Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis)
The latin name Rosemarinus means "dew of the sea". The wild rosemary plant flourishes along cliffs, on rocky shores, and by the sea. Rosemary is a shrubby herb with short, evergreen leaves which are dark on the top and pale on the bottom. The flowers are small and light blue, and are usually considered the most medicinally valuable part of the plant, though the stems and leaves are useable as well. Rosemary has a strong scent reminiscent of camphor and pine.
HEALING
Headache: A bit of fresh or dried rosemary can be added to a lavendar, chamomile, linden, or peppermint tea to make a wonderful drink for soothing a headache.
Hair: Rosemary is loved for its potential is improving the texture and color of hair. Rosemary can be added to a shampoo or an infusion of rosemary may be added to borax to create a hair wash that strengthens the hair and adds shine. It also can help with dandruff-prone scalps, and some say it can prevent baldness if used regularly. A strong infusion of rosemary can be used to subtly brighten dark hair as well.
Skin: A bath in rosemary or a rosemary steam facial can benefit the skin greatly. The volatile oils help increase circulation to the skin, bringing life back to dull skin. Rosemary also has antibiotic and antifungal properties, so in a steam facial one a week, it can be useful to those with acne problems.
Bad Breath: Drink the distilled water of the rosemary flowers each morning and each night to combat bad breath.
CULINARY USES
Rosemary is a pungent herb with a tangy, woodsy flavor. It combines very well with garlic, thyme, and parsley, and is a favorite for use on lamb and fish.
FOLKLORE and HISTORY
The historical uses of rosemary for medicine are endless. It was thought that rosemary was a "cure-all". In Bancke's Herbal, it was claimed to be a treatment for weakness, sallow skin, loss of appetite, gout, tooth decay, and difficult in breathing. It also claimed that a box made of the "wood of rosemary" could be sniffed daily to prevent aging, and that the herb could prevent books from being moth-eaten.
Rosemary was the herb of memory, perhaps you will recognize this quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet:
There's Rosemary, that's for remembrance.
Because of this, it was valued for loyalty, fidelity, weddings, friendship, and funerals. It was entwined in the bride's headdress, and gilded rosemary branches ornamented with colorful ribbons were given to the wedding guests. An old Welsh tradition that is still used today was to hand a sprig of rosemary to the guests of a funeral as they left to cast upon the coffin.
The Spaniards believed that the rosemary bush gave shelter to the Virgin Mary in the flight into Egypt, and they also believe it protects against evil and witchcraft.
It was said that Queen Philippa's mother was the first to bring the rosemary plant to England.
Queen Elizabeth of Hungary was supposedly cured of paralysis by constant use of rosemary on her limbs. The queen wrote the formula for the rosemary water in 1235 and it was sold all over Europe through apothecaries and European gypsies.
It was also believed that a bit of rosemary underneath the bed would ward off nightmares. From Bancke's Herbal:
"...put the leaves under thy bedde and thou shalt be delivered of all evill dreames."