A Witch's Garden: Hellebore

Disclaimer

This is NOT a page about Wiccans or neo-pagans, and I do not advocate the belief that Wiccans are Satan-worshippers and/or baby-killers. I am well aware that they are not. This is a starting point for historical research into the great witch craze of 1100-1700 AD. And please, don't ask me for spells.

Hellebore

Also known as the Christmas Rose, Hellebore has been recognized as a powerful toxin since ancient times. Hellebore was used extensively by medieval and ancient herbalists:

Theophrastus (Greek philosopher, c. 372-287 BC., "the father of Botany") and Dioscorides (Greek physician, 1st century AD., author of De Materia Medica) have mentioned Christmas rose in their works. Pliny has mentioned the use of H. niger as early as in 1400 BC. by a soothsayer and physician Melampus, after whom the plant has sometimes been referred to as "melampode" (Cornell Poison Page).

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A Witch's Garden is copyright 1997-1998 to Shantell Powell.
The preceding botanic illustration is from The Virtual Garden Search Engine, part of the Time Life Electronic Encyclopedia.