Es Kannligraut - Sweet Cicely

Traditionally, this herb has held a significant place on the Pennsylvania Dutch spice palette. It has been known by many names in Deitsch, yet its use seems to have diminished over time. It's time to bring increase our awareness of this herb and to enjoy learning and experiencing the traditions that continue into the present.

es Kannligraut

This is Sweet Cicely (pdc: es Kannligraut, es Karwligraut, der Siessfennichel, die Siesswatzel; tax: Myrrhis odorata). It is a perennial herb in the carrot family. As an aromatic herb, its traditional use in Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine is to add a mild licorice or anise flavor and natural sweetness to dishes. One of the benefits to Sweet Cicely is that it is often used to reduce the amount of sugar needed in cooking and the stems and leaves are used in stewing tart fruits, such as Rhubarb, Gooseberries, and variants of Apples. 

The use as a flavoring is versatile, from omelets to herb-infused oils and brandies. All parts of the plant are edible, with some people boiling the roots or adding them to stews (including to Bott Boi, or pot pie).

As is the case with Fennel, I will sometimes pop a Sweet Cicely seed pod and chew on it to ease dry mouth when working outside or to freshen my breath. They can be added to cakes or cupcakes for a subtle anise flavor.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer: This information is for educational and discussion purposes only. Nothing in these posts is intended to constitute, or should be considered, medical advice or to serve as a substitute for the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider. 

Although there are several historical medicinal uses for this herb, perhaps the most valuable today is as a sweet spice that can reduce the need for additional sugar and can thus be used in cooking for diabetic needs. 

Paul Wieand (17) lists traditional uses as being as a laxative, which is still recommended as a tea among many Hexerei practitioners today. Other traditional uses include as an easement for bronchitis, grippe, bowel, and urinary issues.

Folkloric Uses

In Blanzegschwetz practice at this time of year, Sweet Cicely plays an interesting role. Spring tonics and bitter tonics are common as we emerge from winter. The Sweet Cicely already has enough growth on it that I can use it as a sweet tonic or as a flavor balance in a bitter tonic.

This is also an "Elf shot" herb in our folklore. Carrying Sweet Cicely on oneself is said to protect one from being targeted by curses or malicious entities. If one senses an Elf shot (a sudden, unexplained shooting pain in the body), a traditional remedy is to rub the spot with a poultice of Sweet Cicely in asterisk patterns nine times. 

It would be wonderful to see a resurgence of the traditional herbs in our spice palette. Growing this herb is not difficult, but seed stratification is important to get it started. If you don't live in an area where you have extended periods of freezing temperatures in the winter, you would have more luck placing the seeds in a freezer (dampness can also help) for a month or so. 

It is a good woodland herb, so it does well in partial shade and moist soil. Benign neglect is better than too much attention. It attracts beneficial insects and is an excellent companion plant to Rhubarb and Hosta.

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Work Cited:

Wieand, Paul. Folk Medicine Plants Used in the Penna. Dutch Country. Mechanicsburg, PA: Remembrance Press, 1961.

Der Hauswachs - Houseleeks

Houseleeks, or hens and chicks, is one of those plants whose old lore persisted. 

It is sacred to Dunner, and tradition was —and still is, to some degree— to plant Hauswachs on the roof of homes, barns, or other buildings to ward off lightning strikes.

Zitrones Muddergraut / Lemon Beebalm / Monarda citriodora

New addition to the garden this year.

 

The way it flowers reminds me of Spotted Beebalm, which is, perhaps, my very favorite plant of all time in appearance. The Lemon Beebalm is blooming far earlier than my Spotted ever has, and the shades of pink are really beautiful.

Grudelrewe / Groundsel

Grudelrewe (pdc), (tax: Senecio vulgaris and en: Common Groundsel): Groundsel is listed as a noxious weed in many states and even in many countries. It is poisonous to cattle and horses. It is toxic to humans with prolonged exposure. The plant is native to Europe and Asia but has spread throughout most of the world.

die Grudelrewe

In the past, it was used in Deitsch herbalism as a remedy for epilepsy and for treatment of worms. However, there are far better herbs out there to use instead of one that is documented to be toxic.

There are some benefits to the plant, though. For starters, finches, sparrows, and some other birds consume the seeds as part of their diet. The plant is frost-resistant and runs on shorter cycles, which means the birds have groundsel seeds available much of the year. It is also a food source for the caterpillars of some moths (mostly in Europe and Asia), and it plays host to some pollinating flies and other insects.

