104 THE GLORY OF THE GARDEN 



efficacy of rosemary as a counter-charm against 

 witchcraft; probably this was the reason for its 

 use at weddings and funerals, and for its presence 

 in the dock of the accused in courts of justice. 



Aconite is a plant with a bad name, its Indian 

 name of '' Ativisha " meaning supreme poison; it 

 has always ranked very high amongst the herbs 

 used by witches. 



The aconite was held sacred to Hecate, in whose 

 garden it grew, and whence, according to Ovid, 

 it was first sown by Cerberus, that many-headed 

 monster dog, keeper of the entrance to Hades. 

 Hercules undertook to bring this great brute to 

 earth, and this was his twelfth labour, for he was 

 to use no arms or spells, only physical force. And 

 from the foam that sprang from the dog's mouth 

 arose the aconite, plant of ill omen. 



The ancients used aconite to poison their 

 arrow-heads, and in Norse mythology the hood 

 of the aconite represents the cap of darkness, which 

 enabled those who carried it to become invisible, 

 and formed part of Odin's attire — Odin's helm, 

 more generally called Thor's hat and Tyr's helm. 



When the Benedictines invaded the realm of 

 Thor it became " monk's hood," the cowl of the 

 holy monks replacing the helm of Tyr. 



Aconitum is amongst the most malignant poisons, 

 and was employed by Medea in her cauldron of 

 magic herbs, and it was with this that she tried to 

 kill Theseus when he returned to King ^geus, his 

 father. But he suspected her evil designs, and 

 insisted that she must first taste of the cup which 

 she had handed to him, whereupon she dropped the 

 cup and fled precipitately. And when the wine 



