In search of traces of the mandrake myth: the historical, and ...

Aphrodisiac. The reputation of mandrake as an aphrodisiac first appeared in biblical times (Genesis 30: 4-16). It was noted by Theophrastus in the 4th-3rd c. BCE [61, IX, 8. 8] and was widely expanded and iconographically depicted and transmitted in the medieval period, with reference mainly to the fruits .

Mandrake - Wikipedia

A mandrake is the root of a plant, historically derived either from plants of the genus Mandragora (in the family Solanaceae) found in the Mediterranean region, ... The dud̲āʾim was considered an aphrodisiac [37] or rather a treatment for infertility, [38] [36] as in Genesis 30:14.

The History and Uses of the Magical Mandrake, According to Modern ...

In the Bible's Book of Genesis, mandrake root helps Rachel conceive Jacob, and in Greek mythology, Circe and Aphrodite are thought to use it as an aphrodisiac.

What are the mandrakes mentioned in the Bible? - GotQuestions.org

Mandrakes have unusually large, forked roots that sometimes resemble a human body with open arms and legs. In the ancient world, mandrake roots were considered an aphrodisiac and were commonly prepared and eaten as a fertility drug. There are many references to mandrakes in folklore and superstitions in various cultures.

Fantastically Wrong: The Murderous Plant That Grows From the ... - WIRED

The Greeks also used it as an aphrodisiac, steeping the root in wine or vinegar—mandrake is known as the "love-apple of the ancients," and is associated with the Greek goddess of love ...

The love potion - Kew

Mandragora officinarum contains a high concentration of the tropane alkaloid, scopolamine. This induces effects of intoxication and narcosis, making users lose all sense of reality, impairing memory, and inducing a deep sleep. ... The mighty mandrake has lost a lot of its mythological wonder but the idea of plants with aphrodisiac qualities ...

The rise and fall of mandrake in medicine - ScienceDirect

Although there are written artefacts of its possible use in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt (see below), we consider the oldest reliable textual source of a medicinal use of mandrake to be the Old Testament (Genesis, 30:14), mentioning its fruits as an aphrodisiac. Mandrake was described in the Corpus Hippocraticum (see below) and in Theophrastus ...

Mandrake - The Scream of Death - Europeana

The mandrake is a perennial herb with thick, often forked, roots which may resemble the legs of the human body. It belongs to the Solanaceae family and to the genus Mandragora, which includes three species native to the Mediterranean basin and Central Asia. ... Initially used as an amulet for good luck, as an aphrodisiac and to treat ...

Mandrakes, from Mythology to Museum Collectable

The mandrake surfaces in a wide array of religious, scholarly, literary and popular culture texts. The root's human-like form and properties as a narcotic (as well as, allegedly, an aphrodisiac and fertility aid) may partially account for the wealth of attention lavished on the plant, as well as its associations with magic and magical practitioners.