Medieval Nosegay Secrets and Guide: Creating a Traditional Posie of Power
In the midst of quarantine, nosegays have emerged as a delightful gardening project and garden gift. With their roots dating back to medieval times, these fragrant bouquets of flowers and herbs have undergone a transformation from a means to combat the putrid smells of urban life in the Middle Ages to a modern-day mood-booster.
Medieval nosegays, also known as tussie-mussies or tusemose, were intricate knots of flowers wrapped with damp moss. These bouquets were often made with a variety of flowers such as roses, lavender, carnations, yarrow, rosemary, and lemon balm. Medieval doctors used them as a means to prevent infection and ward off the smells believed to spread disease.
The bubonic plague, also known as the 'black death', was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. It was identified as the bacteria Yersinia pestis. Despite their historical association with disease prevention, modern-day nosegays are not known to protect against diseases like Covid-19.
The Victorian era saw the fusion of wedding flowers and tussie-mussies. The process of making a nosegay bears similarities to modern-day bridal bouquets and boutonnieres, as they became intertwined during this period.
Laura Miller, an expert in vegetables, herbs, and all things edible, lives in Ohio and has been gardening all her life. She offers gardening tips, videos, information, and a free e-book on growing tomatoes through a newsletter sign-up.
Making a nosegay involves picking an array of scented garden flowers and herbs, choosing a focal point, surrounding it with smaller fragrant blooms, and adding a layer of herbs around the edge. The bouquet is then held together with a rubber band, string, or twine and trimmed with a decorative ribbon.
In modern times, nosegays are used for their mood-boosting power and can be easily made at home. Middle Age societies believed that breathing the stench of city life would make them ill, and their solution was to inhale the sweet scent of a medieval nosegay. This practice of using floral arrangements for healing and mood-boosting purposes dates back centuries.
The childhood song 'Ring Around the Rosie' is often associated with the bubonic plague. However, the true origins of the song remain a mystery. Nonetheless, the nostalgic charm of the song and the timeless beauty of nosegays continue to captivate us, offering a glimpse into the past while providing a touch of elegance in the present.
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