Myths and legends

Perhaps the main feature of thyme is its unique aroma with a characteristic bitterness. There is a pagan legend. When the forest god created the forest, he saw that everything was too beautiful and sickly sweet, and then he created bitter herbs for balance. Even dried, thyme can retain its scent for a long time. In Ukraine, this plant has long been a symbol of the Motherland. They took it with them when leaving for a foreign land, as a memory of their native land

According to Greek legend, thyme was born from the burning tears of Helen the Beautiful.
The biblical legend says that the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus on a bed of thyme.
In European legends, fairies sleep and dance on beds made of thyme.

Story.

There are several versions of the origin of the name “thyme”. According to one of them, thyme got its name from the Greek word “thymos”, which means “inhalation of life, spirit” or incense, thyo - “to make a sacrifice”, according to another - “thymos” - this is "strength, courage."

Popular names of thyme: thyme, savory, chebrik, chebchik, chibrik, chiber, virgin herb, Helen's flower, wild mint, matter, boron pepper, lemon scent, chavor, chervicnik, flypal, matserzhanka, chebachkafimial, incense.

In ancient times, thyme was called “fimbra”, Arab doctors distinguished several types of fimbra, calling them collectively: Za atar farsi - Persian zaatar, Za atar romirum - Byzantine zaatar, etc. Later, botanists abolished the fimbra genus and divided it into two genera - savory and thyme.

The properties of thyme became known to people as early as 3 thousand years BC; for many centuries this plant was a symbol of courage and courage. Cuneiform tablets were found with a recipe for a poultice of pears, figs and thyme. The ancient Sumerians used it as an antiseptic. It was highly valued as a spicy, mostly as a medicinal, and as a cult plant. The ancient Egyptians dedicated thyme to the god Serapis and used this plant as part of a mummifying agent.

In Ancient Greece, thyme was burned on the altars of temples, used for incense, it was dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite, the fragrant smoke rising to the sky meant that the goddess had accepted the sacrifice. Ancient Greek soldiers and Roman legionnaires took baths with thyme or used it during massage, it was believed that it gives them courage and relieves depression. It was used as snuff for fainting.

In Ancient Rome, thyme was dedicated to the god of time, Saturn. Homer mentions a drink made from a mixture of wine, honey, flour and thyme - kykeon, which was the favorite drink of Attic farmers. Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder, Avicenna also wrote about the medicinal properties of thyme. Avicenna reports that if you boil thyme in vinegar and apply it to the head with rose oil, it helps against memory loss, insanity, lethargy and meningitis. And Dioscorides recommends an infusion thyme with honey for asthma, as an anthelmintic and expectorant, for childbirth and women's diseases.

"Burning thyme with smoke drives out all kinds of snakes,
Likewise, every creature that, by biting, introduces poison;
And the reapers have a custom: they combine thyme with food,
So that when the deepest sleep engulfs the weary,
They could sleep without fear, without being afraid of harmful worms..." Odo from the city of Mena.

Europeans learned this plant thanks to the Romans in the 11th century. The first mention of it is in the “physics” of Abbess Hildegard von Bingen, in Albertus Magnus, and in the herbalist P.A. Matthiolus (Prague, 1563). In the age of chivalry, each participant in a duel was given a sprig of thyme, it was supposed to give the duelist courage. During the late Middle Ages, judges used the antiseptic properties of thyme, they entered the courtroom with green branches in their hands, it was believed that thyme protected the servants of Themis from various infections.

Scottish highlanders, in order to become courageous and brave and prevent bad dreams, brewed thyme and drank the decoction as tea. And European ladies embroidered thyme shoots on the clothes of their knights. Thyme was used very widely by healers.

In ancient Russian herbalists they wrote about thyme: “Our Lady’s herb has the ability to strengthen the stomach, head, heart, relieve vomiting and pain in the stomach, corrects any sickness in the stomach, produces appetite, drives away hibernation and lightheadedness from the head, sharpens and strengthens vision, helps from noise and ringing in the ears."In the Pskov region, thyme was a "universal" remedy for all existing diseases. In Russia, thyme was dedicated to the Mother of God, hence one of its names - Mother of God herb, it was often used as an fragrant herb instead of incense, especially in villages , where it was much more difficult to get incense. In church practice, it is one of the ingredients of myrrh. Since ancient times in Russia, thyme was used to decorate icons of the Mother of God on the day of her Dormition.

Ancient Tajik medicine considered thyme an antidote to poisonous insect bites.

There are at least four versions about the origin of the generic name thyme (Thymus).

Some associate it with the word thymos - strength, courage. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that thyme instilled strength and courage in people, so images of its branches in various combinations and surrounded by bees often adorned knightly scarves.

According to another version, this Greek word is translated as breath of life, spirit.

