The name lavender comes from the Latin root lavare, which means "to wash". It may be because it was frequently used in Roman baths to help purify the body and spirit. Lavender has been in documented use for over 2,500 years as a remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia to anxiety, hyperactivity, flatulence, bacteria, fungus, airborne molds and microbial activity on gums and for repelling insects. It was even used by the Egyptians for mummification and cited in the Bible (by its Greek name spikenard) as the ointment used to wash Jesus’ feet.
Lavender is a flowering plant in the mint family, a heavily branched short shrub that grows to a height of roughly 24 inches. Woody branches with upright, rod-like, hold leafy, green shoots. A silvery down covers the gray-green narrow leaves, attached directly at the base, and curled spirally. The oil in lavender's small, blue-violet flowers gives the herb its fragrant scent. The flowers are arranged in spirals of 6 - 10 blossoms, forming interrupted spikes above the foliage.
In Medieval and Renaissance Europe, washer women, known as "lavenders", dried the laundry on lavender bushes. It was also grown in "infirmarian's gardens" in monasteries, along with other medicinal herbs.
European royal history is filled with stories of lavender use. Charles VI of France demanded lavender-filled pillows. Queen Elizabeth I of England required lavender conserve at the royal table. Louis XIV bathed in water scented with it. Queen Victoria used it as deodorant, and both Elizabeth I and II used products from the famous lavender company, Yardley and Co. of London.
Lavender and love are an ancient match. Again from the Bible: the story of Judith anointing herself with perfumes including lavender before seducing Holofernes, the enemy commander to murder him and save the City of Jerusalem. The seductive scent was also used by Cleopatra to seduce Julius Cesar and Mark Antony. The Queen of Sheba offered spikenard with frankincense and myrrh to King Solomon.
By Tudor times, lavender brew was sipped by maidens on St. Luke’s day to divine the identity of their true loves. Lavender in the pillows of alpine girls brought hope of romance, while lavender under the bed of newlyweds ensured passion. In a study of men, the scent of pumpkin and lavender rated as the scent found most arousing.
0 comments