At this time of year, many Milkweeds are releasing their floating seeds. Groundsels seeds look similar, so a Groundsel seed might be mistaken for a Milkweed seed and be caught by a Deitsch child, who, thinking it is a "Gwinschi" ("Wishy") or "Wischli" ("Wisp"), will make a wish on the seed and release it back into the wild.

DEITSCH VOCABULARY

die Grudelrewe: Common Groundsel; Senecio vulgaris

Potential Pitfall! Grudelrewe vs. Grundelreewe. The former is this toxic Groundsel; the latter is Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea), a beneficial herb of the Mint family and one of the Nine Sacred Herbs of Urglaawe.

es Gwinschi: informally, a "wishy." Something one makes wishes upon. In Deitsch lore, it is often the floating seed of a Milkweed. The floating seed is caught; the wish is made upon it. The seed is then released and is carried away to those who will hear it (folklore varies here among ancestors/forebears, Elwe, Idise, etc.). If the floating seed lands within sight and germinates, it is said the wish has been heard and granted.

es Millichgraut: Milkweed. Allgmeenes Millichgraut is Deitsch for Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca.

es Wischli: Similar to Gwinschi, but the original meaning is less about the wish and more about the wispy appearance of the floating seed.

Catnip / es Katzegraut

One of my friends started a new garden this year, and stray cats in her neighborhood completely trashed the Catnip that she had planted. This matched my first experience with Catnip over a decade ago. I have experimented with a few different options for dealing with this problem:

"Set it and they'll get it; sow and they won't know."

Anecdote from my experience:

When I first started gardening, I planted a Catnip (Nepeta cataria) plant that had a solid season. The next year during Spring cleanup, I uprooted the plant, so it never came back. So, I acquired more plants, and they did well... for about 20 hours. I came out to my backyard and startled the stray cat (who now lives with us strictly indoors) we since have named Mama. She had totally trashed all the Catnip plants that we set. It was a catnip carnage. So I tried setting a plant in a hanging pot. That worked sufficiently, but that summer was brutally, and the soil would dry out rapidly, so the plant withered quickly. I usually have at least one plant in a container each year, though.

The next season I tried a combination of sowing and setting into the ground. I set small plants right at the May 15 threshold. The smaller plants were easier to handle without damaging them than were the larger plants. I planted them in the middle of Daabnessel (Purple Deadnettle) stands that were fading out for the season.

This has worked for me every season. I think the trick is to avoid as much as possible doing any damage to the Catnip plant that would cause the volatile oil to be exposed to open air in a sufficient quantity. Speaking from my experience only, Daabnessel serves as a companion plant in a couple of ways: the texture and appearance of the leaves that branch from the stem are similar to Catnip, but the aroma is far more earthy. Daabnessel grows widely on its own throughout Pennsylvania, so most of us probably do not need to cultivate it; we can just use what is already there. Daabnessel also releases its oils and aroma at least as easily as Catnip, so, if the Catnip is set among the Daabnessel, the Daabnessel aroma might mask the Catnip aroma. They are both Mints and, while Daabnessel can grow rapidly and aggressively, its Spring season is fading out when Catnip's is coming in. Catnip requires space, so, as the plants grow, I pare back the dying Daabnessel.

Setting stakes or dowels around a set Catnip plant won't stop a cat from finding the plant and eating the aerial parts, but it will make it more difficult for the cat roll on the plant or to uproot it, which increases the chances of a set plant surviving.

Another great companion plant for Catnip, also from the Mint family, is Hyssop (Hyssopus officials), which one may often find in white and blue subspecies. The two plants improve the conditions for each other. Hyssop is a critical ingredient for one of my salves, so I appreciate the relationship between the two.

Usually a few volunteer Catnip plants show up in June from last years seeds sowing themselves. Those volunteers often turn up in areas where plants in the Brassica (Mustard) family are growing, which is often for me in garden beds where there are remnants of Pennsylvania Bittercress (Cuckooflower) are still there, but I try to keep the Cuckooflower out of the main garden beds because it just takes over. However, the companion status between Catnip and the Brassicas covers pretty much anything in the Mustard family. Catnip deters many of the pests (particularly the flea beetle) that attack Brassicas. Catnip can also serve as a good protector of plants in the Gourd (Curcurbit) family by deterring pests like the squash beetle.

