“In some parts of the world you can sleep between
nettle sheets, eat off a nettle tablecloth, dine in nettle-enriched
steaks and eggs ordered from a nettle-paper menu, in an
emergency fish with a nettle line, and in the springtime
especially revel with delectable nettle dishes washed
down with nettle beer. In fact, this is only a portion
of this wild edible’s capabilities”. (Angier,
p. 152)
There are over 550 species of the Urticaceae family;
three of the 45 genera have stinging hairs. Stinging Nettle
(Urtica dioica) is, of course, my beloved. She got my
attention as I ran barelegged through the woods as a little
girl. Certain that I had brushed against barbed wire caught
in the mass of weeds, I was puzzled that there was no
cut on my shin. Tracing my steps backward, I found her
by touch--aggressive and energetic with her heavy leaves.
An unusual dialogue ensued; like two scorpions in a bowl
we regarded each other cautiously. I circled her, stung
with each touch. This episode was forgotten until I began
studying herbal healing in the Wise Woman tradition, and
stinging nettle became my green ally. There is a belief
that the herb you need most is either all around you or
tries to make her presence known. Coincidentally, U. dioica,
an alterative, is a primary treatment for asthmatic allergies
and "nervous" eczema, which afflicted me as
a child. She is known for reducing sensitivity to food
allergies by her binding action on immunoglobin G. She
was grabbing my attention even then. Always stepping on
dandelions? Try making friends and dandelion wine with
her!
Stinging nettles nourish and support the entire body,
particularly the endocrine, immune, urinary, respiratory,
and circulatory systems. Nettle root is a kidney ally
and lymphatic/immune strengthener. Germans have been employing
Nettle root as a treatment in prostate cancer. The richest
soup I've ever had (at the Wise Woman Center) was the
simplest: it consisted of young Nettle tops brought to
the boil, covered, and let sit overnight before reheating.
Nettle beer, my future project, was taken for gout and
rheumatic pain. Swedish peasants traditionally ate Hemp
nettle (Galeopsis tetrahit) and both Purple (Lamium purpureum)
and White (Lamium album) dead-nettle as potherbs (not
of the same botanical family as stinging nettle). Pfeiffer
lists stinging nettle as one of the dynamic plants "which
influence their surroundings in a specific way so that
other plants change their properties or that a soil changes
its character". In experimental conditions, nettle
notably increased oil composition of peppermint plants
and the richness of humus after their introduction into
existing rows of the aromatic plants. The massive mineral
and botanical collection of Linnaeus (which included 19,000
sheets of pressed plants) contained a 200-year old mounted
nettle plant. During the process of photographing this
collection, the photographer was stung by this nettle,
receiving a "definite blister apparently similar
to one produced by a fresh specimen". Some Indian
species of Urtica are so virulent that the effects are
reportedly felt up to an entire year.
She is spoken of as both an herb of the Norns--for her
history in spinning into nettle cloth--and because the
word nettle is related to the Latin nere, German na-hen,
or Sanskrit nah, to bind. Nettles supplied the material
for spinning until the introduction of Flax into the North.
Wild nettles were used for weaving in Europe at least
since the Bronze Age--cremated bones wrapped in nettle
cloth have been discovered in a Danish burial site from
that period. U. dioica is generally resistant to cultivation,
remaining content in moist soils. Attempts to cultivate
her on a wide scale were largely unsuccessful, so her
use was eclipsed by the incursion of Flax (Linum usitatissimum)
and Hemp (Cannabis sativa) into the North. Not until the
hardships of World War I, when cultivated fabric was scarce,
was nettle cloth (Nesseltuch) from wild plants again used
so extensively. It is estimated that Germans harvested
over two thousand tons of wild nettles to weave fabric
for their soldiers during the World Wars. Stronger than
flax, fiber from white dead-nettle was also spun into
fishing nets by North American Indians, through a process
of decay rather than retting. The Algonquin tale is that
women were taught to make fishnets by twisting Nettle
fibers on their thighs after Sirakitehac watched the spider
spin, supporting my belief that mythological herb lore
often preserves a sound empirical basis. Among the Norse,
Loki is credited with spinning the first fishnet, which
seems appropriate given some of his other traditionally
feminine activities (such as shapeshifting into a mare
and giving birth to Sleipnir, Odhinn’s 8-legged
steed).
