(Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Basil - The Royal Herb The name of the herb "basil" comes from the Greek word meaning "king" or "royal", reflecting how the herb was valued. The French sometimes call basil " l'herbe royale " too. In Italy, basil was symbolic of love and it was sometimes used as an aphrodisiac. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The English botanist Culpeper cites one "Hilarius, a French physician" as affirming it as common knowledge that smelling basil too much would breed scorpions in the brain. And basil did represent hatred in ancient Greece. But, t here are many much nicer rituals and beliefs associated with basil. In Portugal , a dwarf bush of basil is traditionally presented in a pot, together with a poem and a pom-pom , to a sweetheart, In Mediterranean countries, a pot of basil on the window sill denoted that an unmarried girl lived in the house. Scientif...
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