Ancient culture of basil herbs

Basil is one of the most popular and widely grown herbs in the world. It is often associated with Italian cuisine. Italians call it the ‘love herb’ for its spicy aroma and refreshing fragrance.

Basil was used in many ancient cultures more than five thousand years ago. It was grown in the Middle East, India and the Mediterranean region.

The ancient Greeks avoided basil, stating that it ‘exists only to drive men insane’ and ‘she goat that browses on everything avoids basil along’. The name ‘basil’ is derived from the Greek work basilikon, meaning ‘royal’, a world indicative of the ancient culture’s high respect for this herb.

In India, basil played a big role in religious ceremonies and social life. It was also a cherished sign of hospitality and it was considered sacred to Vishnu and his incarnation as Krishna.

In Italy suitors sometimes wear a leaf of basil in their hair to show their marital intentions.

The basil was utilized as a botanical for embalming bodies in ancient Egypt. While in China, the medicinal use of basil can be traced back more than 3,000 years.
Ancient culture of basil herbs

History of basil (Ocimum spp.)

In India it is regarded as a sacred herb and is used for decorating temples. The people there worship basil more highly than kings. It is sacred herb dedicated to the gods Vishnu and Krishna.

The cultivation of basil spread from its native India through Asia to Egypt at least 4000 years ago and from there to Rome and southern Europe.

Legend has it that basil was found growing around Jesus’ tomb after the resurrection. It was used in Greek Orthodox chci8rches in the preparation of Holy Water.

It was widely used in ancient Rome and Greece. Its name derives from the Basilisk, a mythical serpent-like creature whose venom was so potent it could kill just by looking.

The Greek called it the ‘devil plant’ but they also considered it a powerful love charm. A sign of mourning in ancient Greece and a sign of love in ancient Rome, today in Crete basil signifies ‘love washed with tears’ and in some parts of Italy it remains a lover’s emblem.

It does not appear to have reached Britain until the 16th century and was then carried by early settlers to North America.
History of basil (Ocimum spp.)

History of oregano

Oregano’s name comes from the Greek word oros ganos, meaning joy of the mountain.

Mediterranean oregano was originally grown extensively in Greece and Italy. Records on the use of oregano date back thousands of years: famous ‘hyssop’, mentioned in the Bible, is believed to be an Origanum syriacum L. plant.

Originally used to flavor ale and beer in Europe, oregano is an essential spice in Italian pizzas, Tex-Mex chili con carne, and Mexican beans. Early brewers used oregano in their beer to disguise off flavors before they discovered hops. 

The ancient Greek and Egyptians used oregano to flavor fish, meats, vegetables and wine.

Pliny, the ancient Roman scholar, recommended oregano poultices for scorpion and spider bites.

As early as the 1400s, oregano had a variety of medicinal, cosmetic and household uses. It was used as a palliative for headache, rheumatism, colic, upset stomach, cough and scurvy.

Before World War II, oregano was almost unknown in the United States. However, its popularity skyrocketed with the popularity of pizza.
History of oregano

Earliest Written History of Herbs

Of the first known herbal, said to have been written by the legendary Chinese emperor. Shen Nung, nearly 5000 years ago, only part of the text survived long enough to be recorded by subsequent writers though many later Chinese herbals base upon on it.

Shen Nung, was the father of agriculture and herbal medicine. He was given credit for authorship of the first native herbal, the Sheng Nung Pen Ts’ao on the basis of his own experiment.

During Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), physician Tuo Hua collected various herbal formulas for beauty, including powders, ointments and pastes.

Sumerian clay tablets gave us a literature in the form of small clay tablets. Dated from the late fourth millennium BC, they are the earliest known written records about plants in Western civilization.

Other herbal text from early times include Egyptian papyri recording the medicinal uses of herbs, dating from 2800 BC.

The latter mention about marjoram, mint, juniper and other familiar herbs, together with aromatic gums such as frankincense, spices such as cinnamon and cassia and unguents and ointments made by expressing the oil from herbs or by macerating them in fatty oils such as castor oil.

The Egyptians imported herbs and spices along with the knowledge of their use from Babylon and India.

In Egypt the dividing line between medicinal and cosmetic recipes was often blurred and the priests, who generally controlled the manufacture of the substances, were also in-charge of offering of incense and fragrant oils in the temples and the precious ointments that were used for embalming the bodies of the high ranking Egyptians.

Father of modern medicine Hippocrates listed hundred of herbal varieties all taken together to prove and establish the significance , importance and usage of herbs as a means to cure various disease.

In about 500 BC, Herodotus listed about 700 herbs and their uses, many of which remain valid today. In the first century AD, Dioscorides produced a herbal guide, which is still reference on the practice of natural medicines.
Earliest Written History of Herbs