Nettles have a long history as a treatment for rheumaticism
and muscle/nerve pain like sciatica and lumbago. U. pilulifera--the
smaller and more venomous Roman nettle--was cultivated
and used by the Romans. The Romans are credited with bringing
seeds of this plant with them into Britain; by flogging
themselves with the plants, they reportedly kept warm
in the colder northern climate. Like the Romany, the Romans
employed nettles in the following manner: bunches of fresh
nettles were tied together, and the afflicted area of
the body was thrashed repeatedly to create heat in the
limbs and to stimulate blood circulation. Urtication is
the term used to describe this process; the name Urtica
comes from uro, I burn. U. dioica is also known as an
herb of Thorr (Donnernessel), which puzzles some students
of Norse mythology. In Gylfaginning 43, Thorr slays his
chariot-pulling goats, Tanngrísnir and Tanngnóstr
(Tooth-barer and Tooth-grinder; though these names were
probably Sturlusson’s literary invention), and eats
them. After arranging the bones on the goatskins before
the cooking fire, Thorr returns the animals to life by
raising his hammer, Mjollnir, over the bones and blessing
them. I perceive this revivifying action as a metaphor
for urtication and suggest that this is why nettle is
sacred to the Thunder God. Indeed, the Norse believed
that when Thorr flung Mjollnir across the sky, lightning
flashed. Certainly a nettle thrashing is a “fiery”
experience! Further, in Holland, young boys would go out
early in the morning to gather bunches of nettles to tie
to the doors of the village houses. Grimm notes that this
was done on the "Zaterdag before Pentecost",
suggesting that it was a Heathen fertility custom which
survived the conversion—perhaps an ancient remnant
of flogging (birch branches were used likewise in the
saunas to bring blood to the surface). It should also
be noted that Thorr was a god of fertility of both Earth
and womb. Bunches of fresh Nettles were also laid across
vats of beer to prevent thunder from turning and spoiling
the beer. Young nettles were boiled and eaten with meat
on Grün-donnerstag (Maundy Thursday). Depending on
the author in secondary sources, stinging nettle was called
Wergulu or Stithe in the Nine Herbs Charm, which was a
charm used by Odhinn for protection against the "flying
venom"(one of four causes of disease in Teutonic
etiology). The Anglo-Saxons used purple dead-nettle in
butter based eyesalves and "holy salves" against
disease; red nettle was used in salves against rash or
"elf-shot", another cause of disease within
this etiology (note that many of these texts were written
prior to the establishment of the binomial nomenclature
developed by Linnaeus; so identification of herbs based
on folknames is imprecise at best).
Modern herbalists still use nettles "to bring dormant
energies into action" (Weed). Indeed, some midwives
consider Nettles a primary fertility promoter (second
only to Trifolium pratense--red clover or Rotkeet). She
is also the richest plant source of folic acid, which
is vital for fetal health. One cup of nettle infusion
(prepared as indicated in Healing Wise) provides 500 milligrams
of calcium (Weed), iron and vitamin K to help prevent
hemorrhage. The protein, vitamins and minerals in nettles
enriches breast milk, giving nursing mothers "a green
tit" (Parvati Baker). If you are a woman engaged
in the dance of fertility with Thorr, you would do well
to make friends with stinging nettle.
Speaking of fertility warrants a mention of the green
gifts of the fertile sea. All sea vegetables are vitamin
and mineral rich and nourish the lymphatic, nervous and
endocrine systems. Seaweeds have a special affinity for
women in the treatment of infertility and fibroids, cysts,
and lumps in the breasts and womb. Brown seaweeds, especially
Kelp (Alaria esculenta) are particularly effective against
radiation, heavy metals, and x-rays. Breast tissue is
particularly vulnerable to the radiation in mammograms;
a suggested dose to help your body's defenses is at least
a half ounce of dried Kelp a day for at least a week following
your mammogram. Breast cancer is rare in Japan, and this
is believed to reflect the traditional inclusion of seaweed
in the diet--in soups and stews, for example. Try adding
small bits of seaweed to your tuna salad.