According to the third version, it is associated with the word thyo - “to perform a sacrifice.” This version is based on the fact that thyme is the oldest cult plant; all nations had a custom of sacrificing thyme to the gods: it was usually burned in temples or on altars. Fragrant smoke (incense) rose to the sky, caressing the sense of smell of the gods and evoking their favor. It was often used (and in some places it is still used) during church services as an incense herb instead of incense, especially in villages where it was much more difficult to get incense; it was one of the ingredients of myrrh. According to biblical legend, the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus on a bed of thyme. In Ancient Greece it was dedicated to Aphrodite, in Rome to the god of time Saturn, and in Russia to the Mother of God.

In Russia, thyme was called Bogorodskaya or Mother of God herb. On the day of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, it was customary to decorate her icons with bunches of fragrant grass. This herb heals, saves from damage, from the brownie. Together with the plant, Peter's cross was sewn into amulet and worn around the neck to protect against evil spirits. Thyme was used in pagan rituals. In one rather ancient herbalist there is a poem called “The Witchcraft of the Nine Herbs.” It mentions nine herbs, which at that time were considered the most effective medicinal and magical plants. The eighth plant on the list was thyme. Thyme is also used in love magic - it is included in many potions.

According to the fourth version, the name thyme comes from the Greek thymiama (incense, fragrant smoking) - the Greeks dedicated it to Aphrodite and burned it in the temples of the goddess. The fragrant smoke rising to the sky meant that the goddess accepted the sacrifice.

The ancient Egyptians used it for embalming; The herb was recommended for the treatment of leprosy and paralysis.

Fishermen have a belief that fumigating fishing gear with thyme ensures a successful catch.

In ancient Greece, thyme symbolized grace and elegance, and a compliment such as “you smell like thyme” was the highest praise. After taking a bath, the Greeks rubbed their bodies with fragrant oils from this aromatic plant. This flower was quite well known to healers and fortune tellers of Ancient Greece. It was called Helenium, which meant “flower of Helen.” His fragrant incense helped people communicate to the gods about their requests and intentions, establishing a connection between them and the world of the Olympian gods. Women wove a wreath from thyme (a symbol of fertility). Thyme is an excellent honey plant, which was known back in Ancient Greece. Here thyme, as well as the bee, were symbols of hard work.

Since ancient times, thyme has been revered as a divine herb, capable of restoring not only health to a person, but also life.
The warm, spicy-herbal scent relieves fatigue and calms nervous overexcitement. It is useful to inhale this aroma for bronchitis, coughs and colds. Pairs well with aromas of bergamot, lemon, rosemary, lemon balm, lavender, marjoram and pine.

There are many legends about thyme, mainly Cossack ones. This is understandable; in the old days it was they who most often protected their native places from the attacks of foreigners.

The legend of Peter Gureev says that while preparing her son for a long journey, his mother put a bunch of dry thyme in the fold of his duffel bag. In a foreign land he met a beautiful maiden and stayed there to live. His mother grieved for a long time, but she resigned herself to the fact that she would not be able to see and care for her grandchildren.

The wife kept trying to throw away the old duffel bag, but something held the Cossack back. Finally, she persuaded her, but he did not let her do it herself, but began to check whether she would throw out the necessary thing at the same time as him? And suddenly - what a miracle? His hand felt behind the fold something that was not put there by him. For all the years that it lay in the duffel bag, the thyme did not lose its smell, but now it became so overflowing that the Cossack was drawn home, to where a lot of it grows.

