Vervains quotes by topic: Magic and vervain, Plants and vervain, Drugs and vervain, Scent and vervain, Sacrifice and vervain, Love and vervain, Witches and vervain.
Magic and vervain
Mr. John Ingram, in his “Flora Symbolica,” says,—”Vervain, or wild verbena, has been the floral symbol of enchantment from time immemorial.” (Charles Hardwick)
The Vervain, or Verbena, has from time immemorial been the symbol of enchantment, and the most ancient nations employed this plant in their divinations, sacrificial and other rites, and in incantations. It bore the names of the Tears of Isis, Tears of Juno, Mercury’s Blood, Persephonion, Demetria, and Cerealis. The Magi of the ancient Elamites or Persians made great use of the Vervain in the worship of the Sun, always carrying branches of it in their hands when they approached the altar. (Richard Folkard)
St. John’s wort, vervain, orpine, and rue were among the plants gathered on Midsummer Eve on account of their supernatural. (William James Rolfe)
” If thou would’st keep all evil folk afar, Then ever keep the vervain and the rue Safely beside thee I”. (Charles Godfrey Leland)
Plants and vervain
Sad cypress, vervain, yew, compose the wreath, And ev’ry baleful green denoting death. (Virgil)
However, it is somewhat doubtful whether the vervain of the ancients was similar to the plant which now bears that name. It would appear that formerly the appellation of verbenæ or sagmina was given to various plants employed in religious ceremonies: and branches of pine-tree, of laurel, and of myrtle were sometimes thus denominated. (John Gideon Millingen)
As for the little brook, any pond edge or brookside nearby has arrowheads, forget-me-nots, cardinal flowers, blue flag, clumps of beautiful grasses, monkey flowers, jewel-weed and the like. There are cowslips, too, and blue vervain, and white violets. (Willard Grosvenor Bleyer)
Drugs and vervain
Valerian, hops, cramp bark, catnip, and lobelia are all acrid; boneset, blessed thistle, wild lettuce, and blue vervain are nauseant bitters. (Matthew Wood)
Hallow’d be thou Vervain, as thou growest in the ground,
For in the Mount of Calvary thou first was found.
Thou healedst our Saviour Jesus Christ
And staunchedst His bleeding wound.
In the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I take thee from the ground. (John White)
Scent and vervain
Even the sawdust which was scattered over the polished floor was dyed with minium and breathed of saffron. Underneath the tables had been sprinkled a mixture of vervain and maidenhair, which was believed to promote hilarity in the guests. (Frederic W. Farrar)
He stopped, and the two ladies passed close to Charny, who could even recognize the queen’s favorite scent, vervain, mixed with mignonette. They passed on, and disappeared. (Alexandre Dumas, père)
Sacrifice and vervain
Here, slaves, place me a live turf; here, place me vervains and frankincense, with a flagon of two-year-old wine. She will approach more propitious, after a victim has been sacrificed. (Horace)
Bring running water, bind those altars round
With fillets, and with Vervain strew the ground. (Virgil)
Love and vervain
Vervain to quiet the pangs of unrequited love. (Alice Hoffman)
In many rural districts, Vervain is still regarded as a plant possessing magical virtues as a love philtre. It has the reputation of securing affection from those who take it to those who administer it. (Richard Folkard)
Witches and vervain
Two of the most frequently used ingredients in witches’ cauldrons were the vervain and the rue. (Neltje Blanchan)
Vervain and dill,
Hinders witches from their will. (John Aubrey)
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