Mandrake (mandragora officinarum)

• Herbal root
• length: 27 cm

Mandrake, a flowering plant, has medical and mythical significance. Its name is associated with the mystical meaning of the Germanic word 'runa' (secret, whispering).

Its Greek name 'mandragora' is composed of the words 'mandra' (barn) and 'agora' (place of assembly). The plant is found particularly often close to stables and public places. The Greeks dedicated the plant to the goddess Aphrodite. In the Old Testament, Rachel uses it to heal her barrenness (Genesis 30:14-16). Shulamite administers it to enhance her lover's lust (Song of Solomon 7:14) Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) described using the root to fight melancholy and lewd desire. But first, she wrote, it is necessary to rinse out the devil that lives within it.