The Kuban legend about the Cossack Ivan Chegod is very beautiful. Like a hot dry wind, the Turkish hordes flew into their native farm. Cossack mud huts flared up, crooked sabers sparkled. Ivan Chegoda saw that all the Cossacks had fallen under the Turkish sabers and tried to break through to the north. But when a hundred Turks blocked his way, he turned his horse and galloped south to the distant mountains. My native Kuban is left far behind. Ivan Chegoda held his horse, bent down from the saddle and picked a bush of steppe thyme - a low, modest herb with scarlet flowers and a sweet smell. The same thyme grew near the native farm, and the old mother often sprinkled it on the clean clay floor of the hut. The Cossack sniffed the grass, carefully put it in his bosom and rode into the forest. And it began to seem to Ivan that both the giant oak trees and the humble grass were whispering the same thing:
- Cossack! It is no good to leave your native land. Why are you here and not with your comrades? Coward!
- I'm not a coward! - the Cossack shouted. - Look: my saber is covered in Turkish blood! There is no gunpowder left in the flask, I exhausted it in battle with the enemies!
But the oak forest whispered:
- It’s no good to abandon your native land to the enemy! Coward!
The Cossack fell silent, lowered his head low to the horse’s mane, and melancholy squeezed his heart with a hard hand.
So he rode all night through forests and gorges, rising higher and higher into the mountains. And in the morning I met soldiers in burkas and hats black as night. A gray-haired old man with a long mustache rode ahead, his expensive saber beating against the stirrups.
- Who are you? - the old man shouted to Ivan.
The Cossack did not answer. Then two tall warriors rode forward and, snatching their swords, shouted:
- Who are you? Answer our commander or your head will roll off your shoulders!
The Cossack was silent. Black melancholy shackled his body, and it was all the same to him - to live or die.
- Who are you?! Answer, O coward, lost for words out of fear! – the warriors shouted again.
- I'm not a coward! - the Cossack groaned and, drawing his saber, spurred his horse.
The sabers crossed and flashed. The blades rang and crossed for a long time. But then the Cossack swung his saber widely, knocked the weapon out of the warrior’s hands and stopped the horse - gloomy and powerful, like a mountain thunderstorm. The rest of the warriors in burkas screamed in indignation, dozens of blades flashed, but the old man laughed and ordered to hide the sabers.
- Good warrior! - he said to Ivan. “I need sharp sabers and strong hands to beat the Turks.” Hide your saber, alien, and sit with us on the carpet!
Ivan Chegoda got off his tired horse and sat down on the soft carpet. “Perhaps now, over a friendly meal, you will tell us who you are and where you come from?” – the old man asked affectionately.
– I am the Kuban Cossack Ivan Chegoda. I had a native and beloved land, I had an old mother, I had a brown-eyed girl, but now there’s nothing, I’m a little idiot! The damned Turks burned my happiness!
“We have a common road and the same enemies,” said the old man. – Russian warriors and warriors of sunny Kartli more than once stood shoulder to shoulder against the Turks. Come with us to Kartli, where an army is gathering to fight the Turks...

Like amber grains in a rosary, the days knitted together one by one. And soon the formidable name of Ivan Chegoda thundered far across Turkish soil. The bravest Turkish warriors turned pale and turned their horses back when a gloomy, light-mustachioed warrior in rich clothes and a gilded helmet rushed towards them. The young centurion of the Georgian army won many victories. He was the first to rush on horseback to the attack, and no one could stop him. The Georgian commander gave rich clothes and dashing Arabian horses to the Kuban hero. But Ivan Chegoda never smiled; his icy eyes were always cold and scary. And the servants more than once saw how the hero, secluded in the back room of his palace, opened a golden casket, took out a bunch of dry grass, unprecedented in these parts, whispered quiet, affectionate words about the Kuban land and cried over a dry bush:
– Why doesn’t he smell? Where did its steppe honey smell go?
And people could not understand: why was it necessary to smell dry grass when there were so many bright, fragrant flowers around! Again the moon and sun counted down the days and months. One quiet spring evening, Ivan Chegoda, having locked himself in the far room of his palace, again opened the golden casket. From there there was a strong, thick, hot smell of the spring Kuban steppe. And then for the first time the servants noticed a joyful smile on the face of the formidable Ivan Chegoda. They opened their eyes wide in surprise when the old prince's favorite tore off his precious clothes, put on faded blue trousers, a shirt embroidered with a modest pattern, and an old hat twisted back. Then he took a saber in a worn black leather scabbard from the wall, took a long gun, a stick of lead and a horn full of gunpowder. Cheerful and smiling, he himself went to the stables and, passing by expensive Arabian horses, saddled a shaggy Kuban horse. And when Ivan Chegoda left the palace gates, the servants heard him singing a loud song, wide and stormy, like a mountain river.
Here is the edge of the oak forest. Centuries-old oak trees whisper something tender and welcoming with their young leaves. Bright, green, strewn with flowers, the spring steppe smokes under the sun. The Cossack peers at her greedily and bends down from his horse. But the low, fragrant thyme grass is nowhere to be seen. Only an old dry bush rustles under your shirt near your heart and gives you an intoxicating aroma.
At the steppe ravine, three people in tattered scrolls and bald hats rode out to meet the Cossack.
-Where are you going, lad?! There are Turks! - they said gloomily.
– I’m going to Kuban, to my native land. “She’s calling us to free her from the enemy,” Ivan answered. More and more people are emerging from the floodplains, from the steppe ravines, from the ruins of burnt farmsteads.
-Where are you going? - they ask.
“We’re going to retake our native land!”
Evening waved its blue wing when the Cossack horses smelled the sweet Kuban water. Ahead, on the shore, the tents of the Turkish army turned white.
– Shouldn’t we rest before the battle, Ivan? – asked one of the Cossacks. - The horses walked all day and were tired!
- No! The horses smell the Kuban water and rush forward!
– Shouldn’t we rest, Ivan? – asked another. “The Cossacks are tired, they’ve been driving under the sun all day!”
- No! The cool Kuban wind will refresh us!
- Shouldn't we stop, Ivan? It's getting dark already! - said the third.
- No! Soon the moon will rise, and Kuban, like a mirror, will reflect its rays onto the shore!
The trumpets sounded in the Turkish camp. The Janissaries ran out and torches flashed. The Cossack lava came like a thunderstorm. - Chegoda Pasha! - the Turks shouted when they saw the front rider, and the sabers began to fall from their hands.
- Forward! Allah is with us! - the Turkish Pasha cried and rushed at the Cossacks with selected soldiers.
It seemed that one more moment - and the pasha would break through the deadly ring of Cossack sabers. But suddenly a gloomy horseman with a drawn saber appeared on his way.
- Forward, Cossacks! The Motherland is with us! – the horseman shouted in a loud voice, and the Turk recognized him as Ivan Chegoda.
- Here you go, giaur! – the pasha squealed and lowered his crooked saber. But Chegoda deftly deflected the blow, swung and cut off the Turkish Pasha’s head. The Turks howled in despair, turned back and began to rush into the Kuban...
That night, thousands of them perished forever on the Kuban soil, and the rest drowned in the stormy waters of the river.
After the battle, the tired Cossacks fell asleep sweetly on the green grass near their native Kuban. And in the morning, when the hot sun began to drink the dew and washed itself in the cold river, they woke up from a honey smell. Thousands of bushes of short grass with reddish small flowers bloomed around them. Since then, when going on a hike, Cossacks always take with them dry, fragrant branches of their native thyme.

