Episode 01: Broom Riding Witches & Hades' Hottest Accessory- Henbane
Today we are diving in to Henbane- the plant used for everything from a cure for motion sickness to poisoning your brother. If you've ever been curious about why witches ride on brooms, or what the heck is supposed to be around all those Ancient Grecian's necks, this episode is for you.
Episode 1: Henbane
For centuries, humans have been growing along side our botanical brethren. Our histories have mixed and mingled to bring us modern medical marvels, fated folk lore, and everything in between. Of course, In order to understand the plant, we have to start with it’s roots…..I’m Em Grebner-Gaddis, and this is rooted.
Hyoscyamus niger (hy.osˈky.a.mus Ni-jer ), more commonly known as Henbane is a member of the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Some of its more famous relatives include: Belladonna, tomatoes, potatoes, and tobacco.
It is native to the Mediterranean, Siberia and areas of northern Europe, was naturalized in Ireland, England, and now can be found all over the world. In the US, Henbane started in the northeast, where early colonizers brought it to use in medicines. It has since spread to the midwest, southwest, and northwest regions, where it grows as a weed in pastures, on roadsides, and in waste areas.
Henbane is an annual or Biannual characterized by it’s tall and hairy (and greasy) stocks, unique flowers, and horrific smell. It grows well in a variety of soils, but prefers well draining soils with moderate nutrients a spot with plenty of light. It produces large 5 lobed yellow/green flowers with distinct purple veins and centers, which bloom May-September.
It’s small green egg shaped fruits release hundreds of tiny black seeds. These seeds can remian viable for at least 5 years, which is one of the many ways Henbane manages to spread so prolifically. Here in the US it is considered a noxious weed and highly toxic.
But why would anyone want to spread this greasy gross-smelling flower? What was it used for, and what impact does it continue to have? To find out, we’ll have to go back to the middle ages. Dawn your Kirtles and hold on to your butts, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
One interesting thing about henbane is how unpredictable it can be. Different parts and dosages do very different things, and can have wildly varied effects on people. That is one of the major reasons it fell out of style. While smoking or absorbing oils from seeds can make you hallucinate, it can also cause you to vomit, lose control of your muscles, and cause extreme pain. The leaves can increase feelings of pleasure and help you to sleep better, but they can also cause gastro-instinal distress and heart paltatations.
One of the BIGGEST reasons we know about henbane today is that it was a very potent halluciegenic, but it was used for so much more than that. It was used to treat anything from toothaches to anxiety and everything in between. Due to its ability to numb pain and help users sleep deeply, it’s no surprise this was a popular go-to for treating aches and aliments of all sorts.
Henbane was also used to spice wine, and was a main component in beer until it was banned in the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 which banned any ingredients other than barley, hops, yeast, and water. Henbane was originally used in the beers we call pilsner’s today, and was popular not only because of the flavor it added but also because it made people thirstier when they drank it.. Pretty diabolical if you ask me.
The thing is though, that the dosage can be tricky- a mere 10 mg of the stuff will kill you, and the dosage size has nothing to do with the potency or effects of the plant. Because of that, using henbane has always been risky, with tons of accidents and less-than- stellar party tales. The fact that there is so much room for error made henbane an attractive option for posion- just like it’s cousin Belladonna.
Most famously Henbane is believed to be what Claudius used to kill his brother (king hamelt) in Act 1 Scene 5 of Hamlet, when he poured a vial of it into his ear. The result of this was the most literal interpretation of ear-curdling ever put to paper, and almost instant death..
The sympoms of henbane posioning incluse: rapid and weak pulse, paralysis of the iris, blurred vision, dry, warm, and reddish skin, extreme thirst, Hypomotility (aka constipation and bacterial overgrowth in the gut), Hallucinations, ataxia (the decreased ability to control your muscles), and eventually coma and death.7,12
These symptoms are most commonly expereinced when henbane is ingested, or taken at an improper dosage. They can come on suddenly, and once they start, they are very tricky to stop.
