The screaming aunt

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Belonging to the nightshade family and found in the Mediterranean region, Mandrake has been known for centuries as one of the most powerful and active of all witches' plants. Originally, people believed that the mandrake had two forms: one male and the other female. Some botanists think that these are two distinct species, one called the autumn mandrake, native to the Levant region, which blooms in the months of December-March, and the other Mandgora officinarum, which is found in the rest of the Mediterranean

the Name

Mandrake - mandrake

From English and Middle Dutch

Man- created from the human imagination symbolizing a miniature person

Dragora or drake taken from the archaic word dragon alluding to the magical powers of the plant

In our sources the plant is already mentioned in the book of Genesis in the scene with Reuben in the wheat field and the drama

In front of Rachel and Leah. The use mentioned there is the common use in the distant past but is also known today among certain populations, as a plant that increases the strength of the male in men and the opening of the uterus and its readiness to receive pregnancy in women. Another source that mentions the fruit of the Dodaim appears in the poem

the songs

Names synonymous in the sources : Yabrouchi, Savisky

In Arabic: Tofah al Majnon [the apple of the madmen]

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A strong poison

The Egyptians knew the medical properties of the mandrake already 6000 years ago. The Egyptians called the Doda potion - 'water of life' and used it to improve health, vigor and longevity. Duda was attributed divine powers and was placed in a visible corner of the house. Vows were recited to him and lit

Candles for him

Drawing by Granger

The duda plants contain an alkaloid called hyoscyamine, a secondary metabolite that undergoes decarboxylation in the stomach and becomes an isomer called livo-atropine

Accidental poisoning can lead to various symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, vision

blurred and hallucinating

There are some positive benefits to the medicinal doda, such as relief of rheumatic pain, eye infections, pain relievers and treatment for Parkinson's

In the first century Penhas, Dioscorides wrote about its use as an anesthetic

A numbing mixture containing mandrake root, opium, hemlock and ivy was used by surgeons in the Middle Ages

During the Roman period, Dudaim wine or the 'wine of death' was known to be offered to people who were crucified. I guess being drugged to the point of an almost comatose state makes the twisting punishment more tolerable

For many it was the presence of this alkaloid along with the unusual shape of the doda that conjured up visions of magic and power.

The love apple of the ancients

In the past, it was believed that the Dodas were serious aphrodisiacs (as long as the dosage was correct, otherwise the result was not so pleasant for both parties!)

The Greeks made a love potion of mandrake by soaking the root in wine and vinegar

The plant is associated with the Greek goddesses Aphrodite, Circa and Medea who used the potion to cast a spell on the Argonauts

In Arabic the mandrake is known as the devil's apple and it was believed to inflame one's love

It is even claimed that if a man carries the duda root in the form of a female in his pocket he will win the woman he desires

The uncle also acted like an ancient test tube as told in the legend of King Hermons who wanted a male heir but was adamant in his refusal to have sex with women. The king ordered his advisers to find another solution. His astrologers, at a promising hour took the king's seed and placed it on the mandrake fruits. Through alchemy a male child was created for the joy of the king

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Not only can the mandrake help with a woman's fertility, it was also used in childbirth. For example, the root was placed on a plate and fed with milk or red wine on special days like every Friday. After that, the milk or wine that was used to wash the doda could be fed to the pregnant women

There are traditions that suggest putting the root under the woman's bed in a plate full of milk mixed with breast milk. The common belief in these two Duda ceremonies is that they facilitate childbirth and protect mothers and babies

Do curses kill, like the growls of the uncles do?

One of the strongest legends concerns the deadly scream that the doda emits when it is pulled from the ground and how to avoid becoming its/his victim

In Theophrastus's treatise written around 230 BC, he explains how to choose the right duda to avoid his curse. He advised drawing three circles around the plant with a sword of virgin iron and then clearing smooth parts of the root. After cutting the other part, the picker must dance around the plant while muttering spells and poetry relating to the mysteries of love. Only the sword should be used to cut the root

A later story written by the Roman Jewish historian Josephus (37 to 100 AD) was the first to mention the use of a dog to produce the plant. He ordered the digger to dig around the root to its bottom. A starving dog should then be fastened by a rope to the doda root and then encouraged to retrieve the plant by placing a piece of food just out of his reach. The uncle's scream would kill the dog instead of his master, and the mandrake would be safe to handle

This practice of using a dog to remove the duda root was still in use in the 13th century as evidenced by Ibn Al Beitar - a teacher of medicinal plants. He wrote that the dog in this case survived the ordeal. In Germany it was believed that the dog should be completely black without defects

Dudai mascots became popular very quickly. People believed they brought wealth, popularity and the ability to control other people's and their own destiny. It was believed that King Solomon wore a seal of Duda root that allowed him to gain sovereignty over souls and demons

The famous witches brew was made of black solanum, black liquorice, atropa and of course mandrake. Such a stew was of course deadly and therefore could not be swallowed. A middle ground had to be found somewhere where the user could achieve the maximum effect without dying. There are only two places in the body that fit - the armpits and the genitals. Women's clothing at the time made it very difficult to apply ointment to their armpits and therefore were left with only one alternative. In order to use it as a vaginal suppository it was necessary to find a suitable tool and therefore

They used a tool that was readily available - a broom handle

To all the male friends...the broom handle lubricated with aviation ointment is also suitable for rectal use

The 15th-century writer of the medieval witch titles Jourdanes de Bergamo stated that

Hear Witches Confess They Used Broomsticks To Put Potions In Their 'Hairy Places' Which Allowed Them To Fly Higher

Giovanni Della Forte in the 16th century confirmed that he witnessed a woman who applied the decoction to her body and then she passed over the sea and the mountains

Since the ointment contained ingredients known to cause intense hallucinations, it is not surprising that the women believed they were flying, what is more amazing and brave to me, is that most of them did not poison themselves before they were arrested and executed at the stake

The myths surrounding the connection between the doda and witchcraft are many. It was believed that if a witch made love to the duda root she gave birth to offspring that could not feel true love and had no soul. Many of the stories contradict each other but they show how over the centuries the mandrake was seen as a powerful and dangerous supernatural tool. Although today the grip of the doda is much less dangerous, the plant's reputation for witchcraft remains unbroken as it still plays an important role

In modern witchcraft