And this is a Don tale. It happened to one Cossack, Ivan the Fearless, to drive past the Tatar outpost. He rode without any fear, because at that time the Tatars and Cossacks lived peacefully. The Tatars saw the Cossack, waved their hands, and called him to visit them. The Cossack stopped his horse, got off it and approached the Tatars. Ivan the Fearless forgot that against old enemies you always need to be wary and cautious. He entered the tent, sat down and began drinking wine with them. The Tatars pour wine into his ladle - and not simple wine, but with a hex potion. With such a slanderous potion that whoever tastes wine with it will forget his faithful friends, comrades and relatives, father and mother, forever. The Cossack got drunk and fell asleep. The next morning he got up, dressed up in Tatar clothes and became a Tatar himself. He served the Tatar king diligently and became a great boss. The Cossacks found out about this and decided to send messengers to Ivan the Fearless. They came to him and said:
“Aren’t you ashamed, isn’t it bad for you, Ivan, to forget your old friends and comrades?” And he answered them: “Now I have friends and comrades!” - and he himself points to the Tatars.
The second time the messengers came to Ivan the Fearless and said: “Dear father and dear mother bowed to you, they are calling you to their quiet Don - home.” And he answered them:
“This is where I have a house, but these people,” he points to the Tatars, “for me, my father and mother are dearer.” He didn’t let the messengers say another word, he immediately sent them away. So the messengers returned home again with nothing.
Every last one of the Cossacks gathered here and for the third time they sent messengers to Ivan the Fearless. An old Cossack happened to be here. He picked thyme, a steppe herb, fragrant and fragrant. He approached the messengers and said: “When you come to Ivan the Fearless, don’t tell him anything, don’t ask for anything, but just put this steppe grass on the table in front of him.” This is what the messengers did, when they arrived to Ivan the Fearless. No words were spoken to him, but a bunch of dry thyme was placed on the table in front of him. Ivan the Fearless immediately smelled it - and immediately asked the messengers:
- What does it smell like? They answered him: - Thyme grass, what kind of homeland and quiet Don Father sent you as a gift. The Tatar spells fell from Ivan the Fearless here. He grabbed his sharp saber and beat the guards that the Tatar king had assigned to him for honor. He beat him and rode off with messengers to the quiet Don. More than once after this, Ivan the Fearless, together with other Cossacks, beat the Tatars hard and always said to his faithful friends and comrades: “Never trust your enemies.” Do not eat their bread and salt, do not drink wine - this will not do you any good, but only one thing is bad. Always remember your faithful friends and comrades, your relatives, father and mother, remember and never forget about your homeland, which gave you drink and nourishment. Thank you, friends and comrades, for saving me forever from the cunning enemy’s spells.

