Basil

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Additional Notes: divider

In the majority of Europe, Basil is a healing herb kept in house. During Tudor times it was a parting gift to guests to ensure safe travels. In Italy a pot of Basil was displayed on windowsills when a woman was ready to receive suitors. In Romania, giving a potted Basil was considered akin to proposing; it was considered so pure that it would wilt immediately if put into the hands of an impure person, and the souls of particularly good people were said to smell of Basil. In France, however, the opposite was true: Basil was believed to belong to the Devil, and the predominant belief was that the ground should be cursed where you intend to plant it; a common French idiom “To Sow Basil” means “To rant angrily”.

'Folk Magic and Healing: An Unusual History of Everyday Plants' by Fez Inkwright