The Ancient Greek Herb With “Magical” Healing Properties Mentioned in Harry Potter

Dittany, the ancient Greek herb with the “magical” healing powers that was praised by countless omniscient men, is mentioned if the satellite of Harry Potter. Credit: Peter A Mansfeld / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Dittany of Crete is an past Greek herb known for its “magical” healing properties which was mentioned successful the satellite of Harry Potter.

Dittany, known arsenic Dictamo successful Greek (Δίκταμο), is 1 of the symbols of Crete. It captivated past minds, with notable past Greek scholars praising its healing traits. Even to this day, it remains a portion of Greek aesculapian and culinary traditions.

Dittany past Greek healing herb known since Minoan times

Dittany of Crete is steeped successful past legends, starring to the adoption of aggregate names reflecting its usage successful Greek culture. Researchers suggest that this slender, small-leaved herb has been known since Minoan times. Excavations astatine the Knossos Palace adjacent Heraklion uncovered dittany seeds, corroborating this belief.

The communal past sanction for this Greek works was Dittany oregon Dictamnus, arsenic it was ineffable to the Ancient Cretan goddess Diktynna. Alternatively, immoderate scholars speculate that the sanction whitethorn beryllium linked to the Cretan mountain, Dikti. According to past tales, this was wherever Zeus was raised by the goat Amalthea.

Despite its tiny size, dittany is simply a precise hardy herb that grows champion connected stones and rocks. Thus, it was traditionally believed that successful bid to instrumentality a hazard and ascent into the situation of dittany shoots, a idiosyncratic indispensable beryllium genuinely successful love. Only the profoundly committed would situation to harvest and acquisition it to their beloved arsenic a token of their affection. The plant’s different fashionable name, Erontas, reflects this belief, derived from Eros, the Ancient Greek deity of emotion and sexuality.

The History and Medical Properties of Dittany

Throughout history, dittany has been revered arsenic a “panacea” oregon cure for each oregon astir each ailments. Many large writers of antiquity noted the outstanding medical properties of this Greek plant.

The past Greek begetter of medicine, Hippocrates, utilized it to dainty tuberculosis and tummy diseases. Aristotle described dittany successful The History of Animals. He wrote that “it is said that the chaotic goats of Crete, erstwhile wounded by an arrow, spell successful hunt of dictanta, which is expected to person the spot of throwing arrows into the body.”

Later, the Romans adopted these traditions. The Roman writer Virgil confirmed the glory of Dittany arsenic a almighty healing works successful the Aeneid Book XII. The communicative narrates however the goddess Venus carried a subdivision of the works from Mount Ida connected Crete to Italy. She sought to heal her lad Aeneas, a Trojan War hero, who had sustained injuries successful battle.

Today, dittany of Crete remains commercially valuable, commonly utilized for herbal teas. Currently categorized arsenic “rare,” chaotic dittany is protected by European authorities to forestall extinction. Cultivation efforts mostly absorption connected the municipality of Embaros southbound of Heraklion. It is utilized successful teas and earthy beauty products.

Dittany Mentioned successful Harry Potter

With specified a acceptable of healing properties and a affluent history, this herb could not assistance but extremity up successful 1 of the main magical worlds, the Harry Potter universe.

Much similar successful existent life, dittany is described arsenic a uncommon works with almighty healing properties. This herb is 1 of the main ingredients of the Wiggenweld Potion, which Professor Severus Snape describes arsenic “a almighty healing potion that tin beryllium utilized to heal injuries, oregon reverse the effects of a Sleeping Draft.”

Happy #PhytochemicalFriday and #HappyBirthdayHarryPotter! Today: the monoterpenoids carvacrol, cymene, and thymol. These are large aroma compounds successful Cretan dittany (Origanum dictamnus), the works utilized to hole Essence of Dittany, a healing potion successful the Harry Potter series. pic.twitter.com/XPBVqi3Y4A

— The Busta Lab (@PlantsRChemists) July 31, 2020

In the imaginative beingness of JK Rowling, dittany’s world blends seamlessly with fiction, granting the herb magical qualities. Notably, it is described arsenic possessing the powerfulness to halt bleeding and regenerate tegument astatine the tract of a wound.

Dittany was 1 of the plants featured successful One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, referenced successful Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Specifically, successful the country wherever Harry Potter is bitten connected the manus by the snake Nagini successful Godric’s Hollow, Hermione Granger employs dittany indispensable lipid for his recovery.

In addition, successful the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Severus Snape suggested Draco Malfoy usage dittany aft Harry Potter’s attack, claiming it tin forestall the quality of imperishable scars.