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Magic properties

Aura: cold
Planet: Venus
Element: air.
Parts of the plant used: upper, aerial part of the plant
Main properties: foresight" cleansing

Specific Use: Burn as incense to cleanse and fumigate the room where magical rituals are performed. Take it in the spring
cleansing bath of thyme and marjoram. A pillow stuffed with thyme helps get rid of nightmares. Mash a handful of fresh
thyme and inhale its aroma. You will immediately feel a surge of new strength and renewal. Carry thyme shoots with you during funeral ceremonies,
to protect yourself from negative energy rising from loved ones and relatives of the deceased. Thyme is also widely used in protective and cleansing magic. In modern pagan magic, they fumigate a place with it to cleanse it before casting a spell. Carry sachets of thyme with you to ensure good health, and carrying thyme with you helps develop psychic abilities. Thyme is very often added to the compositions of infusions, balms, elixirs, oils and other means for use in white and love magic. With the help of thyme, women bring home their husbands who have been on a spree. With the help of thyme, they banish the damage caused to a person by alcoholism and binge drinking. Thyme, brewed in milk, helps overcome grief, and gives strength to weakened children. Dry grass was set on fire and livestock was fumigated with smoke from damage and the evil eye. Thyme helps women find their betrothed, give birth and raise a child, but there are some contraindications: thyme is not recommended as a drink during pregnancy; it can tone the uterus. In ancient times, women sometimes even expelled an unwanted fetus in this way. Thyme will save you from memory loss if you wash your hair with its decoction.
In ancient times, certain places were consecrated by fumigating them with thyme. Smoking and thyme infusions help get rid of energy sexual vampires.
Good things will come into the house much more often if you plant thyme in front of it or around it. As long as there is the smell of thyme in the house, there will be no evil. This smell is especially beneficial for children, it gives them strength and goodness. Our ancestors used thyme against damage caused by sorcerers.
Thyme protects against the brownie, which falls on a sleeping person at night, frightening and crushing him.

· THYME - pleasing to God

This is truly so, because all the magical properties of this plant serve for deeds pleasing to God. One can only regret that thyme itself is not so strong. It serves only as a powerful amplifier for tinctures, decoctions and other medicinal and magical recipes. For example, in combination with fern and yarrow, it can become protection against wild animals in the forest.

Even pagan healers widely used medicinal herbs in their rituals and when treating the sick. Thyme was already on this list and was used quite widely. The sorcerers were first interested in its smell - spicy and pungent, the beneficial properties were noted based on experience.

The properties of plants were determined experimentally. Ancient people - precisely ancient, since healers, pagans and idolaters, were already working with “proven” material - were attracted to the plant first by its appearance, smell, or the fact that animals in certain periods ate it. Then the plant was tasted and the result, so to speak, was analyzed. And for quite a long time, its useful qualities were identified, when to collect it, in what form it is best to serve it in order to get the desired result. It’s not easy to pick some herbs at dawn, and others after the dew has dried.

Here, for example, is a plant - thyme. What are its properties and uses?

But thyme is used not only in medicine. The beneficial properties of the plant were noticed by the priests, and not a single embalming was complete without thyme. In ancient times it was called “incense,” namely, the spirit of life. Even the saying remained from those times: “smoke incense.” The oracles of Ancient Greece used it to tell fortunes; it was believed that its aroma invited the Gods to descend to mortals. Women wove thyme into wedding wreaths so as not to remain barren. On the day of the Dormition in Rus', from ancient times it was customary to decorate icons with this plant. In Ukraine, thyme flowers are still put into pillows. The scent of dried flowers is believed to ward off evil spirits.

How else is thyme used in magic?

According to sorcerers, it neutralizes poisons, and it was added to food. By the way, it is actually used in cooking, adding a spicy bitterness to dishes.
Thyme is in eighth place on the list of nine herbs, without which not a single decent sorcerer begins a single witchcraft ritual. Especially if the ritual is associated with love spells and drying.

In ancient Scotland, thyme was believed to attract fairies. Its leaves were rubbed between the fingers and smeared on the eyelids to better see spirits, or they made a bouquet of certain plants among which it was located and wore it on the chest to attract good fairies.

Thyme was used in magic and during the times of chivalry. Not a single hero entered the tournament field without a sprig of thyme under his armor. It was believed that this adds courage.

Thyme is also used in magic to protect a newborn from being replaced. In the villages the cradle was braided with thyme. Its smell did not allow the kikimors to get close to the newborn, and for the first time for weeks it was possible not to watch the cradle at night.

When you see thyme in bloom, you don’t remember its beneficial properties. You feel like you are in a fairy tale, this plant in bloom is so charming. It is not surprising that it attracted the attention of shamans - its appearance and intoxicating smell evoke thoughts of a wonderful fairy tale.

In magic, thyme is used in love spells, in cleansing the house and person by smudging the herb. Sewn into clothing, Bogorodskaya grass protects from harm; sprinkled in the form of powder into the enemy’s shoes - it drives him away from home; hung in the form of a twig over the bed or sewn into a pillow, it protects against nightmares. It is especially useful for capricious children to sew thyme into the pillow. And during the funeral you should carry a thyme amulet with you - the relatives of the deceased do not always treat the people around them well.

