At a glance
- Common name
- Mandrake
- Botanical name
- Mandragora officinarum
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Parts mentioned in historical records
- Bifurcated root
- Traditional correspondences
- Saturn / Mercury; Earth / Fire
Historical record
One of antiquity's most notorious herbs. Recorded in the Ebers Papyrus (1500 BCE), Genesis (Rachel and Leah's fertility rivalry), and Greek pharmacopoeia as a surgical anesthetic before operations.
Folklore and mythology
Believed to grow beneath the gallows from the seed of hanged men. Legend warned the root would emit a bloodcurdling shriek when uprooted, killing or driving mad anyone who heard it; black dogs were tied to pull it at night.
Sacred to Circe and Aphrodite (who was dubbed 'Mandragoritis'). In Genesis, used as an aphrodisiac and fertility token. Central ingredient in medieval 'flying ointments' used in sabbat rituals.
Tradition: Biblical, Mesopotamian & Medieval Associated figures: Circe, Aphrodite & Hecate
Mentioned in Genesis as fertility love apples sought by Rachel; sacred to Circe, the enchantress of Aeaea who concocted transmutative draughts with mandrake.
Dug up at midnight with a tethered black dog to survive its deadly psychic shriek; kept wrapped in silk as a household wealth idol.
Mystical correspondences
Correspondences vary by tradition and source.
Safety first
Historical and spiritual associations do not establish that Mandrake is safe or effective. Do not use this page as instructions for ingesting, smoking, inhaling, or applying Mandrake.
This page is lore only. Do not purchase or use Mandrake.
For current safety information, check a health authority or ask a qualified clinician or pharmacist, especially during pregnancy or lactation, while taking medication, or with an allergy or health condition.