Hyoscyamus niger
Black Henbane
In Greek mythology, the
dead who wander the shores of the River Styx are crowned with henbane, most
likely because of its real life ability to make one forget oneself. Greek
oracles were said to breathe the smoke of this baneful Saturn
herb in order to divine the
future. Logically enough, it is sacred to Hekate. It was used ritually in ancient
Scotland, apparently in connection with honoring the dead, as it was found
in a Neolithic funerary site. There is some argument that its remnants
there represent a henbane beer that was either given to the dead
to ease them on their path or that was drunk by the mourners. Henbane
is associated with beer also in the Alps, where it still carries
the name Bilsenkraut, or beer lettuce. In that locale, a goddess
name Bil is also known as the fairy of henbane. In the Middle Ages,
Agrippa recognized the connection of henbane to the dead by including
it in an incense designed to raise spirits. The botanist Linnaeus gave this plant its Latin name
in the 1753, basing it on its former name of "dioskyamos," or god's bean;
it
was apparently used in religious rites. According to one of the writers for
the Oxford English Dictionary, henbane does not derive from its
ability to poison hens, because hens won't eat it. Instead, the
henne part of henbane means death and is tied to the name of a German
god, Henne. This magick
herb is still used to consecrate ritual vessels and is an ingredient
in incense for bringing rain (probably based on German folklore that throwing
henbane into water will bring rain). It is an ingredient in incense burned
as a part of shapeshifting work, especially when the wolf is the
figure involved.
Henbane was often grown in medieval gardens;
its smoke deadened the pain of toothache. It came to North America
with the colonists in 1670 and it is said to grow wild in many areas, although
I have never seen it.
Culpeper commented that the smell of this plant was strong and unpleasant;
I have not found it so. It is said that sensitive people can be made dizzy
by the smell. Certainly taking a big whiff of the flowers will give you
a headache. People have died from eating
parts of this plant, especially the seeds, but it is one-tenth as
strong as Belladonna, and the dried plant even less so. Homeopaths have helped people combat the effects
of Hyoscyamus by giving them camphor to smell. An annual or biennial (can
take two years to flower) depending on when the parent plant produces
seeds, this plant has a thick, fleshy,
brittle taproot (in fact, you can harvest a very nice mandrake-like root from
henbane) but it can still be grown in pots. It does not
like soggy soil. This herb is called "Black Henbane" because its flowers
have heavy purple veining; "White Henbane" in contrast
has pale yellow flowers. This herb is also known
as Hyoscyamus, Hog's-bean,
Jupiter's-bean, Symphonica, Cassilata, Cassilago, Deus Caballinus, Henbell,
and Jusquiame.
How to grow henbane: Put seeds
in water and store in fridge for two weeks, changing water daily (this leaches
out anti-germination chemicals). Then sow to germinate in 9 days at room
temperature.
You can also cold stratify by folding them into a paper towel that has been
wet and wrung out; put that in a baggie, and put in fridge for two
weeks. Then sow. Be careful not to overwater, because this plant is prone
to damping off (suddenly dying from fungus). Transplant when they
get two inches tall to a sunny, sandy, alkaline soil (although I have grown
this in acidic soil and it did fine). You can
crowd them into clumps, because they get a tap root rather than
spreading out horizontally. It can be grown in a pot, but it will stay quite
small. In the ground, it gets tall enough to flop over. Water when the soil is dry, but give a bit more water when
they are flowering. This baneful herb likes compost side dressing (just
put some in a ring at the drip line of the plant) and foliar fertilizer (spray
organic fertilizer like fish emulsion on the undersides of the leaves in
the early morning). Grows 1-3 feet
high. These seeds are annual, although henbane can be an annual or a biennial,
depending on the particular seed. If it is in a pot, this plant will wilt in
heat. Watch out for aphids with
this one. Check under the leaves periodically for tiny white or green
bugs. Use Safer Insecticidal Soap to get rid of them. Slugs and
snails also savor the leaves; check for them under pots during
the daytime. General
growing info
Hyoscyamus niger
Black Henbane
100 seeds
$3.25
Uses in
Witchcraft & Magic:
Honoring Hekate
Baneful Work
Consecration
Rain
Magick
Death Work
Divination
Saturn Herb
Get some henbane herb
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