Setting Catnip among other fragrant plants can increase the likelihood of survival. Lavender and Rosemary have worked sufficiently for me, but the one that seemed to do the single best job was Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium, which is a "true mint"; the distantly related American Pennyroyal is Hedeoma pulegioides and would work, too). I experimented with setting a medium-sized Catnip plant that had to be moved among three Pennyroyal plants. Pennyroyal has a distinct fragrance that is released easily, and it is, to my sense of smell, more volatile than is Catnip. Unfortunately, there is conflicting information out there about whether Pennyroyal is toxic to cats, and mounting evidence leads me to be hypercautious about placing an enticement amid potential poison.

Construction at my house this year resulted in the loss of my sole Rue (Ruta graveolens) plant. Rue is also said to be good deterrent to cats, but the area it was in was too small for Catnip to share the space. This is the weekend I will be acquiring stater plants or sowing seeds, so I may replace the Rue in the same place and then get another plant or two to test its success with protecting Catnip up in the cemetery.

Another option that many choose, for ornamental purposes primarily, is to plant a Catmint (Deitsch: der Katzebalsem; tax; Nepeta spp. other than cataria but especially Nepeta racemosa, Nepeta nepetella and hybrids of the two). Most Catmints won't be attractive to cats, so the plants will typically thrive. However, this also means that it is not "true" Catnip (which is not a hybrid). While I actually like the smell of Catmint, I stick to Catnip because it has more medicinal value to me and because I grow Catnip for my feline overlords. I was given a Catmint plant once (and I am not kidding when I say I dig the aroma of it), but I had to keep it in a container because I the likelihood of it hybridizing with my Catnip plants was way too high.

So this weekend is a great time to sow Catnip seeds directly and to transplant (carefully) seedlings or small plants into the ground.

Urglaawe Live Gebt Acht (#8) Chatcast

Urglaawe Live Gebt Acht is the eighth in our Facebook Live chatroom broadcasts. This weeks topic will be the Nine Sacred Herbs of Urglaawe / Neine Heiliche Gegreider, which are derived from Braucherei. 

Sunday, May 10, 2020

19:00 / 7:00 PM EDT

Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/228488888576165/

Presentation File: https://tinyurl.com/ycyhjcob

Urglaawe Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Urglaawe/

Wonnezeit Night / Day 7: Magnolia

WONNEZEIT NIGHT/DAY 7: MAGNOLIA

Deitsch: Maagnoli

Genus: Magnolia

Several types of Magnolia grow throughout the Deitscherei, and the Deitsch communities in Virginia, North Carolina, and other southern areas have certainly taken on some of the lore of the South that relates to the tree, such as representing nobility and strength.  In the Southern Diaspora, the flowers have come to represent the very land in which the people live, and white magnolias often are features of bridal bouquets to represent purity. 

Magnolia acuminata
Image source: https://canr.udel.edu/udbg/?plant=magnolia-acuminata

Across the Deitsch culture, magnolias will turn up in artwork, often adorning the edges but sometimes also serving a the primary subject of the work.

Purinton Pennsylvania Dutch Honey Jug
Image source: https://tinyurl.com/y9veymlu

Medicinally, tea from magnolia bark has long been used as a remedy for anxiety. People chew the bark as an alternative to smoking. Even to this day, some people snuff the warm tea to aid in sinus issues, or they put a poultice of magnolia tea around the site of a toothache. Older uses also include serving as a replacement of quinine in the treatment of malaria.

If you have magnolias on your property, today is an appropriate time to pour libations to the tree in order to encourage strong blooming of the flowers. Folklore states that, if you honor the tree properly, you might get a second round of blooms within the same season. Indeed, some species of magnolia do sometimes bloom twice.

Wonnezeit Night 6: Hawthorn

Deitsch: der Schpellebaam; die Weissdorn (specifially white hawthorns; several variants in spelling)

Genus: Crataegus

Hawthorn trees are common across the Deitscherei as ornamental trees with beautiful, fragrant flowers. During Wonnezeit, the tree is honored in its budding or blooming stage in order increase the yield of flowers and berries. Hawthorn is used as a medicinal herb by traditional Deitsch herbalists.

Hawthorn
image from: www.quickcop.ie

In Deitsch folklore, the tree's spirit can sense danger to itself or to one who bears the wood of the tree, and the tree's spirit will intervene to thwart energetic attacks. Hawthorn, therefore, is considered to have proactive defensive properties, which is consistent with some of its traditional medicinal uses.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational and discussion purposes only. Nothing in these posts is intended to constitute, or should be considered, medical advice or to serve as a substitute for the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider. 

Contraindication: Patients taking digoxin should avoid taking hawthorn.