Even in ancient times, people noted that a low shrub with small leaves and pinkish flowers, which bloom almost all summer, has a pleasant, unusual smell. Its branches seem to “spread” along the ground, which is where it got its second name - creeping thyme.

Sorcerers and magicians of all ranks use it in their rituals, fortune tellers are also not averse to “fumigate” the room with the aromatic smoke of thyme when predicting the future, fortune tellers recommend carrying thyme with you to scare away all wickedness and evil spirits. Sometimes a part of the plant is placed in an amulet, and then it also plays the role of a kind of amulet.

In some herbalists, thyme is also called a “male” herb, since it is prescribed for inflammation of the prostate gland and impotence (for these purposes it is boiled, filtered and then poured into a bath). And it has long been believed that this particular herb can make a man stronger and more fearless, which is why many medieval knights had this flower on their armor. It is believed that thyme can be used for medicinal purposes without fear of any side effects. It has virtually no contraindications, although some diseases of the thyroid gland, liver, kidneys, gastric ulcers, as well as pregnancy require special caution when using thyme infusions internally.

The medicinal and beneficial properties of thyme were used for hygienic purposes. Thyme smoke was used to fumigate those suffering from plague and leprosy. But leaves and flowers were added to the composition, which was then used to embalm deceased warriors and pharaohs. They fumigated rooms with thyme, driving out evil spirits, and even frightened children were fumigated with thyme smoke. The popularity of this plant is still high today. Thyme is used in cooking and also to treat a large number of diseases. This multidisciplinary effect on the body is due to the valuable composition of thyme.

Thyme is still revered by Slavic peoples. On the holiday of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, all icons are decorated with thyme flowers in all churches. That is why thyme also received such a name as Bogorodskaya grass. The name already speaks for itself. Among our peoples, it is believed that thyme flowers placed behind an icon acquire healing powers and also protect the house from evil spirits and everything bad.

Thyme has been valued at all times due to its healing and magical properties and spicy aroma. It is burned as incense, used in witchcraft and medicine to treat the sick, added to food as a seasoning, tea with the addition of thyme is drunk, and the essential oil obtained from the plant is used in cosmetics and aromatherapy.

Thyme had a special meaning for the Greeks; they believed that if the grass was thrown into a fire, its pleasant fragrant aroma would attract the blessing of the Gods, so worship services could not be done without thyme. In Rus' they loved to make pillows with thyme to ensure sound and deep sleep, and since thyme has a strong protective function - during sleep, “sleeping on thyme” was protected from bad dreams. It was sewn into amulet along with the grass Peter's Cross - in order to protect against evil spirits. There is a belief that if you use thyme or have it with you, it will give you courage.

Herbs are divided into male and female. Thyme is a masculine herb and is therefore recommended for women in small quantities. Thyme has protective protective properties, bestows healing, courage, love and purification. The full potential of the thyme herb is revealed during the flowering period, collected on the waxing moon early in the morning.

For men, thyme is an opportunity to remain strong in lovemaking for as long as possible.

Healers of the past, and even today, by adding thyme to preparations, drinks or food, successfully fight many diseases. For example, for diseases of the female breast, thyme is steamed in milk and given to drink. In such cases, fumigating the patient with dry thyme grass or the powder of this plant also helps. Thyme herb powder mixed with honey enhances sexual potency. A decoction of thyme and juniper helps with headaches. In case of a very painful hornet bite, they resort to using a bandage of freshly crushed grass. If you brew tea from thyme, you can preserve the strength of your vision. A decoction of the root is used for baths for eczema. Our ancestors used thyme tincture on moonshine for rubbing in for radiculitis. A pillow stuffed with thyme helped, and even today helps get rid of nightmares.

Virgin Mary herb is a strong herb, which, unfortunately, does not have a universal effect. Her sphere of influence is fertility. But it always helps to restore fertility to the soil, animals, plants, and people. Smoking from the Mother of God herb calms the nervous system, allows you to find a solution to a difficult problem, and cuts off the effect of energy sexual vampires. Infusions act in a similar way. Washing and bathing in the infusion of the Virgin's herb helps preserve female beauty.

Thyme collected on Trinity Day has special power. This herb mainly protects children. It easily drives out small devils if it is in tea; if evil has affected the skin, it is easily cleansed by bathing in thyme. This herb drives away larvae. Therefore, if the child does not sleep well, put a sprig of thyme under the pillow or in the pillowcase. There is a popular belief that thyme in the pillow gives health and longevity Thyme is also added to meat dishes to prevent evil spirits or damage from spoilage through the meat.

