Reseda
luteola
Weld
This
Mediterranean herb is the oldest yellow dye plant in the
world. It is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as rikhpah
and still grows in Israel. The Romans dyed the robes of the
Vestal Virgins and wedding
clothing with this magick herb. It was a favored dye in Persia in the
Dark Ages and
widely use in Europe as a dye in the Middle Ages. Weld is a more
concentrated yellow dye than most dye flowers but was superseded by
tropical dye plants after the
European invasion of the New World. The leaves have the most intense
dye, but
the whole plant (except roots)
contains dye. It is especially nice on wool, but can dye cotton or silk
as well. With an alum mordant, weld makes lightfast lemon yellow on
wool and
silk, with
copper it makes greenish yellow, with iron it makes olive.
Combined with woad,
weld makes green (usually the woad is done first); this is called
Lincoln Green and was the color of the clothing of Robin Hood's men. It
is also the basis of Saxon green, which is weld over Saxon blue (a
light blue created by indigo dye treated with sulphuric acid [oil of
vitriol]). Weld dyed the clothes of the common people in
Great
Britain but the silks of wealthy Vikings (this dyed silk was imported,
though). Top
Dyeing
with Weld. Six to seven
first-year rosettes or two second-year
blooming plants will dye a pound of wool and can be used fresh or
dried. Chop the plant. If using dried leaves, crumble and soak in warm
water for
six hours before using. Simmer, don't boil, for one hour, and strain
out the herb. Add some washing soda to make the dye bath alkaline, then
add wet
fiber to the bath and simmer for an hour. Keep stirring, because this
dye
tends to sink to the bottom of the pot. Don't boil, or it will
turn brown. You can also use dried
leaves equal
to 1/2 the weight of fabric as a measurement. Top
Other
Uses. An
excellent magickal ink can be made by macerating weld in alcohol; this
makes a yellow ink good for drawing amulets and talismans for
protection and offensive magick. Or consider dyeing ritual clothing
with weld for use in magickal protectiong or ritual attack. Along with
other natural dyes like indigo,
cochineal, and madder, weld
was turned into a "lake" (by precipitating it onto an opaque substance,
like chalk) and used in painting and in medieval manuscript
illumination as a substitute for the poisonous orpiment and to signify
gold. It grew wild
in southern England but farther north might well have been
found in cottage gardens growing against south-facing walls. It is
certainly a candidate for medieval
gardens and was grown in North American colonial gardens. In Britain it
was used, rarely, as a poultice on wounds and bites of snakes or
stings of insects, which implies a Mars
nature, despite the fact that
it lacks thorns. Indeed, it is hot and
drying to the
third degree, according to Gerard (apparently the root tastes like a
radish). It was not much used medicinally because of its heat but was
recommended against the plague, which suggests it was probably a last
resort type herb. Weld
flowers attract bees and
butterflies, and cattle, goats, sheep, and donkeys like to eat it. Weld
is also known as wold, dyer's weed, green weed, dyer's broom, mahabbet
chichegi, muhabbetcicegi, pastel sauvage, thail
ath thikh, wouw, dyer's rocket, yellow weed, wild mignonette, Lus
Buidhe Mòr, and dyer's mignonette. Top
How
to grow weld: If you have a
short season, start plants indoors 6-8
weeks before last
frost. Surface sow - seeds need light to germinate in 7-14 days at room
temperature. Otherwise, plant outside in early spring, barely covering
the seeds. Weld is a biennial in zones 5-9; elsewhere, grow it as an
annual (it won't flower). It forms a rosette the first year and in the
2nd spring shoots up a stalk to 5 ft/1.5m but more
normally up to 3ft/1m. It flowers June-August and ripens seeds
August-September. Weld likes dryish, chalky soil (it's often found
growing
around limestone quarries,
gravelly banks, stony roadsides--planting around walls would duplicate
this) but it can grow in any kind of soil. Plant in full sun up north
and partial shade in the South. This plant shows its aggressive Martial
nature by reseeding all over the
place if you don't watch it. General growing info. Top
|
Reseda
luteola
Weld
100 seeds $4.00
Other
dye plants:
Indigo
Woad
Dyer's Chamomile
Dyer's Broom
Dyer's coreopsis
Safflower
Uses
in Witchcraft & Magic:
Honoring Vesta
Celebrating Weddings
Protection Spells
Attack Magick
Mars Herb
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