Hawthorn has served as a hedgerow plant for Germanic peoples from the ancient times to the present. Earlier uses included the herb as a remedy for kidney and bladder stones, but the primary medicinal use to this day is to aid in keeping a healthy heart and circulatory system. Hawthorn increases blood flow to the heat and can help to restore a normal heartbeat.

The parts used in traditional Deitsch herbalism are the berries (fresh or dried) and the flowering tops (fresh or dried). Most common methods are tinctures or decoctions, though the flowering tops can be ground into pills, too. 

Many studies have supported the versatility of Hawthorn use in addressing many different diseases and conditions. Please see the National Institute of Health's article on the "Effect of Crataegus Usage in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: An Evidence-Based Approach."

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Hawthorn image viked from https://www.quickcrop.ie/product/common-hawthorn-bare-root-hedging-plants

Wonnezeit Night / Day 5: Crabapple, Apple

Deitsch: der Holsabbel, der Abbel

Genus: Malus

Deitsch "rural legend" says that we are the "Pie People," who have more distinct variations of pie than any other cuisine in the world. Whether this is true or not, I cannot say. However, we really do have a lot of pies counted among our traditional fare.

http://www.welcome-to-lancaster-county.com/amish-pies.html

On Day 3, I could have written an article similar to this one about Pawpaw, of which I have three trees on my cemetery property, but I was otherwise engaged. So, tonight, as Night 5 has begun, I'll write just a bit about the Crabapple and Apple.

Image from Home Depot
https://tinyurl.com/yb5blxoo

Although Crabapple is a particular type of Apple and the whole of the Apple Blossom Blessing description could just have been listed under "Apple." However, the lowly Crabapple has a special place in Deitsch cuisine because the three species of Crabapple that are native to Pennsylvania were the only apples to which the earliest settlers had until trade and orchards became more established. Crabapple pies and Crabapples used as flavoring in meals my reach back to that time of the Colonial Era.

Apples play a large role in Deitsch food production and industry. Even today, many of the larger applesauce producers are Deitsch or stem from Deitsch roots. Apple Butter is a very traditional Deitsch food, and the vast majority of those producers are Deitsch.

Apples are a major component of Urglaawe Erntfescht celebrations in September, and, although Idunna is not known in Deitsch lore, the importance of apples most certainly is. The apples on the tree that cried to be shaken off provided one of the tests that the heroine of "Fraa Holle" passed, and there are many other references to apples' benefit throughout our lore. 

Apples play a large role in traditional Deitsch social practices. "Schnitz parties" were (and still are) multi-family or community events in which people cut the apple harvest to prepare for the processing of the apples for applesauce or apple butter. Similar community harvests were common for other crops as well.

http://www.lynnheidelberg.org/schnitzingshooting.html

In order for us to enjoy all the foods and social aspects that surround Crabapples and Apples, we have to have a bountiful Apple harvest. To that end, ritual blessings of Apple trees take place throughout the region, frequently during the beginning of May. The original article about the Wonnezeit blessings (https://urglaawe.blogspot.com/2020/05/wonnezeit-tree-shrub-and-plant.html) describes a few methods of blessing, but we are still working on taking a few of them and creating some Urglaawe rituals.  Since we have not yet finished that process, we suggest that folks who do not have other plans utilize one of the straw methods:

The more practical (and somewhat common) ways to honor fruit-bearing trees includes straw in the following manners: 1. tying straw around its trunk; 2. strewing straw among is branches (which I think is a contributor to tree garlands); 3. tapping the trunk of the tree, particularly toward the base, with wisps of straw. I have used option 3 during Wonnezeit in the past.

We will continue to write about the Wonnezeit blessings and to work on the rituals, and we'll post them to Urglaawe fora as soon as they are completed.

Hail to the Crabapple! Hail to the Apple!

Linden, Lime, Basswood

WONNEZEIT NIGHT/DAY 4: LINDEN, BASSWOOD, LIME

During Wonnezeit (sunset April 30 - sunset May 12), many Urglaawer and other Deitsch folks will spend time engaging in traditions that honor and bless the trees, shrubs, and other plants around them. These actions hearken back to old German customs that were intended to encourage robust harvests from the orchards. In Urglaawe, we have a suggested honoring schedule for some trees, but people should be responding to their local flora and environmental conditions. 

Today is the 4th day of Wonnezeit, and we are honoring the Linden tree, also known as Basswood and, in the UK (and in some Deitsch variants but pronounced differently), as Lime. The lore applies across the genus.

American Linden

Deitsch: der Linnebaam

Genus: Tilia

The Linden is, perhaps, one of the more unassuming of our sacred trees. 

