THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Belladonna

Lisa Karen Miller

“Belladonna, n.: In Italian, a beautiful lady; in English, a deadly poison.  A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues.”

Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

          The name of this deadly plant may derive from its ancient use by Italian women: they put drops of its juice in their eyes to dilate the pupils.  This was thought to make them more beautiful. They also applied it to their skin to make it paler.  Countless accidental poisonings are attributed to such pursuits of artificial loveliness.

          Atropa belladonna, or Deadly Nightshade, may have been the poison Shakespeare had the despondent Juliet take. John Gerard, knowing of the plant’s danger to humans, advised readers of his Herball of 1597 to banish it from their gardens. 

          The unholy trinity of deadly plants is comprised of Belladonna, Mandrake, and Henbane. All parts are toxic. The leaf, when ingested, causes palpitations, hallucinations, delirium, and death.  Their high levels of tropane alkaloids made them the murder weapons of choice for the ancients. 

          In the Middle Ages, they were used more frequently to induce hallucinations in practicing the dark arts. Seeing visions, whether for Christians, Pagans, or Satanists, was very desirable, and implied the seer was specially anointed by their god of choice.

          Today, the atropine derived from Belladonna is what your ophthalmologist uses to dilate your pupils.  It is also used to treat heart attacks, and is stockpiled by the military to counteract biological and chemical poisons.

© Copyright 2023 Lisa Karen Miller