Spice tufts

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A Würzbüschel (also: Weihbüschel, Marienwisch, Würzwisch, Kräuterbüschel or Sangen) is a bouquet of herbs, roots and flowers that is tied in the Catholic parishes, especially in southern Germany, on the occasion of the custom of herb consecration on the feast of the Assumption .

history

The custom of herb consecration is known from pre-Christian times.

Around 745 AD, the custom was banned and then Christianized by attributing the effects of the herbs to God and especially to Mary's intercession. Since then, the herb consecration has been celebrated on Assumption, although the custom of the herb consecration used to be associated with other festivals. The legend that the apostles found fragrant flowering plants (roses and lilies) and medicinal herbs all around, when opening or visiting Mary's grave on the third day after the burial, instead of the corpse, may have promoted the custom.

The herb consecration is also mentioned in the Sachsenspiegel from the 13th century. There it says: “Dat is to Krudemisse our dear Frawn as sei to Himmel voer. (For example: The herb mass is held on the day Mary went to heaven. ")

Used herbs

A Würzbüschel contains depending on the region between seven and (originally) 77 different herbs, including arable snapdragon , elecampane , sorrel , Anthony herb , Arnica , eyebright , valerian , cress , wild garlic , basil , wormwood , comfrey , burnet , purple loosestrife , borage , buckwheat , Dost , three-pronged carding thistle , Real goldenrod , hibiscus , verbena , tarragon , foxglove , knapweed , lady's mantle , tansy , Golden bedstraw , goldenrod , groundsel , great burnet , shepherd's purse , elderberry , coltsfoot , St. John's wort , chamomile , burdock , Potentilla reptans , Carthusian Elke , cumin , bedstraw , lavender , toadflax , lovage , meadowsweet , mallow , milk thistle , Meisterwurz , mint , agrimony , Osterluzei , parsley , peppermint , pimpernel , tansy , marigold , rosemary , sage , yarrow , chives , celandine , plantain , clover , swamp yarrow , Dead nettle , dove's head , centaury , Thyme , juniper , Malva neglecta , chicory , fireweed , rue , wormwood , meadow bellflower , Wild Aster , Wild Carrot , Wild Thyme , spurge , horsetail and lemon balm , as well as cereal ears (rye, wheat, oats, barley), mullein (a so-called "sky fire “) Or roses, the root of the orchid as well as gladiolus , dahlia , zinnia , cornflower and rose mallow can be included.

Witches and wizards have always tried to "allow evil means to be consecrated", according to Richard Beitl in his dictionary of folklore . These include B. mandrake , mugwort and the double root of the St. Vitus flower .

Popular belief

The herb consecration is a symbolic act in which the forces of nature are made usable for people with God's help.

According to an old custom, the spice bundle is tied with a thin whip from the hazel bush; this is to keep the lightning off. A consecrated mullein that is thrown into the fire of the stove should serve the same purpose. In popular belief, tufts of spice served to ward off all kinds of calamities such as illness or storms. For this purpose, the bundle of spices had to be hung up in the attic, burned in the stove or mixed with cattle feed. It was also customary in some areas for children or newlyweds to be placed in bed or for the dead in the coffin.

The Marian festival used to be the day of pharmacists and druggists. The name of the city of Würzburg is sometimes erroneously derived from the herb consecration ( folk etymology ). According to popular belief, the healing and blessing power of herbs in the so-called "woman thirty" should be three times as strong, i.e. the time between August 15th - Assumption - and September 12th, the feast of the name of the Virgin . Monastery churches were also preferred for consecration because they were given greater consecration power. According to popular belief, herbs received the most blessings when they were placed under the altar cloth before the herb mass. However, this was later banned and the herbs were only allowed to be placed next to the altar.

criticism

The criticism of the herb consecration has been documented since 1534. In that year Sebastian Franck put the custom in his world book close to superstition:

To our frawn himmelfart there is all the world obs
tufts of allerley kreuter /
to consecrate in the churches /
for everyone seeks and plagues considered /
assess. With the history of seer vil magic.

Richard Beitl , editor of the dictionary of folklore, wrote: "Consecrated herbs were and are used in the house, stable and field [...] at special times ( rough nights ) hundreds of times and often alienated from the ecclesiastical sense."

literature

  • Karl Spiegel : The Würzbüschel on the feast of the Assumption of Mary in Lower Franconia. In: Communications and surveys on Bavarian folklore , New Series, 26/27, 1911, pp. 201–212.
  • Roland Schönmüller: Solidarity with God's nature. Herbal consecration on the “Great Women's Day” of the Assumption has a long tradition. In: Main-Post 14./15. August 1993, No. 186, p. 14.
  • Sabine Haubner, Peter Högler: Dost and Mannskraut distribute Beelzebub. Customs for the feast of the Assumption. In: Main-Post 14./15. August 1993, No. 186, p. 45.
  • Franz-Christian Czygan , Katharina Keimig-Riegel: Würzbüschel and their meaning in folklore and folk medicine. In: Journal of Phytotherapy. Volume 7, 1986, pp. 140-144.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Tying the spice tufts is an old custom ( Memento from July 1, 2007 in the Internet Archive ). In: Fränkische Nachrichten of August 14, 2004
  2. ↑ a b Manfred Becker-Huberti: Mariä Himmelfahrt , accessed on August 23, 2011
  3. ↑ Wolfgang Weismantel: Tufts of herbs for the protection of humans and animals. In: Wertheimer Zeitung. from 14./15./16. August 2020.
  4. ↑ a b c d e Michael Geringhoff: Herbal Consecration with Knights . In: Wertheimer Zeitung of August 17, 2011
  5. ↑ Manfred Welker: The healing powers of the Würzbüschel  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: Nordbayerische Nachrichten of August 14, 2009@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.nn-herhabenaurach.de  
  6. ↑ Würzbüschel ( Memento of the original from July 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Hochhausen online, accessed January 29, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.hochhausen.net
  7. ↑ Press office of the Episcopal Ordinariate in Würzburg: Pilgrimage, incense and World Youth Day - discover the diversity of faith . In: Fränkische Nachrichten of August 9, 2004