This beautiful, spry, and blithe tree has provided comfort and shade as the town center tree in many German villages since at least the 10th century. The relationship between the tree and the Germanic peoples has strengthened and evolved over the centuries. This relationship has carried forth into Deitsch lore, holding the protective and love-related aspects of the tree while also serving as a powerful medicinal herb against epilepsy.

The wood of Linden (Lime and Basswood, too) is prized for carving, and some Deitsch crafters use the wood for statuary, protective charms, or for beautiful artwork. There are references to strips of Linden wood to divine the future by wearing it on the finger or around the wrist while sleeping.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational and discussion purposes only. Nothing in these posts is intended to constitute, or should be considered, medical advice or to serve as a substitute for the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider. 

Linden is an antispasmodic and sweat-inducing herb. It can relieve tension, including sinus headaches. It calms the mind and can ease panic attacks. It is often used as a sleep aid. The parts used are primarily the flowers and the bracts, but the seeds are also used traditionally.

Early Deitsch herbalist and author of America's first book of botanical healing, Christopher Sauer, described Linden as having "the capacity to strengthen the head and nerves, to purify the blood, to sweeten all sour, sharp humors, and to still pain in the limbs" (Weaver 197). He also states that the distilled water of linden blossoms can remedy dizziness and, when taken in spoonful doses, prevent convulsions and seizures.  The blossom water can also aid to combat cardialgy, which is a form of acid reflux that can cause bloating of the stomach in children. The mistletoe of Linden is said to behave like the tree itself (Weaver 197),

The juice of the inner bark of Linden infused into plantain water (traditional) or spring water can serve as a salve for burns. In a sympathetic, if not medicinal, manner, the sap that runs from a wound on a Linden tree may be applied to a bald spot on a human to restore hair growth (Weaver 197).

The berries and powdered seeds of Linden can alleviate diarrhea and heartburn. Swallowing Linden seeds (no more than six) is said to be able to stop a nosebleed (Weaver 197).

All of these remedies are still in active use among some traditional Deitsch Hexes and herbalists. Modern herbalism continues also to use 

The tree is traditionally associated with protection in several forms. Planting the tree near the home or barn is believed to protect the buildings from lightning strikes. The same applies to it being planted in pastures to protect cattle. This, of course, brings up an association with Dunner, and, indeed, that association stands, though Oak still is the primary tree associated with Dunner. 

Another protective aspect of Linden, however, is active warning and alters. Dreaming of Linden trees can herald good news or warn of danger, depending on the context of the dream. In fact, of all the trees commonly used or honored in Deitsch lore, Linden has the most lore on dreams.

Dreaming of planting a Linden foretells a coming new love.

Dreaming of a budding Linden tree is an indicator that good news is coming. 

Dreaming of a blooming Linden tree is an indicator that a reversal in bad luck has begun.

Dreaming of lightning striking a Linden is a caution that ill luck or a dangerous event just narrowly missed you, and you should up your wards.

Dreaming of a Linden being cut down is a warning that your love life is in jeopardy.

Dreaming of a Linden withering is an alert that you are vulnerable to sickness or disease.

It also is said to repel baneful entities from the home.

Between the aspects of love and protection, we also see some associations with Frouwa and Freid. 

However, with in the context of the Deitsch culture, the strongest association between the Linden and an individual being would be the human spirit, Gedreier Eckhart. 

Eckhart remains in the service of the goddess Holle, whom he loves as much in death as he did in life. He is Holle's messenger, and he goes ahead of the Parade of Spirits / Wild Hunt to warn the living of the impending fury. Thus, much as Linden informs people in their dreams, Eckhart informs those who are awake. 

Based on the Wonnenacht and the Wonnezeit myth, reference to Gedreier Eckhart sleeping inside a "lone linden tree" on "the Mannheem field" (Hexefeld in Lancaster County), it is more appropriate to have the Linden Blessing earlier in the Wonnezeit than on the 12th. Thus, it has been moved to 4th Night/Day, which is, well, today. 

Hail to the Linden!

Hail to Eckhart!

Updated blog post on the Tree Blessing dates:

https://urglaawe.blogspot.com/2020/05/wonnezeit-tree-shrub-and-plant.html

Die Ringelros

Die Ringelros - Calendula officinalis
Official flower of the Deitsch nation
Daugher of the Fae King, der Waldmops

Grumbieredaag un Frouwasege

Don't want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

How about the traditional Deitsch holiday of St. Gertrude's Day, known also by the name we use in Urglaawe of Grumbieredaag (Potato Day), which is the day we will honor the Frouwa.

