivered from misfortune on earth and to be rewarded with a place
in the heaven of Indra. At an Indian funeral, when the corpse has
been burnt, the devotees bathe in a neighbouring river, and leave
on its banks two handfuls of Sesame, as nourishment for the soul
of the departed whilst on its funeral journey, and as a symbol of
the eternal life offered to the deceased.
SH A M R O C K .—The word Shamrock (which means Little
Trefoil) is from the Erse seamvog, a diminutive of seamar, Trefoil,
The Shamrock, or Trefoil, in heraldry, is the badge of the kingdom
of Ireland, and St. Patrick, the patron saint of that isle,
is represented in the habit of a bishop, holding a Trefoil—St.
Patrick’s Cross, as it is called by Irishmen. It is said that St.
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p l a n t b o r e , b e g cqU /, an ^ bLjrie/, 545
Patrick, when on an evangelising mission in Ireland, made the
doanne of the Trinity, one day, the subjea of his discourse.
h mding his hearers unable to understand it, he plucked a leaf of
Shamrock, and used it as an illustration. So easy and simple was
the application, that their difficulties were removed, and thev
accepted Christianity. Ever since, the Shamrock has been the
national emblem of Irishmen, and has been worn by them for many
oenturies on the 17th of March, which is the anniversary of St.
Patrick. As to what was the herb which furnished the saint with
so excellent an illustration of the Three in One, there is amongst
botanists much dispute, but the plants that for a long time past
have been sold in Dublin and London on St. Patrick’s Day as the
national badge are the Black Nonsuch {Medicago lupulina), and the
Dutch Clover {Trifolium repens). Several writers have advocated
the claims of the Wood Sorrel {Oxalis acetosella), which is called by
the old herbalists Shamrog, and is proved in olden times to have
been eaten by the Irish,—one old wriier, who visited their country
m the sixteenth century, stating that it was eaten, and that it was
a sour plant. _ Wood Sorrel is a sour-tasting plant, is indigenous to
Ireland, and is trifoliated. It grows in woods, where the people
used to assemble, and where the priests taught and performed their
mystic ntes ; and therefore it may have been the plant plucked by
ot. Patrick. It has also b.een contended that the Watercress
(called “ Shamrock” by Holinshed in 1586) was the plant gathered
by the saint, but as its leaf is not trifoliate, this claim has not
tound much favour. The plant which is figured upon our coins,
both English and Irish, is an ordinary Trefoil. Queen Vidtoria
placed the Trefoil in her royal diadem in lieu of the French Fleur-
de-lis.
S H E P H E R D ’ S P U R S E .—The Capsella Bursa is commonly
known as Pickpocket or Pickpurse, from its robbing the farmer by
goodness of his land. It was known to our forefathers
by the names of St. James’s-wort, Poor Man’s Parmacetty, Toywort,
and Caseweed, and was considered to be “ marvellous good for
mfiammation.” (See C l a p p e d e p o u c h .)
SH O LO A .—The Sholoa is a medicinal plant, employed by
the Bushmen of South Africa. Before going into battle, they rub
their hands with Sholoa, in order to be able to chafe the badly
wound/d to preserve their life. When they dig up this plant, they
deem It necessary, to avert danger from themselves, to replant
^mediately a portion of the root, so that it may spring up again.
Tradition says that a man who neglecfted this precaution was found
speechless and rnotionless enveloped in the toils of serpents. These
serpents were killed by the Bushmen in order to regain possession
oi the root, which was replanted. Their women are afraid of these
root/ when freshly dug up ; they are, therefore, always put into a
bag before being taken into a hut.
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