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Info Aconite
Info Aconite
Info Aconite
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Aconitum
The poisonous plant genus Aconitum consists of at least a hundred different species
and has an array of legends and folklore attributed to it.
Sometimes called the Queen of Poisons or ‚Plant Arsenic’, similar to how Arsenic is
considered to be the King of Poisons.
Aconite is also called hecateis after the goddess Hecate, to whom it is sacred. Hecate,
goddess of witchcraft, is associated with shape-shifting, e.g. when called upon as
Lycania. In connection with witchcraft aconite is also thought to have been used by
Thessalonian witches in flying ointments as well as by medieval witches, who mixed
the seeds into hallucinogenic ointments. Amongst Germanic tribes it is reported to
have been used by the Berserkers when they transformed into 'werewolves'. Aconite is
said to cause a sensation on the skin of wearing a fur-coat or feathers and may induce
hallucinations of transformating into different kinds of animals. Indo-European
culture holds the name Luppewurz (old German luppi = deathly juice/poison/spell).
Similar also Latin lupus = wolf. The Greek byname lycoctonum means wolf-killer,
referring to its use in poisoned wolf baits, hence also the English name Wolfsbane.
Pliny the Elder also refers to the herb as 'plant arsenic', and dedicates chapter 2 of his
Natural History to the "most prompt of all poisons", which he claims was also an
antidote to scorpion poison. In the same context he mentions the White Hellebore
(Veratrum album) as the antagonist of aconite. He goes on to describe the use of
aconite and hellebore as 'pardalianches' = pard-strangle.
Being one of the most poisonous herbs native you Europe aconite has also a long
history in poison murder. Pliny mentions Calpurnius Bestia, who killed his wifes in
sleep by touching their genitalia with his finger, which he smeared with aconite root
extracts. According to Pliny aconite was thus also called 'thelyphonon', female-bane
or ‘woman killer’. Aconite brought in contact with the mucuouse menbranes of female
genitalia would cause instant death! He assumes yet another name, 'scorpio', was
based on the curved shape of the root resembling a scorpion's tail.
In Germanic folklore aconite was sacred to Thor, the god of thunderstorms and
lightning, as the name Thor's Hat indicates. In German the plant is commonly called
Eisenhut and Sturmhut (helmet) as well as Mönchshut (monk’s hood). Less known
German names are Venuskutschen or Venuswagen (venus wagon) - quite a contrast,
suggesting female and aphrodisiac attributes. The names are often based on various
interpretations of the shape of the flowers. More related to the plant's poisonous
effects are the German names Würgling, indicating death through asphyxiation, and
Ziegentod, referring to deaths of goats that accidentally ate of the plant.
Aconite has long been used as an arrow poison in hunting and war. Arrow heads were
dressed with aconite as well as the shafts, so that an enemy who drew an arrow from
the body of a wounded comrade would be poisoned too. In India aconite was mixed
with other poisons and applied to arrowheads, so that the targets would rave mad and
poison more people by biting them. Aconite's use as an early 'biological war weapon'
expands also to poisoning the enemy's water and food resources, e.g. the Romans
used it as such. Roman Emperor Claudius died of Aconite poisoning in year 54.
In India aconite is sacred to Shiva, the God of All Poisons. According to legend the
essence of all poisons spread from the whirling motion of the Ur-ocean or ocean of
milk (samudramathana) when it produced the holy cow. The gods were frightened
and ran to Kailash, where Shiva sat meditating, and asked him for help. Shiva took
the poison in his hand and drank it. His wife Parvati feared for her husband and
choked his throat so that the poison eventually would get stuck and upon which his
throat turned blue. Because of this Shiva is also called Nilakantha = "blue throat".
Through his deed Shiva saved all beings from becoming poisoned. Only a tiny bit of
the poison had dripped from his hand which until today flows in the veins of the blue
aconite and other poisonous plants. Another version of the story tells of Shiva having
turned blue from consuming all the poisons in the world. In his likeness Aghoris
consume poisonous Shiva-associated plants (e.g. Aconitum ferox, Cannabis indica,
Datura metel, Papaver somniferum) and other poisons (Cobra venom, quicksilver,
arsenic) in order to experience the divine consciousness of Shiva. Advanced
practitioners consume a smoking blend of Cannabis indica and Aconitum ferox
(called vatsanabha or bish) root. The Saradatilaka Tantra describes Shiva in His
Nilakantha aspect: "He shines like a myriad of rising suns, he wears a shining
crescent moon in his long entangled hair. His four arms are adorned with snakes. He
has five heads, each with three eyes, he wears a tiger skin and is armed with a
trishula."
Aconite appears in Christian iconography as a symbol of death and it is the symbol for
toxicity in European nature. It was a classic in Christian medieval monastery gardens
and there exists a fictional account of its use by Christian monks in Gustav Meyrink's
novel, The Cardinal Napellus. The story is about a brotherhood named the 'Blue
Brothers', who believed that Cardinal Napellus, the founder of their order, had
transformed into the very first Aconite plant and all further aconite plants have
derived from him. Aconitum napellus is featured on the order's coat of arms and the
monastery garden is a huge aconite field, planted by neophytes after admission into
the order. In the story these neophytes sprinkle the plants with the blood that flows
from their scourging wounds. "The symbolism of this ritual of blood baptism lies
within the planting of the human soul inside the Garden of Eden and fertilizing the
plants' growth with the blood of men's desires." The members of the order use the
plant for inducing hallucinations or gaining higher consciousness: "When the flowers
vanished, we would collect the poisonous seeds, which resemble small human hearts
and according to the secret doctrine of the order depict the seed of faith, of which is
written that it lends the power to shift mountains, and they would eat from it. Like
the dreadful poison changes the heart and brings men to the liminal point between
death and life, so the essence of faith was meant to transform our blood - to become a
miraculous force within the hours of gnawing death torment and ecstasy." (Meyrink
1984).
Species & Gallery
Aconitum carmichaelii, Left: Over 2 m tall Plant, Right: Flower during autumn
Aconite brought in contact with an open wound on the finger may cause pain in the
whole arm and effect the entire cardiovascular and respiratory system. Already
touching the leaves or root has been reported to cause symptoms of poisoning.
Toxic Dose: 0,2 g cause symptoms of poisoning, 2 mg are said to be lethal. The
dried herb is tenable for one year. One report cites skin-contact with the leaves picked
with barren hands caused tickling, numbness and effects on the circulatory system.
Indian Aghoris smoke the herb in tantric rituals. There are no reports about dose.
All parts of the plant are poisonous. The highest concentration of poison is in the root
and seeds.
Aconitine
Other
According to Christian Rätsch the nectar of the flowers may produce a psychoactive
honey.
Sources