Since the Deitsch population overwhelmingly identifies as Protestant or Anabaptist, the survival of this Catholic observance within the wider culture is interesting in its own right, even if it had been diminishing over time. Even most Christians (including those in the article below) acknowledge the heathen roots of the observance. While there are other connections that come up (particularly to Holle and to Freid/Frigg), Grimm (305) makes a connection between Gertrude and Frowa/Frouwa, and this is generally accepted by the Urglaawe community.

Potatoes have become a staple crop for the Deitsch since arrival, and tradition is that March 17 is the day to put potatoes in the ground. There are rituals to feed the Heinzelmenner or other Kowwold (kobolds) and to bring fertility to the garden. Specific foods include Datsch (a type of almost granola-like potato bread) and spring onions.

One thing I find important in this observance is the completion of the potato cycle. Potato bread from last year's harvest is consumed and offered to the land at the time that this year's crop is being planted.

The traditional Datsch recipe is posted in the Urglaawe Culinary Guild, and the program for the observance is below:

Program for Grumbieredaag un Frouwasege

Naadderkopp / Viper's Bugloss

Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare) is called "der Naaderkopp" in Deitsch. The plant is native to Europe but is naturalized in the Deitscherei. Likely due to the Doctrine of Signatures that associates the spotted stem of the plant with the skin of a viper and the prickly leaves with the bite, the traditional Deitsch use of the herb was to remove snake venom and to prevent viper bites. Due to the pyrrolizidine alkaloids, the plant is potentially toxic to the liver, so internal ingestion is not recommended. 

Nadderkopp. Source: Wikimedia

The plant, though, is still used in sympathetic Hexerei to hex snakes in order to weaken them and their venom. The whole plant is burned to curse any biting snake. The juice of the plant is splattered on snake bites along with some expulsion curses and charms. There are three venomous pit viper species in Pennsylvania: Northern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, Eastern Massasauga. On the plus side, though, the power of the viper may also be applied using Viper's Bugloss in a salve for "biting" boils, carbuncles, and other skin growths. The plant is safe for external use.

As is the case with the stories of many cultures, Deitsch lore makes references to charming snakes. However, there is also a belief that snakes can charm other creatures. Snakes are said to charm birds so that they fly in lower and lower circles until they are eventually caught by the snake. Snakes can charm humans, too. A human who is charmed is said to be "gebannt," which is usually the result of a human and a snake meeting each other's gaze. One way to break the charm is to burn Viper's Bugloss and to smudge the animal or the person with the smoke of the herb. 

There is also a belief that stands of Viper's Bugloss appear where a snake has killed prey. 

Stinging Nettles and Lookalikes

Stinging Nettles (pdc: der Brennessel; tax. Urtica dioica) , for those who have asked how to identify them. The stingers are very fine, but sometimes they are most easily visible on the leaves’ stems or on the stem. Note the pointy, rugged leaf. In this area most wild Stinging Nettle is either at the tail end of flowering or is going to seed.

Below are some pics of other plants that people sometimes confuse for Stinging Nettles.

Catnip (pdc: es Katzegraut; tax: Nepeta cataria) vs. Stinging Nettle (you can see the scissors holding the Nettle on the left-hand side of the second pic below).

Motherwort (pdc: es Muddergraut; tax: Leonurus cardiaca). When flowering, it is easy to tell the difference. Motherwort’s seed heads get prickly, but, unlike Nettles, they are not stingers injecting a histamine.

Fireweeds (pdc: die Feiergreider; tax: Erichtites spp.) have a thicker stem than Nettles and very different flowers and seed heads.

Virginia Copperleaf (pdc: Schlechter Heinrich: tax: Mercurialis perennis): The color gives this plant away. Common weed in this region.

Smartweeds (pdc: die Bitterkneeterich; tax: Polygonum spp.)... also called Lady’s Thumb... Lots of species in this region. Stem of smartweeds is segmented, and the flowerheads look very different from those of Nettles.

There are, naturally, other plants that are often confused for Stinging Nettles, but these are among the most common. 

Blobottel - Blue Cornflower

die Blobottel: Blue Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus). The significance of this flower has wide interpretations across the German-speaking lands. The meanings of many symbols, particularly those that relate to Prussia, are based in historical events that occur after the Migration. However, certain aspects of the flower, particularly those that preserve the color and overall essence of the flower when dried, make it a symbol of life. Likewise, the tenderness of the flower and its susceptibility to frost make it a symbol of the preciousness and fragility of life. The presence of Cornflower Queens or cornflowers at events such as the Steuben Parade is an echo and a reflection of the flower's symbol of life.

