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271
The Folk-lore of Plants
·
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
56
But
some
plants,
as
we
have
already
pointed
out,
were
credited
with
the
magic
property
of
revealing
the
presence
of
witches,
and
of
exposing
them
engaged
in
the
pursuit
of
plying
their
nefarious
calling.
In
this
respect
the
St.
John's
wort
was
in
great
request,
and
hence
it
was
extensively
worn
as
an
amulet,
especially
in
Germany
on
St.
John's
Eve,
a
time
when
not
only
witches
by
common
report
peopled
the
air,
but
evil
spirits
wandered
about
on
no
friendly
errand.
Thus
the
Italian
name
of
"devil-chaser,"
from
the
circumstance
of
its
scaring
away
the
workers
of
darkness,
by
bringing
their
hidden
deeds
to
light.
This,
moreover,
accounts
for
the
custom
so
prevalent
in
most
European
countries
of
decorating
doorways
and
windows
with
its
blossoms
on
St.
John's
Eve.
In
our
own
country
Stowe[20]
speaks
of
it
as
its
having
been
placed
over
the
doors
together
with
green
birch,
fennel,
orpine,
and
white
lilies,
whereas
in
France
the
peasantry
still
reverence
it
as
dispersing
every
kind
of
unseen
evil
influence.
The
elder
was
invested
with
similar
properties,
which
seem
to
have
been
more
potent
than
even
those
attributed
to
the
St.
John's
wort.
According
to
an
old
tradition,
any
baptized
person
whose
eyes
were
anointed
with
the
green
juice
of
its
inner
bark
could
see
witches
in
any
part
of
the
world.
Hence
the
tree
was
extremely
obnoxious
to
witches,
a
fact
which
probably
accounts
for
its
having
been
so
often
planted
near
cottages.
Its
magic
influence
has
also
caused
it
to
be
introduced
into
various
rites,
as
in
Styria
on
Bertha
Night
(January
6th),
when
the
devil
goes
about
in
great
force.[21]
As
a
safeguard,
persons
are
recommended
to
make
a
magic
circle,
in
the
centre
of
which
they
should
stand
with
elder-berries
gathered
on
St.
John's
Night.
By
so
doing
the
mystic
fern
seed
may
be
obtained,
which
possesses
the
strength
of
thirty
or
forty
men.
In
Germany,
too,
a
species
of
wild
radish
is
said
to
reveal
witches,
as
also
is
the
ivy,
and
saxifrage
enables
its
bearer
to
see
witches
on
Walpurgis
Night.
Marker
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Fine white-out
Circle
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Sieve
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