THE DEVIL'S PLANTS in 



not having its present meaning, but being the 

 angHcised form " theriake," or heal-all). 



But, on the other hand, Gerarde affirms of the 

 garlic that " it yields to the body no nourishment 

 at all, it engendereth naughty and sharp blood." 



l^he Berry of the Deadly Nightshade is known as 

 the " Devil's Berry." The plant is also called 

 *' Death's Herb," and v^as formerly known under the 

 name of Dwale, the fruit being called " Dwale- 

 berry " (torpor or trance berry), from the Danish 

 word " dwale," meaning a trance, or dead-sleep. 



^he Belladonna in Bohemia is said to be a favourite 

 plant of the devil, who watches over it. He may, 

 however, be drawn from it on a certain night of 

 the year by letting loose a black hen, after which 

 he will immediately run. 



In Ireland, it is said to be very unlucky to pick 

 blackberries after Michaelmas: *' At Michaelmas 

 the devil puts his foot on the blackberries." 



In Sussex, there is an old legend which fixes the 

 date as October lo, after which time the devil goes 

 round and spits on the fruit. 



The Devil as the Power of Evil plays an important 

 part in all European folklore. In mediaeval times 

 we find him in all sorts of grotesque guises, and with 

 very various borrowed attributes. He is the black 

 dog in Dr. Faust's study, or, imitating the classic 

 sylvan deity Pan, he figures as a goat, with cloven 

 hoofs and horns. As the prince of the powers of 

 the air, he is attended in his midnight flights by 

 troops of witches, mounted on brooms. He is 

 Wayland Smith, the cunning worker in metals, 

 and, like Hephaistos, he is lame as the result of a 

 fall from heaven. 



