By: Amots Dafni and Saleh Akel Khativ
Mice have accompanied man since the dawn of mankind, and especially since the agricultural revolution in the Neolithic period, which took place in our region. The mice are close to man's fields and table, and for him they are a nuisance, stealing his food and spreading diseases. It is therefore no wonder that man declared war on them, and most of the references to this animal are related to the damage it causes and the feeling of disgust.
Mouse poison
Some plants used to poison mice are referred to in Arabic as mouse poison, "sam el-far" (the poison of the mouse). These plants include (in the country) the following species:
Excavated quarry:
In addition to the "mouse poison", and for the same reason, the herb is also called the mouse onion, "basl al-far" (onion of the mouse) and the mouse killer, "qatil al-far" (killer of the mouse). The scallions contain a poison (scilliriside) that causes heart paralysis in mice within 24 hours. Different baits based on the onion are used to repel mice in different countries around the Mediterranean Sea. In Portugal, they cook grilled onions with corn and place the bait where the mice appear. They also plant stonecrops near fruit trees, to protect them from mice and moles. There are those who claim that the effectiveness of the bait prepared from the onions is small, because each time the mouse tastes only a small amount, therefore the chances of poisoning are small.
Bethany is intoxicating according to Ephraim the Reuben:
"Some Arabs say that the intoxicating plant is useful against field mice." In the village of Luban a-Sharqiya in Samaria we wrote: "The mice's holes are closed well with vetenia leaves and tightly tightened. The mice that come out of the holes behave like crazy, and are not seen anymore." Another name for Vitania in Arabic is the mouse killer, "Katheel al-Far" (the mouse killer). Ephraim the Reuben proposed to adopt the name "Rat Drug" for this plant.
Chasing the Rivers:
All parts of the stalk are extremely poisonous and contain substances that work vigorously to accelerate the action of the heart and cause death. In different countries, rodent extermination preparations have been prepared from different parts of the hound. In Cyprus they used to plug the rat holes with the haunted house. The rats that tried to escape ate the leaves and died almost immediately. A similar testimony from France: in the Botanical Museum in Nitza, mice were destroyed by scattering erofol leaves. Baruch Cizik points out that in France they used a powder prepared from the stalks of the gorse to destroy insects in the hides of cattle and to destroy mice.
Shameful lecher:
Some say - "Put leaves in the holes and the mice run away." In Shafaram we wrote: "The bad smell drives them away." Dull intoxication: in Israel it is accepted - "The plant is poisonous and stinks, the mice don't like it." "sky
Leaves are in holes, and the mice eat and die."
How did the flute player attract the mice?
According to German tradition, in 1284 a plague of rats broke out in the German city of Hamelin, and they couldn't. The fathers of the city turned to one man (who later became known as the "Piper of Hamelin") to save them from the plague. The sounds the man made from his flute drew the mice after him and so he led them out of the city, to the river, where they drowned. When the flutist returned to the city, the city's franchisors refused to pay his wages. In revenge, the piper appeared again, desecrated his wonderful song, attracted the children of the city with his music and disappeared with them into the mountain.
According to old versions of this legend, the flute that produced the enchanted sounds that mesmerized both the rats and the children was made from the root of the medicinal valerian ("nardin", or the cat weed "Hashishat al-hir", known for its ability to attract mice. According to another version, the flutist simply hid the valerian root under his coat. In the past, this root was used to make traps for rats. There is a claim in the literature that there is a substance called actinidine in the root of the valerian. It seems that this smell actually drives away the mice.
*
Ever since man began to store food in his dwelling or in warehouses, a war has been going on between him and the mice that polish their eyes for this food. Throughout history, man has tried to get rid of them by various means, starting with traps and ending with poisons, the most available of which are those extracted from plants. Some of these plants got their names in Arabic from their use against mice. Today this use is disappearing due to the development of modern poisons, and the names of the plants are an echo of an ancient tradition.
From: Daphne A. and S.E. Khativ (2024) Roots, Roses and Kings. Pardes Publishing.
Where is the police 👮