350 BROAD BEAN. 



stood a temple dedicated to the Rean-God, Kyamites. 

 At the festival of the T^einura — the wandering spirits 

 of wicked mortals — it was the custom to throw black 

 beans over one's head to protect oneself and one's relations 

 from the persecution of these wraiths. Soup prepared from 

 the meal of broad beans was offered to various Deities. 

 French beans were offered to them at the time of the 

 Rean Feast, the Calendae Fabarlae, which was celebrated 

 in June. In lawsuits white beans were used to signit\' 

 acquittal, and black ones for condemnation of the accused. 

 Broad beans have been found in Eg^-pt, in a tomb of 

 the Twelfth D\'nasty, which reigned about 2,000 R. C. 

 Schliemann also dug up beans at Trov. 



None of the customs of antiquity- relating to the 

 bean can possibl}' have applied to our Scarlet Runner 

 ( Phascohis vulsran's), since this onh' reached us after 

 the discovery ot America. For this reason the old name 

 "Bohne" onh' applied in the German language to the 

 broad bean, and the name "Builbohne" was used when 

 it became necessarv to distinguish it from the new American 

 "Runnei''. Among the Greek peasantr\' the broad bean 

 is still the commonest article of food. The meal pre- 

 pared from this bean was recenth' much advertised. 

 For bean flour is, next to lentil tfour, the principal 

 inCTredient of "Revalenta Arabica"', which was introduced 

 from North America and sold at a high price as an 

 invalid food and remedy for all sorts of complaints. 

 The name was formed b\' inverting the first two 

 letters of Fr\-a Lenta, really Jirviim Iriis, the name of 

 the Lentil. 