There is some speculation that the Blobottel may be the blue flower in the dreams of Yorinde in the folk tale of Yorinde un Goringel (a version of which appears in Mac E. Barrick's "German-American Folklore," page 109). The possessor of the flower is able to destroy enemies and to overcome obstacles.

Blobottel is common in Urglaawe funerary and memorial rites.

Es Schellgraut - Greater Celandine

Flower of Schellgraut

The orange latex or “juice” of Schellgraut (en: Greater Celandine; tax: Cheliodonium majus) has been used in traditional Deitsch remedies for centuries. Among the most common are as a poultice for ringworm, warts, bunions, and corns. The fresh juice may also be applied directly to a wart. Additional uses include lymphatic troubles and piles, though by far the most common use is the treatment of warts.

Schellgraut

Lick & Brendle (Plant Names and Plant Lore Among the Pennsylvania Germans, p. 215) cite also that wearing part of the leaf in the shoe will cure jaundice, which to me echoes the Doctrine of Signatures relating the color of the latex to the color one takes on with jaundice. This notion is echoed by Christopher Sauer, who provides a recipe (p. 89) of Greater Celandine, Rue, vinegar, and salt to get rubbed into the soles of the feet to prevent jaundice.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational and discussion purposes only. Nothing in these posts is intended to constitute, or should be considered, medical advice or to serve as a substitute for the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider. Feverfew may thin the blood, so people on blood thinners should be careful with its use. Also, as the herb is used in inducing menstruation, pregnant women should avoid using this herb. As always, your health is your responsibility. Consult with a doctor before using any herbal remedy or preventative.

Although there are traditional uses internally for jaundice and for gallbladder issues, the plant’s potential toxicity to the liver make it so that it should only be used under the supervision of a medical professional. The plant should be avoided during pregnancy and when breast-feeding.

Orange latex or "juice" of Schellgraut

In animals, it is recorded that Pliny and Dioscorides wrote that swallows used the latex of Greater Celandine to sharpen the eyesight of their young. This is echoed in later German and even Deitsch folklore that field swallows use the latex to cause the eyes of their fledglings to open.

Sauer (p. 89) provides a similar use for Greater Celandine as an eyewash for cataracts in horses.

The latex of the plant may also be applied to the skin to treat poison ivy.

The plant is often used both in sympathetic remedies and in hexes to serve as a stand-in for “wolf’s milk” (pdc: Wolfmillich) which typically serves to drive away enemies or harmful entities or energies or to harm or weaken adversarial entities or energies.

Despite the potential danger of interacting with a mother wolf, whom many may associate with darker energies, the plant is also considered to be warm and dry, and, perhaps due to the color of its latex, it has some association with brightness and daylight. As such, the plant is developing an association with the goddess Helling in Urglaawe practice.

Schellkraut seed pods

This plant, which is native to Europe but naturalized throughout much of the eastern US, is often considered to be simply a nuisance “weed,” but it is actually quite useful and is often a willing ally, medicinally, spiritually, and magically.

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WORKS CITED:

Brendle, Thomas R. and Claude W. Unger. Folk Medicine of the Pennsylvania Germans. Proceedings of the Pennsylvania German Society 45. Norristown, PA, 1935.

Weaver, William Woys. "Sauer's Herbal Cures: America's First Book of Botanic Healing." New York: Routledge, 2001.

Hutschefuss - Coltsfoot

Springtime is finally making itself a home here in the Deitscherei, and der Hutschefuss (en: Coltsfoot;  tax. Tussilago farfara) is springing forth.

The traditional uses of this plant include the treatment of asthma (pdc: die Engbruscht), spasmodic coughs, and general chest problems in humans, and it also serves as an equine remedy for coughs and heaves. 

Coltsfoot flower

NOTE: While horses can eat the entire plant, the consumption of the flower is potentially toxic (due to a higher content of pyrrolizidine alkaloids) and I generally recommend the avoidance of its use internally in humans, and the plant is to be avoided during pregnancy. Children under 6 years of age should avoid consuming the herb as well.  I'd not recommend the consumption of the leaves for more than two or three weeks. While many folks consider the whole herb to be safe, one should consult a physician prior to utilizing it.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational and discussion purposes only. Nothing in these posts is intended to constitute, or should be considered, medical advice or to serve as a substitute for the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider. The aerial parts of Solomon's Seal can  be toxic when consumed internally. Please consult with a licensed medical professional.

