Herbs in Myths and Legends Trivia Quiz

Answer: Basil

Latin name: Ocimum basilicum.
Tulsi was a Hindi nymph who escaped the attentions of a far eastern god by being transformed into a bush.
Basil originated in India, where it is the sacred herb of Vishnu.
In ancient Rome it was known as Basilescus and it was used as a charm against the Basilisk or fire breathing dragon.
Other herbs of love include lavender, peppermint, savory and clove.

Answer: Sage

Latin name: Salvia officinalis.
Sage has had many properties attributed to it in many cultures.
The Romans believed that sage gave immortality: "Cur moriatur homo cui Salvia crescit in horto?", which when translated says, "Why should a man die whilst sage grows in his garden?"
There is an old English saying which compares with the Roman beliefs, "He that would live for aye (ever) must eat Sage in May."
The definition of the word sage, pertaining to a wise man, comes from the fact that the herb sage was believed to be able to improve a person's memory and wisdom.

Answer: Parsley

Latin name: Petroselinum crispum.
They did not consume the parsley but wore it as wreaths on their heads. Parsley wreaths were also used to decorate the champions of the Isthmian Games.
There is an English saying which says that "parsley seed goes seven times to the Devil and back before it germinates", which goes along with the belief that only
witches can grow it.

Answer: Mint

There are aver 600 varieties of mint, so I will give you the Latin names of the three most popular.

Mentha spicata - garden or spearmint
Mentha pulegium - pennyroyal
Mentha pipperata - peppermint

The word Mentha comes from the classic Greek word Minthe.
In Greek mythology, Minthe was a nymph who was adored by Hades. Pluto's wife, Proserpine, took revenge on Minthe by turning her into a plant, which we know as mint. Hades could not reverse the spell, so he gave Minthe a sweet scent which was released whenever the plant was stepped on.

Answer: Rosemary

Latin name: Rosmarinus officinalis
The Virgin Mary, when fleeing to Egypt from Herod's soldiers, is said to have sheltered under a bush with white flowers. She hung her blue cloak on the bush and when she removed it the flowers had turned blue. The bush has been called 'Rose of Mary' or rosemary ever since.
Rosemary is believed to be one of the herbs found in the manger of baby Jesus. People believed that the reason the herb would not grow taller than 6 feet in 33 years was so that it would not stand taller than Jesus Christ.

Answer: Garlic

Latin name: Allium sativum
Egyptian slaves were given a daily ration of garlic because it was believed to increase strength and endurance as well as prevent illness.
Fifteen pounds of garlic would buy a healthy male slave during the reign of King Tut.
According to legend a shortage of garlic led to the first known strike when the Egyptian slaves who were constructing the pyramids had their garlic ration cut.
Greek midwives used to hang garlic in birthing rooms to ward off evil spirits, and this custom eventually spread to most of Europe.
Koreans used to eat pickled garlic before travelling through mountain passes in the belief that it would prevent tigers from attacking them.

Answer: 9

The Nine Sacred Saxon herbs are mugwart, plantain, watercress, betony, camomile, nettle, crab apple, chervil and fennel. They are listed in the Lacnunga, which is a 10th century herbal manual, along with the following chant.
"These nine attack against nine venoms. A worm came creeping and tore asunder man. Then took Woden nine magick twigs and smote the serpant that he in nine pieces dispersed. Now these nine herbs have power, against nine magick outcasts, against nine venoms, against nine flying things, against the loathed things that over land rove."

Answer: Courage

Latin name: Thymus vulgaris
The name thyme comes from the Greek word thymus which means courage.
Scots from the Highlands of Scotland used to make a drink from thyme in order to gain courage before going into battle.
The thyme plant was thought to be the home of fairies and often a patch was left alone for them.
Thyme was used as a medicinal herb by the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. It was used for many purposes such as a treatment for insomnia, headaches, digestive problems, and as an antiseptic.

Answer: Coriander

Latin name: Coriandrum sativum
Numbers 11:7 says, "And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium."
Coriander is mentioned in Sanskrit texts and the Chinese associated it with immortality.
The early Greeks, Romans and Egyptians all considered it to be an aphrodisiac.

Answer: Fennel

Latin name:Foeniculum vulgare
Prometheus met Zeus in a poppy field. They killed an ox and Prometheus tricked Zeus by giving him bones instead of meat. As punishment Zeus took fire away from mankind. Prometheus stole the fire back in a fennel stem and gave it back to mankind.