52 p f a n t bore, b e g e “?^/, cm^ btjric/,
against evil spirits. After daybreak on St. John’s Day it is
dangerous to pluck herbs; the gatherer running the risk of being
afflicted with cancer.
According to Bauhin, the following plants are consecrated to
St. John :—First and specially the Hypericum, or perforated St.
John’s Wort, the fuga, dicmonuwh, or devil’s flight, so named from
the virtue ascribed to it of frightening away evil spirits, and acting
as a charm against witchcraft, enchantment, storms, and thunder.
It is also called Tutsan, or All-heal, from its virtues in curing all
kinds of wounds ; and Sanguis hominis, because of the blood-red
juice of its flowers.
The leaves of the common St. John’s Wort are marked with
blood-like spots, which alway appear on the 29th of August, the day
on which the Baptist was beheaded. The “ Flower of St. Joh n ”
is the Chrysanthemum (Corn Marigold), or, according to others, the
Buphthalmus (Ox-Eye) or the Anacyclus. Grapes of St. John are
Currants. The Belt or Girdle of St. John is Wormwood. The
Herbs of St. John comprise also Mentha sarracénica or Costus hortensis
; Callithricum sativum or Centrum galli or Orminum sylvestre; in
Picardy Abrotanum (a species of Southernwood); and, according to
others, the Androscemon (Tutsan), the Scrophularia, and the Crassula
major. The scarlet Lychnis Coronaria is said to be lighted up on
his day, and was formerly called Candelabrum ingens. A species
of nut is named after the Saint. The Carob is St. John s Mead,
so called because it is supposed to have supplied him with fooc.
in the wilderness, and to be the “ locusts ” mentioned in the
Scriptures. . .
The festival of St. John would seem to be a favourite time with
maidens to practice divination in their love affairs. On the eve of
St. John, English girls set up two plants of Orpine on a trencher,
one for themselves and the other for their lo v e r; and they estimate
the lover’s fidelity by his plant living and turning to theirs, or
otherwise. They also gather a Moss-rose so soon as the dew
begins to fall, and, taking it indoors, carefully keep it till New
Year’s Eve, when, if the blossom is faded, it is a sign of the
lover’s insincerity, but if it still retains its common colour, he
is true. On this night, also, Hemp-seed is sown with certain
mystic ceremonies. In Brittany, on the Saint’s Vigil, young
men wearing bunches of green Wheat-ears, and lasses decked
with Flax-blossoms, assemble round one of the old pillar-stones
and dance round it, placing their wreath upon it. If it remains
fresh for some time after, the lover is to be trusted, but should
it wither within a day or two, so will the love prove but transient.
In Sweden, on St. John’s Eve, young maidens arrange a
bouquet composed of nine different flowers, among which the
Hypericum, or St. John’s Wort, or the Ox-eye Daisy, St. John’s
Flower, must be conspicuous. The flowers must be gathered
from nine diiferent places, and the posy be placed beneath the
maiden s pillow. Then he who she sees in her dreams will be
sure soon to arrive.*
The village maids mysterious tales relate
Of bright Midsummer’s sleepless nights ; the Fern
That time sheds secret seeds ; and they prepare
Untqld-of rites, predictive of their fate :
Virgins in silent expectation watch
Fxact at twelve’s propitious hour, to view
The future lover o’er the threshold pass ;
T h ’ inviting door wide spread, and every charm
Performed, while fond hope flutters in the breast,
And credulous fancy, painting his known form,
Kindles concordant to their ardent wish.”—Bidlake.
©Jfocoeiy o f tRe
In the dark ages the Catholic monks, who cultivated with
assiduity all sorts of herbs and flowers in their monastic gardens,
came in time to associate them with traditions of the Church, and
to look upon them as emblems of particular saints. Aware, also,
of the innate love of humanity for flowers, they selected the’most
popular as symbols of the Church festivals, and in time every
flower became connected with some saint of the Calendar, either
from blowing about the time of the saint’s day, or from being
connected with him in some old legend.
St. Benedict’s herbs are the Avens, the Hemlock, and the
Valerian, which were assigned to him as being antidotes; a legend
of the saint relating that upon his blessing a cup of poisoned wine,
which a monk had presented to him to destroy him, the glass was
shivered to pieces. _ To St. Gerard was dedicated the ABgopodium
Podagraria, because it was customary to invoke the saint against
the gout, for which this plant was esteemed a remedy. St.
Christopher has given his name to the Baneberry [Actcsa spicata),
the Osmund Fern {Osmunda regalis), the Fleabane {Pulicaria dysen-
terica),^ and, according to old herbalists, to several other plants,
including Betonica officinalis, Vida Cracca and Sepium, Cnaphalium
germanicum, Spircea ulmaria, two species of Wolf’s Bane, &c. St.
George has numerous plants named after or dedicated to him.'
In England his flower is the Harebell, but abroad the Peony
IS generally called after him. His name is also bestowed on
the Lilium convallium. The Herb of St-. George is the Valeriana
sativa; his root, Dentaria major; his Violet, Leucoium luteum ; his
fruit, Cucumis agrestis. In Asia Minor the tree of St. George is the
Carob. The Eryngium was dedicated to St. Francis under the
name of St. Francis’s Thorn. Bunium fiexuosum, is St. Anthony’s
nut—a pig-nut, because he is the patron of pigs; and Senecio
Jacobcea is St. James’s Wort (the saint of horses and colts) used
.it:- * details of the rites of St. John’s Fve, see Part II., under the heads
“ F e r n , ” “ H emp,” and “ M o s s -R o s e .”