The typical methods of application are decoctions and tinctures of the leaves (35A:65W). The herb bolsters the immune system and functions as an expectorant and eases inflammation of mucus membranes. 

Small coltsfoot leaf early in season

If one were to use the flowers (please note the advisory two paragraphs up) for poultices, the harvest time is usually in mid- to late-April. The flowers appear before the leaves, and the leaves are usually collected in late May or even June. 

The herb's leaf is also sometimes (and traditionally) smoked, alone or in combination with other medicinal herbs such as Mullein Leaf (pdc: es Wolleblaat; tax. Verbascum thapsus), to alleviate symptoms of asthma, bronchitis, and other lung ailments. In folklore, the smoking of coltsfoot (again, please see advisory above) is said to induce visions, and magically the smoke of coltsfoot incense is said to be a messenger, particularly of, but not limited to, missives of love. 

Some people also make syrups or lozenges of coltsfoot leaf for spasmodic cough, often combining the herb with other herbs that alleviate cough.

External poultices can include the flower and are effective in easing inflammation of the skin, including insect stings and abrasions.

I also just enjoy seeing the plant growing. I have found two stray turtles (not a common sight just walking in a garden in the middle of suburban Philadelphia) and one skink hiding out in the low canopy of coltsfoot leaves in mid-June. 

Hopefully winter has finally let go of its grip, at least in the daylight hours, and we can all get to our gardening work!

Sacred Space Conference

Sacred Space will be held in Hunt Valley, Maryland, from Thursday, March 15 through Sunday, March 18, 2018. 

This year, there are four Urglaawe-related items on the schedule:

• Muunraad (Moonwheel): The Pennsylvania Dutch Lunar Calendar and “Zodiac”
• Oschdresege: Ritual with Introductory Discussion
• Braucherei in the Urglaawe Context 201
• Nine Sacred Herbs of Braucherei and Urglaawe

It's not too late to register!

http://www.sacredspacefoundation.com

Halliches Erntfescht

(or Erntdankfescht!)

The autumn equinox and surrounding days served as the time of the original Deitsch (and German, for that matter) Thanksgiving. We Urglaawer observe the equinox and celebrate the harvest as a community as close to the equinox as possible. The Schwenkfelders observe the thanksgiving on September 24, other localities hold it on different days, also often based on the equinox.

In Heathen times, communities pitched in to help to finish harvests, to trade different crops, and to tend to kin and neighbor so that everyone had a variety of foods to store for the winter. This is the root of the Harvest Home tradition, which continues in many churches today.

The establishment of a national Thanksgiving holiday was actually met with some resistance in Deitsch communities because we already had a thanksgiving observance that was placed at the time of the completion of the harvest. The end of November seemed to be an odd time to many people. The traditional harvests were well over by then, it was typically very cold, and, prior to the rise of modern transportation and grocery, people would be more likely conserving their food stores, outside of game, to ensure a supply to carry them through if Spring came late.

The Harvest Home church traditions nowadays take place all throughout September, but they are a legacy of the thanksgiving festival. Urglaawe groups hold thanksgiving festivals as close to the equinox as possible. All of these observances focus on spreading the wealth of the harvest around, most typically in the form of canned food donations to food shelters.

Over time, the national holiday in November has meshed well with traditional Pennsylvania Dutch foods and has become part of our lives. However, it is good to keep our cultural traditions alive, too.

Most of us who were born after World War II are so accustomed to supermarkets having everything we could want all throughout the year that it is difficult to fathom the reliance on root cellars, springhouses, and cooperative efforts among neighbors. Jump back a few generations, when most food was grown locally, and it becomes easier to see why there would be a formal expression of gratitude for a successful harvest. We can capture a bit of the experience of our forebears by appreciating events like the end of the harvest.

Besides, it never hurts to have another day where we are a little more deliberate in our gratitude for the food that nourishes us. So, sometime this week, you may want to incorporate an extra expression of gratitude in the religious or philosophical context that resonates with you to the plants and the animals that feed us, to the farmers who produce the food, and to the transportation and outlets that make it available to us.

Let's make Erntfescht/Erntdankfescht a thing again in our communities!

Elderberry Bumper Crop

Perhaps it is the wet weather, but the Elder (pdc: Hollerbeer; tax: Sambucus nigra) bushes are producing an abundance of plump berries this year!

It is now Aernet (also known as Aagscht), the month of the harvest, so it is appropriate to continue to collect the berries and to prepare them for their various uses.

Hail to the Elder Mother! Hail to Holle!

This is one big bunch of elderberries!