The red seaweed Dulse (Palmeria palmata, for the hand-shaped
fronds) is protein-rich at 25%; if you eat limited protein,
consider adding her to your diet. In Iceland, dulse (folk
name Saccha) was included in soups, eaten dried, baked
into bread, or cooked into relish. Grapestone (Girgartina
papilatta) is quite high in Vitamin C; Icelanders cooked
both grapestone and kelp with water or milk and flour
into a thick pudding, to be eaten with cream. Iron-rich
Fingered Tangle (Laminara digitata) is eaten fresh in
Iceland. Laverbread made from purple laver (Porphyra umbilicalis)
is popular throughout the British Isles; kelp is eaten
fresh in the Orkney Islands, Scotland and Greenland. Try
frying up pieces of kelp in a skillet--they're better
than potato chips. Kelp has a strong taste to some, so
you may wish to try dulse first and gradually increase
your consumption. Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) has a
long history as an additive to vats of beer during brewing;
it's discarded at the end. The action of the seaweed--bonding
with impurities in the beer--is consistent with Kelp's
action of chelating toxins and passing them out of the
body. Today, Irish moss, high in vitamin C, is most often
an ingredient in prepared foods but can be drunk as a
tea to treat bronchitis. During World War I, soldiers
who had been gassed in combat were given Irish moss infusion
as a throat and lung treatment.
If you are undergoing radiation treatment, consider making
seaweed a regular part of your diet. "Workers at
Swedish nuclear power plants eat seaweed to reduce and
eliminate their absorption of strontium 90, a radioactive
element. Research at McGill University finds that alginic
acid, one of the main components of seaweed, binds with
radioactive strontium". Strontium 90 (which ultimately
is released into the atmosphere) becomes concentrated
in calcium and eventually enters the bone marrow and breast
milk. But the alginic acid in seaweed seems to bind with
radioactive isotopes and heavy metals to help flush them
from the body. Chemotherapy patients and bulimics can
also find an ally here; seaweed's mucilaginous nature
soothes digestive tracts irritated from repeated vomiting.
Internal bleeding, such as that caused by duodenal ulcers,
is also reduced by regular ingestion of seaweed. Healing
Wise devotes an entire chapter to seaweed; I highly recommend
this book for your herbal library if you don’t yet
own a copy.
Seaweeds also help stabilize weight by balancing the
thyroid--stabilizing an overactive thyroid as well as
nudging a sluggish one--with their iodine content. Goiter
(linked to a hypoactive thyroid) is rare in Iceland where
seaweeds are a regular part of the diet. An old wives
remedy for weight loss is 1 - 2 cups of Bladderwrack (Fucus
vesiculosis ) tea daily for no more than three months.
A separate species of Bladderwrack, Fucus serratus, is
much used in Norway as cattle feed; hence the folk name
of "cow-weed". Linnaeus noted that in Gotland
it was called Swine-tang and fed to hogs. Swedes also
covered their cottages with this plant. The sea salt in
seaweeds is free from the sodium chloride (implicated
in cardiovascular trouble) and free-flowing agents added
to table salt. This may be why seaweeds seem to lower
blood pressure despite their salt content. White, free
flowing "sea salt" indicates adulteration and
is best avoided--pure sea salt has a pink tint and cakes
up (Weed). Do not rinse seaweed in fresh water--the cell
membranes will rupture, and the seaweed will develop a
fishy smell (like seaweed pills). Dried seaweed is ready
to eat and smells and tastes just like the sea.
Ideally, seaweeds are harvested directly off the rocky
coast or ocean bed, alive and attached by a holdfast.
However, you may purchase buy dried seaweed from a natural
foods store (Asian markets in the U.S. often sell fresh
seaweeds). The seaweed sold where I live (Eastern U.S.
coast) comes from Maine; most seaweed sold in the U.S.
is harvested off the coast of Southern California. The
only poisonous seaweed is Lyngbya, appropriately called
"mermaid's hair"--a bright green, tangled mass
of skinny strands. You've probably seen clumps of this
on shore—maybe right next to the cold, clammy "dead
man's fingers" (Scytosiphon Lomentarius). Perhaps
the dead man’s fingers are all that is left of that
victim of die Lorelei, man-eating siren of Teutonic mythology.
