Basil

Name Orgin & Royal References of Basil.

Basil is native to Iran and India and rarely found in the wild. The first written history of basil appears to date back 4,000 years to when it was grown in Egypt. The name basil, is derived from the medieval Latin form of the Greek word for "King" or "Kingly".
 
The royal reference stems from the basil plant being considered a sacred herb in its native India. Sacred India basil was considered a powerful protector and was often planted around temples and laid with the dead. Once known as the Toolsee plant, basil was held by the Hindus to be sacred to all gods with no oblation being considered sacred without the inclusion of basil leaves.

In other countries, basil is also placed with the dead but for a different reason. Basil is often considered a love token and is planted on graves in Iran, Malaysia and Egypt.
 
In another historical reference to basil and the Hindu religion we learned, "As a sacred plant the basil has from time immemorial been held in high repute by the Hindus, having been sacred to Vishnu. Indeed it is worshipped as a deity itself, and is invoked as the goddess Tulasi for the protection of the human frame. It is further said that "the heart of Vishnu, the husband of the Tulasi, is agitated and tormented whenever the least sprig is broken of a plant of Tulasi, his wife."
 
However, in Ancient Greece and Rome, basil did not enjoy such a positive reputation and was associated with poverty, hate and misfortune due to the prevailing belief that basil would only prosper where there was abuse. Another of our sources explained that in Ancient Greece, when planting basil seeds, there was much shouting and cursing which later led to the French coining the phrase 'semer le basilic' which means to slander.
 
In Crete, basil was considered an emblem of the devil and was placed on most window-ledges as a charm against his influence.
 
Basil was ironically also thought to be a useful tool in determining chastity - it would wither in the hands of the impure.
 
Another theory as to basil's name origin is that sometime in it's history, basil got confused with the Latin basiliscus (basilisk) which was at one time falsely thought to be an antidote to the venom of that creature. It is thought perhaps for this reason that it was once believed that "Basil is good for the stryking of a se dragon."
 

Historically, Basil Thought to Be Harmful.

In medieval times, due to basil's inability to flourish in the presence of Rue, some physicians thought basil was poisonous. Rue was thought to be "an enemy to poisons" and anything that was unable to grow near it was assumed to be poisonous. But, others of the time thought basil was good for "cheering the spirit" and "clearing the brain".
 
In a belief that now seems utterly rediculous, some physicians had even attributed the smelling of basil to the growing of scorpions in the brain; references of which can be found in literature dating back to the 1500s. The origin of that belief can be traced to the writings of an English physician who, while in Italy, observed that if basil were placed under a stone in a moist place, a scorpion would be produced in two days' time. There's also at least one anecdotal reference by another "learned physician" to a patient having succombed to scorpion infestation in his brain brought about by frequently smelling the herb.
 
While the sources we used did not state the origins of the belief; around the 17th century, women at a table would refuse to eat from any dish if a basil leaf had been placed under it. It was assumed that the women had a such an aversion to basil that even if they were not informed of its presence they would instinctively know it was nearby and refuse to eat from any dish that had come in contact with basil.
 
While not identified as being harmful but odd nonetheless, Lord Bacon in his "Natural History" wrote that basil when exposed too much to the sun would change into wild thyme.
 

Migration of Basil.

Basil was not introduced in Britain until the 16th century and their countrymen brought it to North America.
 

Modern History of Basil.

In more modern history, basil, in a book that was first published in 1956, the author claimed that basil was being grown by only a "few adventurous gardeners" and has become rather uncommon. How lucky for all of us that is truly no longer the case.
 

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A list of the reference materials and resources we have used for all of our pages can be found on our About Us page.