追寻曼德拉草传说的踪迹：其俗名的历史和民族植物学根源。

In search of traces of the mandrake myth: the historical, and ethnobotanical roots of its vernacular names.

机构信息

Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.

GREB-BioC, Botany Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII S/N, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

出版信息

J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2021 Dec 4;17(1):68. doi: 10.1186/s13002-021-00494-5.

DOI:10.1186/s13002-021-00494-5

PMID:34863248

原文链接:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8645077/

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Mandrake (Mandragora spp.) is one of the most famous medicinal plant in western cultures since Biblical times and throughout written history. In many cultures, mandrake is related to magic and witchcraft, which is said to have a psychosomatic effect (especially when mandrake contains narcotic compounds) in addition to the pharmacological influence, as occurs with other narcotic magical plants. Due to its unique properties and related myths, it is not surprising that this plant has many names in many languages.

METHODS

This paper presents an attempt to reconstruct the historical, ethnobotanical, and folkloristic roots of 292 vernacular names of Mandragora spp. in forty-one languages. We used the plant's morphological data, philology, myths and legends, medicinal properties and uses, as well as historical evidence and folkloric data, to explain meaning, origin, migration, and history of the plant's names.

RESULTS

The names were classified into the following main categories: Derivatives of mandragora (19 languages), alraun (7) and of yabroukh (5). The salient groups of the plant's vernacular names are related to: Anthropomorphism (33 names in 13 languages); Similarity to other plants (28/9); Supernatural agents (28/9); Narcotic effects (21/8); Leaves, fruits, and seeds (21/8); Aphrodisiac properties (17/10); Use of a dog (15/9); Gallows (14/5); Black magic, sorcery, witchcraft (13/8), and Medicinal use (11/7).

CONCLUSIONS

This frequency distribution of the mandrake's vernacular names reflects its widespread reputation as related to the doctrine of signatures, beliefs in its supernatural, natural, and mythic powers, and to a lesser extent, its uses in magic and medicine. A spatiotemporal analysis of the mandrake's names supports the old idea that the pulling ceremonies for this plant originated in the Near East and that various other myths related to this plant may have originated in different places and periods.

摘要

背景

曼德拉草（曼德拉草属）自圣经时代以来一直是西方文化中最著名的药用植物之一，在整个有文字记载的历史中都有记载。在许多文化中，曼德拉草与魔法和巫术有关，据说它除了具有药理学影响外，还具有身心影响（特别是当曼德拉草含有麻醉化合物时），就像其他麻醉性神奇植物一样。由于其独特的特性和相关的神话，这种植物在许多语言中有许多名称也就不足为奇了。

方法

本文试图重建曼德拉草属 292 个俗名的历史、民族植物学和民间传说根源，这些俗名用 41 种语言表示。我们使用植物的形态数据、植物学、神话和传说、药用特性和用途，以及历史证据和民间传说数据来解释植物名称的含义、起源、迁移和历史。

结果

这些名称被分为以下主要类别：曼德拉草的衍生物（19 种语言）、alraun（7 种）和 yabroukh（5 种）。植物俗名的主要组群与以下内容有关：拟人化（13 种语言中有 33 个名称）；与其他植物相似（28/9）；超自然力量（28/9）；麻醉效果（21/8）；叶子、果实和种子（21/8）；壮阳作用（17/10）；使用狗（15/9）；绞刑架（14/5）；黑魔法、巫术、巫术（13/8）和药用（11/7）。