By: Amots Dafni and Saleh Akel Khativ
Pliny, the Roman naturalist notes that honey made from the flowers of the hollyhock is poisonous. This information is repeated in the literature from time to time, from different countries from America to East Asia. There is a dispute among biologists as to whether the honeysuckle produces nectar at all - there are those who oblige and there are those who deny it. It is likely that these contrasting results arise in light of the fact that there are hundreds of varieties of harduf, which differ from each other in the characteristics of the flowers (color, size and structure), and it is not impossible also in the production of nectar. In Egypt, for example, the gorse is an excellent source of both nectar and pollen.
The nectar hidden in the depths of the flower
It seems that the more difficult problem is that, due to the structure of the haunted flower (a long tube and twisted stamens), it is difficult for the honey bees to reach the nectar hidden in the depths of the flower, even if it is there. In view of the high toxicity of all parts of the plant, it is likely that the origin of honey toxicity is in the pollen collected by bees and even found in honey.
The rushing of the streams caused cardiac arrest
Its beautiful and sweet-smelling flowers occasionally tempt people to make an infusion from them.
It was reported on the Ynet website: "A 30-year-old man from Jerusalem made himself a tea infusion from the haunted plant and was admitted to the intensive care unit. The next day he did not wake up and did not respond and was taken to Hadassah Hospital in critical condition, where he remains until now."
And another case: "A resident of Jerusalem wanted to make himself some tea with Louisa, but accidentally picked the poisonous river hound, which caused him to go into cardiac arrest. At Shaare Zedek hospital, they identified the cause - and saved his life." Deaths are also known in the literature as a result of drinking such an infusion.
toxic fumes
In Greek mythology, it is said that in the temple of Apollo, which was in Delphi, there was a priestess (Pythia), who was called an oracle and whose job was to predict fortunes for those who turned to her for advice. The priestess was an old woman from a respectable family and was chosen for her position by the priests of the temple. When a question was addressed to her, she would take a dip in the local spring, and then enter an ecstatic state caused, according to tradition, by poisonous vapors and the smoke of narcotic plants. Throughout the ages, various Pythias served, and they both chewed the leaves of noble oak (a plant dedicated to Apollo) and burned branches of this plant to achieve the hypnotic state.
The Pythia would mumble fragments of words and broken sentences, and the priest who sat next to her would interpret her words in a multi-meaningful way that would be suitable for anyone turning to repentance and advice. A Greek researcher named Herisis challenged this tradition and provides a list of arguments that indicate, in his opinion, that this is not a noble city, but rather the pursuit of the rivers.
The effect of the use of noble fire on the Pythia was manifested, according to the historical evidence, in the following symptoms: mental restlessness and storm of emotions, jumps and convulsions, a change in the tone of the voice, excessive salivation, loss of consciousness and sometimes even death.
As far as is known, ar azil does not cause such effects, however these are typical signs of poisoning as a result of eating the darfum and/or inhaling the smoke that rises from it when it is burned. Already in the first century AD, a Roman scholar named Pompeius Lenaeus notes that the fruits of the plant used in Delphi (known as Laurel) are long and red. This figure is suitable for chasing and not for a noble city, its fruits are small black and olive-like.
The Greek name for the plant ("laurel"), used by all the authors, refers to no less than seven different plant species in ancient Greece. Land and geologists did not confirm the suggestion of toxic fumes being emitted in the cave where the flakes were isolated. In light of these reasons, he suggests that it is a case of poisoning from the haunting of the streams and not a noble city.
From: Dafni, A. and S.E. Khativ (2024) Roots, Roses and Kings. grove. Haifa.
The Haunted and the Pythians in Delphi / Amots Dafni and Saleh Akel Khativ
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