But how does it work? Well, Henbane contains both hyoscyamine and scopolamine, which relax the muscles lining the digestive tract, and can impact your central nervous system, inhibiting parasympathetic function, and adenosine cyclase… in other words, it slows down your fight or flight response, and causes other key things in the body (like digestion and movement) to slow down or stop completely.
Henbane isn’t all doom and gloom though. It’s important to note that henbane played a huge part in ancient witchcraft. Witches were using henbane to speak with the dead, summon gods, and sometimes get revenge on enemies.
In Greek mythology, it was said that upon entering Hades, the dead were adorned with wreaths of henbane- causing them to forget everything about their lives and to wander aimlessly for all eternity.
Oracles were also said to use henbane to communicate with the gods- the most well documented of these being pythia, the oracle to apollo at Delphi, who inhaled an inscence laced with henbane to aide her in her communications. Additionally, the greeks often associated henbane with aphrodite (the goddess of love) and Dionicis (the god of intoxication).
In europe, henbane was used by necromancers in their rituals to raise the dead, and was a very common ingredient in love potions, poisons, and in other ritualistic spells.Ancient germans thought throwing the seeds into the sky might inspire rain, and believed that wearing it’s seeds around ones neck could protect from seizures ,numb certain pains, and even assist in shape shifiting.
When applied topically, henbane causes Hallucinations, Releases inhibitions, and generally makes users feel relaxed and euphoric. which is why when peasants wanted to party, they would make something called a witches brew or witches ointment with henbane oil. They would grind the seeds down into a fine powder, then mix them with animal fat to aide in absorbtion. From there, they would spread the mixture onto their bodies for a night of fun. The use of these “witches brews” is actually what brought us the infamous witches on brooms trope.
See, a lot of people reported that henbane seeds (whether smoked or used in an ointment) could make you feel like you were flying. As Gustav Schenk described after his 1955 experience with the stuff ““My teeth were clenched and a dizzy rage took possession of me…I was permeated by a peculiar sense of well-being connected with the crazy sensation that my feet were growing lighter, expanding and breaking loose from my body. Each part of my body seemed to be going off on its own, and I was seized with the fear that I was falling apart. At the same time, I experienced an intoxicating sensation of flying…I soared where my hallucinations—the clouds, the lowering sky, herds of beasts, falling leaves…were swirling along.
So obviously that’s how we got flying, but what about the brooms? Did someone with a flair for dramatics (or a hatred of chores) just throw that in for some extra spice?
Well, not exactly…..Jordanes de Bergamo wrote in the fifteenth century “But the vulgar believe, and the witches confess, that on certain days or nights they anoint a staff and ride on it to the appointed place or anoint themselves under the arms and in other hairy places.” in modern terms, the best way to topically ingest these ointments was either through your arm pits or..well…your genitals. So, the story goes that witches would spread some of their special brew on their broomsticks and ride off into the night. And that’s the image that has stuck with us ever since. Really brings a new meaning to defying gravity.
Today, henbane has brough us more than just cheesy halloween iconography- it is also used in Transderm Scop which is used to treat motion sickness, and a 2011 study by Sengupta et al.l found that it reduced seizures, body rigidity, and loss of voluntary movement in mice by preventing the generation of Hydroxyl Radical in the mitochondria of the mice’s cells. (Sengupta et al. 2011).
So there you have it- the story of a greasy, stinky, invasive plant, and how the world came to know and love it. While Henbane remains to be a highly toxic weed, I hope these stories have shown you how it came to be so prolific, and at the very least given you a fun fact to share at your next party.
That’s it for this week, thank you so much for listening!
If you liked this show, please consider subscribing, and leaving us a review on spotify, apple podcasts, or anywhere else you listen. You can follow us on instagram and at Rooted.pod. Until next time, I’m Em-Grebner Gaddis, and this has been Rooted.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyoscyamus_niger
https://sites.evergreen.edu/plantchemeco/henbane-medicine-andor-magic/
https://erowid.org/chemicals/alcohol/alcohol_brew.shtml
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/henbane.shtml
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/482965
https://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/forbsherbaceous/black-henbane
https://www.nps.gov/articles/black-henbane.htm
