Myths on Rosemary Plants

Weddings

• Rosemary is a common sight at weddings, and has been for centuries. Throughout Europe it has long been a symbol of fidelity, and is often carried by brides during the wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, the rosemary is dipped into the goblets during the toast as the new couple pledges their loyalty to each other. Famous brides including Anne of Cleves -- whose marriage to King Henry VIII of England was annulled -- wore rosemary braided into their hair, and it remains a European tradition to this day.

  Rosemary also means remembrance, and it is with this meaning that it is often given as wedding favors. The gift of rosemary indicates that no matter what lies ahead on the couple's new road together, they will remember those who saw them to this point together.

Love

• The romantic myths surrounding rosemary plants also exist outside of the wedding ceremony. In France, whether or not a man liked the smell of rosemary was thought to be an indication of his prowess as a lover. Sleeping with a sprig of rosemary beneath the pillow was thought to bring dreams of a person's true love, while giving someone a sprig of rosemary was to declare love.

Medicinal Uses

• There are a number of myths surrounding the use of rosemary as a preventative, a medicine and as an aid to natural abilities. As far back as ancient Greece, rosemary was thought to be an aid to memory; so powerful was this association that the muses and Athena, the goddess of wisdom, were often depicted holding rosemary.

  Other myths around the medicinal properties of rosemary include the ability to produce clear and healthy skin when washing regularly with rosemary water, a youth preservative, and a cure for gout, headaches, amnesia and dementia.

Christianity

• The flowers of the rosemary plant can be any of a number of shades of blue. According to Christian legend, this blue color comes from the cloak of the Virgin Mary. In need of a place to hang her cloak to keep it from getting dirty, she draped it over a rosemary bush covered in the traditionally white flowers. The flowers were touched by the blue cloak, and since then have taken on the same blue coloring. The height of the rosemary plant is also said to be related to the adult height of Christ; out of respect, the rosemary plant will grow no taller than Him.

Protection

• Even outside of Christian stories, rosemary is associated with purity and good. It is said to only grow in the gardens of the pure and the righteous, and to protect people from evil spirits. Demons and other spirits are said to avoid rosemary. This is found even in fairy tales that have been passed down for generations; in "Sleeping Beauty," the prince that awakens her banishes the evili curse with the touch of rosemary. During the Middle Ages, burning rosemary was thought to purify the air against everything from demons to the plague. Sprigs were often carried on the person for protection against these same threats. As late as World War II, it was burned in public places for its cleansing qualities.