Volume 142, Issue 1, 26 June 2012, Pages 228–240
A relic of medieval folklore: Corpus Christi Octave herbal wreaths in Poland and their relationship with the local pharmacopoeia
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
Herbal
wreaths are blessed all over Poland on the eighth day of the Corpus
Christi Octave (usually in June). They used to contain many species of
aromatic and medicinal plants, both collected from the wild and
cultivated. The aim of this study was to document the present
composition of wreaths using photographs (etic perspective) and
questionnaires (emic perspective) and compare it with the local
pharmacopoeia, the composition of Assumption Day bouquets (blessed in
August) and historical data on the composition of the wreaths.
Materials and methods
The
study was carried out in SE Poland (near Krosno). Photographs of 245
wreaths were taken and 133 questionnaires concerning the blessed plants
and their medical use were obtained.
Results
On
average a photographed wreath contained over five species of plants and
an average informant listed six species. The frequency of species in
photos and questionnaires was similar. Several medicinal plants which
used to be the key elements of the wreaths (e.g. Sedum acre, Asarum europaeum, Matricaria recutita, Thymus pulegioides, Alchemilla
spp.) are now less frequently seen, mainly due to vegetation
transformations. Nowadays only about a quarter of species in the wreaths
are medicinal plants, the remaining are mainly ornamental flowers. Only
a part of the local pharmacopoeia is represented in the blessed wreaths
and bouquets. The wreaths were often used in fumigation practices
(whole wreaths or single species taken out) for a whole continuum of
purposes: from purely ritual to medicinal. Nowadays they serve a mainly
apotropaic function, but help to preserve traditional ethnomedicinal
knowledge.
Conclusion
The
blessing of herbal wreaths in Poland seems to be the last relic of a
more widespread custom found in medieval times throughout northern and
central Europe originally associated with summer solstice.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Flower garlands;
- Fumigation;
- Ritual plants;
- Pharmacopeia;
- Apotropaic;
- Ethnobotany;
- Wianki;
- Oktawa Bożego Ciała
- Tel.:
+48 134385113, +48 602497483.