If you do wild harvest, please bring a guide skilled in
seaweed identification, as a few non-poisonous seaweeds
can still cause gastrointestinal distress. You'll also
need to work with the outgoing tide; two hours before
low tide is recommended to begin your harvest. My local
class went on a sea weed expedition with a local expert
and we all got to take some home--my bedroom smelled just
like the ocean for weeks as the fronds dripped and dried.
Mmmmmm.....Summer on the coast!
Mendocino Seaweed Company
http://www.seaweed.net/
Book Hoard:
Abbot, I. & Dawson, E.(1978). How
to Know the Seaweeds. Dubuque: Brown Company Publishers.
Instructions for seaweed harvesting.
Angier, B. (1974). Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants.
Harrisburg: Stackpole Books.
Balch. J. & Balch, P. (1997). Prescription for
Nutritional Healing. New York: Avery Publishing Group.
Brightman, F. & Nicholson, B.(1966). The Oxford
Book of Flowerless Plants. London: Oxford University
Press.
Blunt, W. (1971). The Complete Naturalist: A Life
of Linnaeus. New York: Viking Press.
Buchanan, R. (1987). A Weaver's Garden. Loveland:
Interweave Press.
de Bairacli Levy, J. (1997). Common Herbs for Natural
Health. New York: Ash Tree Publishing.
Elpel, T. (1996). Botany in a Day, 4th Ed. Pony:
Hops Press.
Foster, S. & Duke, J. (1990). Peterson Field Guide
to Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants. Audubon Society.
Grattan, J. & Singer, C.(1952). Anglo-Saxon Magic
and Medicine. London: Oxford University Press.
Grieve, M. (1971). A Modern Herbal (2 vols).
New York: Dover Publications.
Grimm, J. (1883). Teutonic Mythology (4 vols).
New York: Dover Publications Inc.
Hoffmann, D. (1992). New Holistic Herbal. Rockport:
Element Publishing.
Kreig, M. (1965). Green Medicine. Chicago: McNally
& Company.
LeStrange, R. (1977). A History of Herbal Plants.
New York: Arco Publishing.
Madlener, J. (1977). The Sea Vegetable Book.
New York: Crown Publishers.
Petry, L. (1968). A Beachcomber's Botany. Chatham:
Chatham Conservation Foundation, Inc.
Pfeiffer, E. (1970). Weeds and What They Tell.
Kimberton: Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association,
Inc.
Rohde, E. (1922). The Old English Herbals. New
York: Dover Publications.
Scott, A. (1979). The Saxon Age. London: Croom
Helm.
Simek, R. (1993). Dictionary of Northern Mythology
(translated by Angela Hall). London: Boydell & Brewer
Ltd.
Sturluson, S. (1987). Edda. London: Everyman.
Turville-Petre (1964). Myth and Religion of the North.
Westport: Greenwood Press.
Weed, S. (1996). Breast Cancer? Breast Health!
New York: Ash Tree Publishing
Weed, S. (1989). Healing Wise. New York: Ash
Tree Publishing.
Weed, S. (1989). Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing
Year. New York: Ash Tree Publishing.
Wheelwright, E. (1974). Medicinal Plants and Their
History. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
Wood, R. (1999). New Whole Foods Encyclopedia.
New York: Penguin Books.
Come join Amy Ahlberg-Venezia
http://www.susunweed.com/Workshops.htm#amy
at the Wise Woman Center in Woodstock , NY
Bleeding Goddess workshop April 10th, 2004
http://www.susunweed.com/Workshops.htm#bleedinggoddess
Norse Goddess Runes workshop April 11th, 2004
http://www.susunweed.com/Workshops.htm#norsegoddess
For registrations, contact:
Susun Weed and The Wise Woman Center
PO Box 64 Woodstock NY 12498
phone/fax: 845-246-8081
Or register online at www.wisewomanbookshop.com