THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Bean

Lisa Karen Miller

          Young Jack was a callow youth.  He didn’t want to work and he never helped his mother. When at last they were reduced to selling the cow, he couldn’t even accomplish that simple task.  Taken in by a smiling stranger, he traded the old milk cow for some magic beans.

          We all know this story.  What is it really about, though?  Most fairy tales provide a lesson. One of them here is that if you, through your own folly, find yourself in another world, you’ll discover far more danger there than in the one you left.  You will either die or grow up fast.

          The far more important lesson is: “Help your mother, you lazy lout.”

          A folk adage from Warwickshire, England advises:

“When elm leaves are big as a shilling,

Plant kidney beans, if to plant ‘em you’re willing.

When elm leaves are as big as a penny,

Plant kidney beans if you mean to have any.”

          The bean is dedicated to St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuits, who is often depicted as trampling on heretics.                

          Romans believed that the souls of their ancestors resided in fava beans, so they were eaten at funerals.  At weddings, they were offered to the bride and groom to attract the souls of male ancestors, who would help the family line carry on.

          Aristotle often spoke out against the evils of beans.  He asserted that eating them would buy you a one-way ticket to Hades.  His proof? 

          They resembled testicles.

           A Polish wedding custom had well-wishers throwing, among other grains and legumes, beans at the door of the bride’s home.  This ensured she would never want for any of them, as long as she did her duty as a wife.

          All beans are nitrogen-fixing, improving the soil for whatever crop follows them. They are good companions for beets, brassicas, carrots, celery, chard, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, peas, potatoes, radish, and strawberries.   French beans, sweet corn, and melons make an excellent combination.

           Interplanting summer savory deters bean beetles and improves flavor. Keep beans away from alliums (chives, garlic, leeks, and onions).

          Good news for diabetics: Black beans help fix insulin resistance.  Eating as little as one-half cup cooked black beans a day can improve sensitivity to insulin and restore gut bacteria balance.  They can also reduce bad cholesterol.

          Even though that time-honored green bean casserole is a staple on the Thanksgiving table, it might be an idea to start a new, healthier tradition with black beans.

They might just be magic.

© Copyright 2023 Lisa Karen Miller