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.
A classic
witching herb and plant of
Saturn,
henbane is
said to have been a component in witches'
flying ointments, but this seems strange,
since it is sedating and causes feelings of
heaviness. Also, oil of henbane can blister
the skin, so this herb is not a good candidate
for inclusion in a salve or ointment (fat will
generally extract essential oils). Perhaps
henbane worked against the side-effects of
other components in the salves (which fits
with at least one theory of flying
ointments).
In Other Types of Magic
Outside of flying ointments, henbane has been connected with the mystical for many centuries. Some have argued that the Greek oracles breathed in the smoke of burning henbane in order to enter into a trance state. Others have said that the Scandinavian goddess Bil was associated with henbane (Bilsenkraut). In medieval Germany, henbane was used in rain magic and was thought to make land sterile (henbane does enjoy growing in "waste" land - land that has been stripped of its forest but is not under cultivation). Albertus Magnus claimed that sorcerers burned henbane in order to see demons in its smoke. On a more mundane note, henbane was also previously used to give beer extra punch - "Pilsen[er]" is a corruption of "Bilsen[kraut]." This herb is also known as Hyoscyamus, Hog's-bean, Jupiter's-bean, Symphonica, Cassilata, Cassilago, Deus Caballinus, Henbell, and Jusquiame.
A Long Association With the Afterlife
Henbane was being used by people as far back as the Neolithic period in Scotland - henbane together with barley residues were found in drinking vessels in funerary context there. It's unknown whether the drink was meant for the dead or for shamans or others to ritually imbibe in order to help the dead. Henbane residues have also been found in Bronze Age urns found in the Alps, and a Zoroastrian tale from Persia describes how a man drank henbane in wine and spent a week in the afterlife (he was lucky enough to return). The ancient Greeks believed that the dead in Hades wore wreaths of henbane - this plant of forgetfulness helped them forget their loved ones, whom they would grieve for otherwise.
Toxicity
Our disconnection from nature and our refusal to take responsibility for knowing the natural world mean that we often have very distorted reaction to things like deadly plants. Some people seem to discredit all warnings about poisonous herbs, and others act as if a poisonous plant is as dangerous as plutonium. Neither is a helpful response. This herb is dangerous to life, but that does not mean it cannot be used in ritual at all, only that it must be used with caution. Don't allow it to rest against your skin. If including it in a charm bag, make sure the fabric is tightly woven so that plant dust cannot get through. Wear gloves when handling this herb and do not touch your eyes or mouth without washing them first. If censing with this herb, burn it in a well ventilated area. Henbane is deadly poison - that means that people have died from eating this baneful herb, so please don't do anything stupid with it. If you suspect henbane poisoning, go to the emergency room.
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. 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. General
growing info
Hyoscyamus niger
Black Henbane
100 seeds
$3.75
Uses in
Witchcraft & Magic:
Honoring Hekate
Baneful Work
Consecration
Rain
Magick
Death Work
Divination
Saturn Herb
© 2004, 2013 Harold A. Roth; No reproduction without permission