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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
169
According
to
a
piece
of
Breton
lore,
the
selago,
or
"cloth
of
gold,"
cannot
be
cut
with
steel
without
the
sky
darkening
and
some
disaster
taking
place:--
"The
herb
of
gold
is
cut;
a
cloud
Across
the
sky
hath
spread
its
shroud
To
war."
On
the
other
hand,
if
properly
gathered
with
due
ceremony,
it
conferred
the
power
of
understanding
the
language
of
beast
or
bird.[2]
As
far
back
as
the
time
of
Pliny,
we
have
directions
for
the
gathering
of
this
magic
plant.
The
person
plucking
it
was
to
go
barefoot,
with
feet
washed,
clad
in
white,
after
having
offered
a
sacrifice
of
bread
and
wine.
Another
plant
which
had
to
be
gathered
with
special
formalities
was
the
magic
mandragora.
It
was
commonly
reported
to
shriek
in
such
a
hideous
manner
when
pulled
out
of
the
earth
that,
"Living
mortals
hearing
them
run
mad."
Hence,
various
precautions
were
adopted.
According
to
Pliny,
"When
they
intended
to
take
up
the
root
of
this
plant,
they
took
the
wind
thereof,
and
with
a
sword
describing
three
circles
about
it,
they
digged
it
up,
looking
towards
the
west."
Another
old
authority
informs
us
that
he
"Who
would
take
it
up,
in
common
prudence
should
tie
a
dog
to
it
to
accomplish
his
purpose,
as
if
he
did
it
himself,
he
would
shortly
die."
Moore
gives
this
warning:--
"The
phantom
shapes--oh,
touch
them
not
That
appal
the
maiden's
sight,
Look
in
the
fleshy
mandrake's
stem,
That
shrieks
when
plucked
at
night."
To
quote
one
or
two
more
illustrations,
we
may
mention
the
famous
lily
at
Lauenberg,
which
is
said
to
have
sprung
up
when
a
poor
and
beautiful
girl
was
spirited
away
out
of
the
clutches
of
a
dissolute
baron.
It
made
its
appearance
annually,
an
event
which
was
awaited
with
much
interest
by
the
inhabitants
of
the
Hartz,
many
of
whom
made
a
pilgrimage
to
behold
it.
"They
returned
to
their
homes,"
it
is
said,
"overpowered
by
its
dazzling
beauty,
and
asserting
that
its
splendour
was
so
great
that
it
shed
beams
of
light
on
the
valley
below."
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