CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
DISCOVERING HARDY LAVENDER
Laundresses once hung their linens and clothes on its branches.
Archeological evidence shows it was used in the ancient Egyptian, Phoenician, and Arabian mummification process.
King Charles VI of France sat on seat cushions stuffed it.
It was once called “Four Thieves Vinegar.”
What is it?
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It is lavender.
The likely root of the word lavender is Lavare, a Latin verb meaning “to wash.” This root gave way to laundresses once being called “lavenders.” Another possible root is the Latin word “livendulo,” meaning livid or bluish.
Used in the process of mummification, excavators found unguent-filled jars, containing something resembling lavender, at the opening of Tutankhamen’s tomb.
England’s King Louis XIV not only enjoyed the scent of lavender that was emitted from the seat cushions he sat on, he enjoyed bathing in lavender-scented water. French royalty Charles VI demanded lavender-filled pillows wherever he went.
During the 17th century Bubonic Plague in London, grave-robbers, caught pilfering the belongings of plague victims confessed that their infrequency of suffering from the deadly disease was due to washing in a mixture of lavender and vinegar after they completed their dangerous task.
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While researching information for my historical romance novel, Intertwined Love, (www.intertwined.love.wordpress.com ) the lavender plant was mentioned. This made me curious: is the plant something I might work into the novel?
Numerous questions came to mind. Does the plant grow in the cold climate of Maine? If it doesn’t grow in Maine, was it imported there? What is the folklore connected with lavender?
I jumped online to surf the web, starting with the question about growing the plant in Maine. The first site claimed (to continue reading this post, click on: http://intertwinedlove.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/discovering-hardy-lavender/ )
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ADDITIONAL READING:
January Catalogues Lead to June Gardens
Laurel Mountain Borough, Pennsylvania: Quaint
My Spider Plant Lives: A Devotion
You are invited to visit Intertwined Love’s blog site
My Childhood Home: 29 Spring St., Portsmouth, N. H.
Amish Grace, Thomas Cornell, & Intertwined Love: Risks of Writing Historical Fiction
I love the smell of Lavender; unfortuneately I am allergic to it.
Comment by Will Patterson — April 25, 2010 @ 9:47 am |