Healing Herbs General

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Herbs played an important role not only in medieval cuisine but also formed the basis of herbal medicine. Knowledge about them spread either through oral tradition (herbalists in rural areas) or among monks and scholars from ancient texts. Many herbs could be administered as teas, decoctions (long cooking), infusions (steeping in hot water), extracts (cold maceration), tinctures (soaking in alcohol), steeped in vinegar, juice, or concentrates for gargling. Adding honey or sugar did not enhance the effectiveness of herbal products but improved their taste. In addition to internal use, herbs were applied in the form of creams, ointments, compresses, or oils, dissolved in water. Sometimes it was recommended to sleep on pillows filled with dried plants. It was believed (especially in rural areas) that the properties of herbs were influenced by the time and occasion of their harvesting (e.g., on Midsummer’s Eve, at midnight, etc.) and the use of special incantations.

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