Beware the Mandragon!
By bulbaholic
40 comments
Last week Poisongarden posted a question about protecting his Mandragora officionarum through the winter. In my response I tried to hint at a caution about this plant but only Amblealice picked up on my story. Assuming that the story (true, not a legend!) is not well known in GoYland let me expand on it here.
Mandragora is commonly known as Mandragon because it can have a tuberous bifurcated root that looks very like a little manakin. This form is no accident because the root of the Mandrake is actually an incarnation of Him Who Shall Not Be Named!
Now, Mandrakes are very comfortable in their homes in the ground and do not like to be disturbed. Unfortunately for Mandrake during the 16th centaury it was found that the roots had certain magical properties and men became very desirouse of them and started to dig them up. Mandrake was very upset and as a defence mechanism it adopted a very loud, piercing scream. The scream was such that it shattered the eardrums of the person digging it up and the person died!
Well, what to do? How to harvest these important roots? A solution was found. The digger went out into the field armed with a spade and a stray dog on a lead (no, I don’t know where the stray dog came from). The digger would dig a deep trench all the way round the Mandragon being careful not to disturb the root. He then tied the dogs lead round the mandragon and ran as fast as he could. Dog tries to run; dog pulls up Mandragon; Mandragon screams; dog drops down dead; Man comes back and retrieves root – easy.
So, if you are one of the people who grow Mandragora officionarum in your garden be very, very careful!
19 Oct, 2009
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Comments
I wondered that as well but didn't like to ask:-)
19 Oct, 2009
Oooh and I thought the names in the Famous films were all made up!
very intersting
x x x
19 Oct, 2009
I used to tell this story to visitors in The Poison Garden at The Alnwick Garden....The root was desirous for its aphrodisic qualities.........:::)))
19 Oct, 2009
Throws into question the reason why Goyers would want to grow Mandragon :-0)))
19 Oct, 2009
Who's growing it? Come on now hands up :-)
19 Oct, 2009
I thought it might be as an aphrodisiac - amazing what people will believe if they want to.
19 Oct, 2009
My Father grew mandrake specifically for the properties of it's bifurcated root. He was 87 when I was born.
19 Oct, 2009
....only joking.....
I take it you have little faith in the placebo effect, Bamboo?
;-)
19 Oct, 2009
On the contrary, Bscott, I believe in it, but it'd be better if you could believe that something simple, like water, would have the same effect! All this business with tiger bits and bobs, rhino horns, oysters, can't be doing with it. Personally, I find the thought of Brad Pitt works for me... it's all in the mind anyway.
19 Oct, 2009
Hmmmm I don't know about Brad but Angelina does it for me everytime :o)))))
Bamboo, I once went to the doctors to ask if I could have my sex drive lowered, he said "dont be silly man, it's all in your mind," so I replied "yes I know thats why I want it lowered!!!!"
19 Oct, 2009
Really interesting blog bulbaholic. It's one plant I certainly won't be growing
19 Oct, 2009
I don't think i will bother either. tut tut Bob.
20 Oct, 2009
I'm still slightly concerned that it really does scream when you dig up the root - it doesn't, does it?
20 Oct, 2009
Of you go, Bamboo, and try it for yourself. Let us know the result :-)
20 Oct, 2009
Very funny, I wouldn't risk it, and don't grow it anyway, so I want someone else to do it;-))
20 Oct, 2009
apparently it brings good sleep to those in pain but to much can be poison, just read up on it, interesting blog bulb...
20 Oct, 2009
Is there anyone you'd like to nominate bamboo? ;-)
20 Oct, 2009
Hee, hee hee, I am actually laughing out loud here.... YES there IS!
20 Oct, 2009
I was offered one - guess what! I declined it...gracefully, I hope! NO WAY am I having one in my garden! Silly? Maybe.
Bamboo - I do hope you haven't got me in mind?? :-((
20 Oct, 2009
Of course not, Spritz, how could that possibly be the case - you are one of the most polite, friendly and non confrontational people on this site (the latter part of which description could certainly not be applied to me);-)
20 Oct, 2009
Thanks, Bamboo - what a nice thing to say! Maybe I should get a bit more 'direct' with some of my comments??? LOL. What do you think - time for a personality make-over??
20 Oct, 2009
Listen, Spritz, it takes all sorts - I'm confrontational, just imagine the wars if everyone was like me...
20 Oct, 2009
FUN?? lol. OK - maybe not!
20 Oct, 2009
Ha, ha, lol. Actually, I will admit it often IS fun...
20 Oct, 2009
There should be a little controversy...imagine how boring it would be if we all agreed with each other all the time!
War, though....no thanks... Been there, done that, glad it's over.:-((
20 Oct, 2009
Mandragora was used, along with alcohol ( ahah! ) as an analgesic/semi anaesthetic prior to surgical procedures ( which were pretty basic in ye Middle Ages ) so it certainly had it's uses....safe, in the 'right' hands.
Don't think many of us will be trying it out to see if it screams, though, will we? Actually that might just have been a rumour put around at the time to stop opportunists digging up what was a very valuable - medicinally speaking - plant....seems to be working for everyone of us!
;-)
20 Oct, 2009
Interesting - wonder which was more effective for anaesthesia and pain relief, mandragora or a good helping of alcohol? Thank the lord for modern anaesthesia, though.
20 Oct, 2009
A nice dram, or three, would have done me :-)
20 Oct, 2009
So they scream....so what? If you've had a bellyful of liquor, are you even going to care?
;-)
21 Oct, 2009
It's alright for you people who can drink alcohol, what about us poor so and so's who can't?
21 Oct, 2009
Sorry Bamboo, I am afraid that you will just have to go out and dig a mandrake :-(
21 Oct, 2009
LMSO!
21 Oct, 2009
;-( sorry, Bamboo!
21 Oct, 2009
Nah, its okay, I never liked the taste much anyway, really.
21 Oct, 2009
Are you allergic?
21 Oct, 2009
...or just very, very sensible?
21 Oct, 2009
No, am on blood thinners, which means one drink a day, max, so I occasionally have a small baileys, but the five martini and lemonades on an evening out are just a distant memory, sadly.
21 Oct, 2009
Ah, I see. No contest there, then....gotta look after the heart.
23 Oct, 2009
Heart's fine - I just keep getting DVT, genetic problem.
23 Oct, 2009
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I'd heard about the mandrake's "scream", and knew there was a lot of fairly macabre legend about it, but never knew the story about the dog. Poor thing... Dare I ask what the root is good for, or is not something that can be mentioned in a public place?
19 Oct, 2009