Mandragora

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Also known as: Atropa Mandragora; Mandrake; Satan’s apple

Plant folklore: Used in ancient Greece as an anaesthetic for operations.
The patient was given the root to chew on.
Small doses used to control madness.
Large doses strongly purgative and emetic.
Treats demoniacal possession.
If digging up mandrake, it is important to do so after sunset. But, digging it up yourself could lead to death from the scream the plant made, so it was common to tie a dog to the plant and let the dog pull it up and suffer the curse. The root shape looks like the human form and is used as both amulet and talisman (not forgetting its aphrodisical qualities!!)
Mentioned in Genesis as a cure for sterility.
Ivory boiled with mandrake root softens, and an be moulded into any shape.
Witches used it like a voodoo doll by carving the face of the person they wanted to curse into it.
Possession of the plant punishable by death in some part of Europe. It grew under the hanging feet of a gallows.

22 Nov, 2009
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Morgana

I have seen this on tv not so long ago, I found it very interesting, I wonder if there was any dog s that died after pulling as it did nt state so at the time.

22 Nov, 2009