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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
224
Equally
fond,
too,
are
cats
of
valerian,
being
said
to
dig
up
the
roots
and
gnaw
them
to
pieces,
an
allusion
to
which
occurs
in
Topsell's
"Four-footed
Beasts"
(1658-81):--"The
root
of
the
herb
valerian
(commonly
called
Phu)
is
very
like
to
the
eye
of
a
cat,
and
wheresoever
it
groweth,
if
cats
come
thereunto
they
instantly
dig
it
up
for
the
love
thereof,
as
I
myself
have
seen
in
mine
own
garden,
for
it
smelleth
moreover
like
a
cat."
Then
there
is
the
moonwort,
famous
for
drawing
the
nails
out
of
horses'
shoes,
and
hence
known
by
the
rustic
name
of
"unshoe
the
horse;"
while
the
mouse-ear
was
credited
with
preventing
the
horses
being
hurt
when
shod.
We
have
already
alluded
to
the
superstitions
relating
to
birds
and
plants,
but
may
mention
another
relating
to
the
celandine.
One
of
the
well-known
names
of
this
plant
is
swallow-wort,
so
termed,
says
Gerarde,
not,
"because
it
first
springeth
at
the
coming
in
of
the
swallows,
or
dieth
when
they
go
away,
for
it
may
be
found
all
the
year,
but
because
some
hold
opinion
that
with
this
herbe
the
darns
restore
eyesight
to
their
young
ones,
when
their
eye
be
put
out."
Coles
strengthens
the
evidence
in
favour
of
this
odd
notion
by
adding:
"It
is
known
to
such
as
have
skill
of
nature,
what
wonderful
care
she
hath
of
the
smallest
creatures,
giving
to
them
a
knowledge
of
medicine
to
help
themselves,
if
haply
diseases
annoy
them.
The
swallow
cureth
her
dim
eyes
with
celandine;
the
wesell
knoweth
well
the
virtue
of
herb-grace;
the
dove
the
verven;
the
dogge
dischargeth
his
mawe
with
a
kind
of
grasse,"
&c.
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