Did witches really fly on broomsticks? In this Halloween special, we explore the history of witchcraft through the plants linked to it, from poisonous herbs like belladonna, mandrake and henbane to humble fennel.

In Part 1:
• Medea, Circe and Canidia: the witches of Greek and Roman myth and their magical herbs
• The root-cutters, ancient healers who gathered plants by night and read the stars
• The benandanti of northern Italy, who fought witches with fennel stalks, until the Inquisition called them witches too
• The “flying ointments” of the witch trials, and the Spanish inquisitor who tested 22 jars of them

In Part 2: the Salem witch cake, an apple that led to a witchcraft accusation, and the herbs of the cunning folk.

Episode artwork: The Witches' Ride by William Holbrook Beard, 1870 (Wikimedia commons)

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*Royalty-free BGM "Clear Waters" Easy Lemon" ''Parting of Ways'' from incompetech.com

**Royalty-free BGM from pixabay.com

***Podcast logo is designed by me

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Episode Details & Website

• Find full show notes for every episode: https://rootsrevealed.org/episodes
• Visit the official website: https://rootsrevealed.org
• Read strange and fascinating plant stories: https://rootsrevealed.org/the-peculiar-herbarium

Here's the story of how bamboo shaped Chinese poetry, Japanese folklore, Indian tradition and human health.

A little correction: In the episode, I mentioned that bamboo was the only plant to survive the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. This is partly true. Records indicate that, in addition to bamboo, ginkgo, weeping willows, camphor trees, oleanders, and crape myrtle also survived. However, bamboo does possess incredible resilience. Its robust underground rhizome system protected its roots, and its rapid growth rate allowed it to regenerate and push through the ash remarkably fast.

*I am re-releasing one of your favourite episodes with better edits and clearer audio.

Support the show

Join The Newsletter 📩 Get a wild historical fact, a fascinating science tidbit, a botanical quiz & much more to your inbox. Subscribe for free: https://rootsrevealed.org/#newsletter

____________________________________________________

*Royalty-free BGM "Clear Waters" Easy Lemon" ''Parting of Ways'' from incompetech.com

**Royalty-free BGM from pixabay.com

***Podcast logo is designed by me

_____________________________________________________

Got feedback or suggestions?💬 I’d love to hear from you! Drop a message at hello@rootsrevealed.org

Episode Details & Website

• Find full show notes for every episode: https://rootsrevealed.org/episodes
• Visit the official website: https://rootsrevealed.org
• Read strange and fascinating plant stories: https://rootsrevealed.org/the-peculiar-herbarium

Tomatoes are in our salads, our sauces, our sandwiches, and our soups. It's hard to imagine pizza without it, or a summer garden without a few tomato plants growing in the corner.

But this wasn't always the case. For hundreds of years, the tomato was feared, avoided, and even blamed for killing people. It was called the "poison apple." It was linked to witchcraft. And in some places, it took over two hundred years before people were willing to put it on their plates.

This is the story of how a small, sour, yellow fruit from the mountains of South America became one of the most beloved ingredients in the world.

Episode artwork: 1909 Bolgiano's Tomato- sourced from Wikimedia commons

Support the show

Join The Newsletter 📩 Get a wild historical fact, a fascinating science tidbit, a botanical quiz & much more to your inbox. Subscribe for free: https://rootsrevealed.org/#newsletter

____________________________________________________

*Royalty-free BGM "Clear Waters" Easy Lemon" ''Parting of Ways'' from incompetech.com

**Royalty-free BGM from pixabay.com

***Podcast logo is designed by me

_____________________________________________________

Got feedback or suggestions?💬 I’d love to hear from you! Drop a message at hello@rootsrevealed.org

Episode Details & Website

• Find full show notes for every episode: https://rootsrevealed.org/episodes
• Visit the official website: https://rootsrevealed.org
• Read strange and fascinating plant stories: https://rootsrevealed.org/the-peculiar-herbarium