Medieval Herbs

During the Middle Ages the importance of growing and harvesting herbs was essential for Europe. Medical knowledge and technology was extremely limited and the knowledge of herbalism was a matter of life and death. Medieval Europe developed this knowledge through practice and experience with Medieval herbs. It was a time of superstition more than science so much of their perceived knowledge was nonsense. Yet, much of what they did know is valid for us even today because they put so much of their heart and time in learning specifics about herbal medicine.

Medieval herb gardens were beautiful things, growing plants for medicinal, seasonal, or just observational purposes. To get an idea today of what these gardens would have resembled, check out New York’s Cloisters. Built in the 1930s, it was created to resemble a historical herb garden as closely as possible, and the goal, through skilled designers, was well achieved.

There are many sections in the Cloisters. The Bonnefont cloister eminently holds the herb garden. Over 250 species are cultivated there. These species miraculously hold up through New York’s frigid winters, scorching and muggy summers, and the sporadic rainy seasons of Autumn and Spring.

The Medieval herbs garden at the Cloisters is unique though it is largely derived from various types. Besides the wattle fences, raised beds, and central wellhead that typifies any classic herb garden archtype, it is characterized by a surrounding orchards and a variety of plants with the herbs at the center. No other garden could be so really desirable by any home practitioner.

Many herbs are found in suitable pots that look like those possibly found during that period. The herbalists are permitted to bring the fragile pots inside during winter since it can snow and the temperatures in New York can go below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Herbs cultivated through the Middle Ages were administered in the futile attempts to keep evil spirits at bay. A common perception was that dill possessed magical powers. It was assumed that rosemary would prevent the plague. Sage was employed to treat epilepsy.

There are 9 groupings of herbs at the Cloisters. This corresponds to the ones that were common in that period. The first grouping holds Thistles and Absinthe, the second hold ones used medicinally, like Licorice and St. John’s Wort, and the third grouping holds aromatics such as Lemon Balm and Lavender.

There are different classifications that use herbs for art and some that would be questioned today, like motivating Love and Marriage with herbs like Meadow Rue and ‘magical’ plants such as Herb Robert. The final classification includes the herbs used for cooking like Parsley and Borage, Caraway and Fennel.

Medieval herbs were widely used, perhaps more so than today, however the same plants are available to herbalists in modern times.  More and more we are hearing about the medicinal properties of these herbs and these uses often coincide with what they were used for in ancient times.