There are many beliefs and customs associated with thyme. It was used as a talisman, placed in amulet and worn around the neck to protect against evil spirits, the evil eye, and damage caused by sorcerers. They believed that he protected from the brownie, which falls on a sleeping person at night and frightens him. Bouquets of thyme were brought into the huts and placed in jugs. It was believed that as long as there was its smell in the house, there would be no evil. This smell is especially beneficial for children, it gives them strength and goodness.

A drink was made from it, which was consumed on Trinity Sunday, when the dead were commemorated, and also on Ivan Kupala - against mermaids and other evil spirits. With this drink, the girls charmed the guys who had become cold to them. And those who were “of marriageable age” lubricated themselves with it so that evil forces would not interfere with future conception. According to popular belief, thyme helps in many ways in love affairs - it causes love languor in women, frees them from the fear of bed pleasures, and gives men strength, prolonging the night of love indefinitely (it actually contains substances that can restore men's health).

They believed that a bunch of thyme in the house helps women in all their concerns - finding and attracting a betrothed, giving birth and raising a child, maintaining peace in the family. Hence the customs that have been preserved in some villages to this day. Girls rinsed their hair with a decoction of thyme before the wedding, wove it into wreaths and wore bracelets from its stems to preserve beauty and health. It was placed under the pillow of newlyweds, and branches of dry thyme were hung in the house for happiness and prosperity. They believed that if you carry a sprig of thyme with you, it will make a person bolder, reward him with courage, determination, perseverance and courage, and bring victory in all endeavors. Good things will come into the house much more often if thyme grows in front of it.

Thyme was also used as a sanitary and hygienic product. In the pagan period, the Slavs threw it into the fire during epidemics so that its healing smoke would protect against plague, cholera, and consumption. Thyme was used to fumigate cows “after calving”, jars of milk to remove more cream and sour cream, barrels for salting, and hunting and fishing gear “for a happy catch.” In the old days, due to its bactericidal properties, it was used for long-term storage of meat dishes (this was quite a valuable property at that time, because there were no refrigerators then).

Interesting fact: thyme, unlike most antibiotics, is one of the few herbs to which modern microbes cannot develop resistance.

Bogorodskaya herb (thyme) has been used since ancient times in Rus' as an fragrant herb. Due to its functions, it is used instead of incense, especially in villages where it is much more difficult to get incense. Bogorodskaya grass is a talisman against evil spirits and other negative energy. It was often used as incense. And in church practice it is one of the ingredients of myrrh.

Thyme (thyme, Bogorodskaya herb) - helps against spoilage. Calms the brownie. Expels a poltergeist (when a violent spirit makes noise at night, falls on sleepy household members and strangles them).

Even in ancient times, people discovered that burning thyme herb produced extremely aromatic smoke. So thyme in one of the Greek transcriptions turned into incense. Burning incense by throwing thyme branches into the sacrificial fire has been customary among most European peoples since pagan times. Fragrant smoke, rising to the abode of the gods - the sky, was considered a necessary attribute of divine services, and thyme itself was considered the most important cult plant.

Smoking and infusions of the Mother of God herb calm the nervous system, allow you to find a solution to a difficult problem, and interrupt the action of energy vampires. Washing and bathing in the infusion of the Virgin's herb helps preserve beauty. This plant is at its most powerful before the full moon.
In villages, this herb is often used to fumigate premises, for example, cowsheds and cows after calving, to fumigate milk pots, hunting gear, and also fumigate disease-infected places with thyme smoke; frightened children are also fumigated with it.
Bogorodsk grass (ganga) and fir bark (zhodoo) are obligatory herbs during sacrifices at Buryat tailagans, which are burned on a fire or smoldering coals on an iron object to purify those present.
Washing and bathing in ganga infusion helps preserve female beauty.

Fumigation: light a pinch, put out the fire and fumigate a room or person.

With the advent of Christianity, thyme only strengthened its position. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that thyme instilled perseverance and courage in people, so the image of its branches, especially surrounded by bees, was a typical decoration of knightly scarves. With the advent of monasteries, thyme became one of the most popular crops in monastery gardens. Before their campaigns, the crusaders, to raise their spirits, sewed thyme into the amulet they wore around their necks.

The use of thyme in medicine has a similarly ancient history. The Greeks and Romans believed that thyme could restore not only lost health, but also life itself. Thyme was used in a wide variety of ways: in the form of a snuff powder for fainting, in the form of infusions for colds, asthma, female diseases, and gallstones.

An old Irish legend says: if you wash your eyes with dew collected from thyme bushes at dawn on the first of May (after Walpurgis Night), then you can see fairies.

