By Dee Hill
Praxis-Knowledge 4 (2025)
https://doi.org/10.61149/WQZG9627
Abstract: Nothing surpasses the mandrake as history’s most magical plant. Latin name Mandragora, its powerful reputation in the fields of both medicine and magic has inspired an equal measure of fear and reverence throughout history, giving rise to the formidable and enduring mythology which has followed it to the present day. This article takes the form of a historiographic essay exploring some of the legends of the mandrake in England and Western Europe. It will reveal its power, both perceived and proven, in medicine and in magic, and look at the ways in which it was used, revealing not only the myth but also the science behind mandrake beliefs, and suggesting how the effects of the chemical make-up of the plant may have contributed to its mystical reputation. It will explore the history of this plant and show how the belief that it was, or that it housed, a powerful spirit, led to it being featured in many medieval and early modern charms and medicinal recipes. This article will contribute to a deeper understanding not only of the sources of the beliefs that surrounded the mandrake plant, but what it was that, whilst arousing much anxiety, ensured its inclusion within medieval and early modern magical systems. Considered by some merely as a mythical invention created to inject drama into such fictional stories as Harry Potter, this article will introduce the mandrake as a very real wild plant, with some of its species currently on the critically endangered list, and in doing so will contribute to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of not only its history but also its value as a powerful magical ally.
Keywords: Mandrake, Magic, Medicine, Mythology, Myth, Plant, Root, Charm
