Mandrake
Root, also known as Mandragora, Mayapple, Baaras, and Satan’s Apple, is most
famous for its association with black magic. Mandrake Root has been used in
spells and witch’s brews for centuries, mainly due to its shape. The Mandrake
Root often usually looks like a carrot or turnip, but often it resembles a male
or female human. The root was used in love potions. Mandrake Roots that took on
a phallic appearance were often used to combat male infertility and impotence.
The Mandrake was considered dangerous in many cultures, which even proscribed
methods of digging up Mandrake Root without actually touching it. There were
stories that the Mandrake Root would scream and bleed if dug up by conventional
means, but no one who heard the scream lived to tell the tale. Mandrake Root was
also considered to be the most powerful herb in the prevention of demonic
possession and in the expulsion of demons. It was said that demons could not
tolerate the smell of the Mandrake. The ancients used Mandrake Root as a
purgative and emetic, and as an aid to sleep. It was also used to relieve pain
associated with rheumatism and tumors. Mandrake Root was also chewed to provide
a mild anesthetic. In large doses, Mandrake Root can provoke delirium and
vomiting.