Diffusing essential oil indoors:
Gives courage.
Increases thirst for activity.
Develops the ability to be compassionate.
Encouraging.
Increases accuracy in intellectual work.
Disinfects indoor air.
Eliminates fatigue, anxiety, absent-mindedness, insomnia, forgetfulness, clumsiness.
Converts accumulated fatigue into the ability not to waste time and skillfully use it for relaxation. Stops trembling due to nervous excitement or due to hypothermia.
It is a means of helping to get rid of drug and alcohol addiction.
It lifts your spirits.
Stimulates the intellect, clarifies thinking.
Recommended for people who are weak and lethargic.

It protects against damage, evil spirits and other evil spirits. Both living and dead (the body of the deceased in a coffin in some regions of the Caucasus is covered with thyme). Both during wakefulness (sewn into amulet) and during sleep (into a pillow).
Thyme is added as a component to the compositions of infusions, balms, elixirs, oils (etc.) for use in white and love magic.
In love magic, thyme has always been considered as a preserver of male and female strength. Thyme is added to love potions. With the help of this herb, wives bring lustful husbands home, and husbands use thyme primarily in order to remain a full-fledged man for as long as possible.
To do this, you need to prepare a thick infusion of thyme, then dilute it with warm water, pour it all into a basin and sit in it until the water cools down. The course of treatment is ten days. After ten days, repeat the procedure.
Keep thyme indoors where you are, especially when sleeping. The volatile substances contained in the essential oil have an antiseptic and tonic effect. Thanks to this, many pathogenic microbes are destroyed, and sleep becomes much healthier.
And please do not forget that the raw material is only the above-ground part of the plant, which is collected during flowering; thyme root is not used at all.
If placed in the pillow you sleep on, it will ward off bad dreams and induce happy prophetic visions. By meditating on a mixture of herbs from thyme, nagodki and oregano, you can see the insults of your beloved.
A drink was made from thyme, which was consumed on the Green Holidays, when the dead were remembered, and also against the evil eye, witch powers on Kupala, on sparrow night.
Girls use this drink to charm boys who have become cold to them; and those “at the time” lubricated themselves with it, so that evil forces would not harm the future conception.
The magical properties of thyme are used in cases where damage is caused by alcoholism and binge drinking, from the damage of sorcerers.
Washing and bathing in thyme infusion helps preserve female beauty. Cleanses the aura, prevents nightmares.

In the Middle Ages, healers received a concentrate of thyme juice and used it for medicinal purposes. They treated poisonous insect bites and used them to treat various diseases. In ancient Russian herbalists they wrote about thyme as follows: “The Virgin Mary herb has the ability to strengthen the stomach, head, heart, relieve vomiting and pain in the stomach, corrects any sickness in the stomach, produces appetite, drives away hibernation and lightheadedness from the head, sharpens and strengthens vision, helps from noise and ringing in the ears."
In the Pskov region they know a “universal” remedy that helps against all diseases, no matter how many of them a person has. Such a remedy is the Mother of God herb “thyme”. This herb heals, saves from damage, from the brownie.

Everyone knows that Russia is a drinking country. Therefore, the recipe we give below will be useful to many.

Lapel potion for alcoholism

The composition of the potion should not confuse you. You don’t have to assemble everything yourself; you can buy the components in a store or market. My only wish is that you need to catch the crayfish yourself in order to be sure of the time of their catch.
So you need a crayfish caught during the full moon. The appearance of the Moon must coincide with the last day of the calendar month. The rak must be dried in a Russian oven and ground into powder.

For the lapel potion you will also need:

The root of the weeping grass, which needs to be peeled, washed and dried.
Grass from any abandoned nest, which, like weeping grass, will have to be washed and then dried.
The root of the overcoming herb.
Wormwood flowers and seeds.
Dream grass flowers, or, as they are also called, snowdrop flowers. Definitely white. They also need to be dried and turned into powder.
And, of course, you need thyme herb!
When all the ingredients are ready, they will need to be mixed and brought to a powder state. But this procedure should be done not with the help of modern household appliances, but in a cup with a pestle.

On any day corresponding to the "patient's" birthday, boil the prepared powder in water taken from three different houses. The collected water needs to be spoken:

“I conjure (name), blood, saliva,
Namesake's liver, brain, mouth, joints,
Half-joints, breathing,
Heart, veins and half-veins,
The entire human frame is from any hop:
Day, night, morning, lunch,
Daily, semi-daily.
At home, not at home, visiting, in government,
Oak towers, in stone chambers.
The Lord God created the entire Universe in seven days,
And you, my seven parts, in this water of mine
Create and give this body peace and quiet
From every intoxicating passion.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Key, lock, tongue.
Amen. Amen. Amen".

When the water has cooled, wash it with the one who abuses alcohol, and then ask (or force under any pretext) to drink twelve sips, so that at the same time he does not take his lips off the cup. It doesn't matter if the patient feels nauseous. This hop says goodbye to his soul and body!

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I am a quiet, modest girl. If you offend me, I’ll bury you quietly and modestly celebrate.