My Site
  • ON THE GO!
  • THE EXPERIENCE

Day 9 -> Belladona

5/29/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Atropa belladona (Image by Google)
     I remember hearing about Belladonna in "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993) as Deadly Nightshade, when Sally is making a special potion for Jack. Since then I often wondered which were the real properties of the plant.   
   Turns out that Atropa belladona is a very poisonous plant (all of its parts can kill!) and legend tells that the Devil watches this plants growth. Its scientific name, however, comes from Greek mythology. Atropos was one of the three Fates, the one responsible for cutting the mortal's threads of life. Its name means ineluctable, inevitable. Makes sense! Women in ancient Rome used the Belladona's fruit juice to dilate the pupil of the eyes as a cosmetic, and that is where the "Bella Dona" name comes from.
   Its fruits commonly poisoned children, who were attracted by their sweet taste and black color. Only 3 or 4 were enough to kill a child! No wonder it is not often cultivated!
~Ally
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

     Ally is a Biologist, Illustrator, Photographer and ex-procrastinator.

    Categories

    Todos
    Art
    Astronomy
    Botanic
    Comics
    Curiosities
    Diy
    Documentaries
    Folklore
    Food
    Games
    Geography
    History
    Inspiration
    Literature
    Maps
    Movies
    Music
    Mythology
    Nature
    Physics
    Sports
    Weapons
    Zoology

    Archives

    Abril 2014
    Março 2014
    Fevereiro 2014
    Janeiro 2014
    Dezembro 2013
    Novembro 2013
    Outubro 2013
    Setembro 2013
    Agosto 2013
    Julho 2013
    Junho 2013
    Maio 2013

    RSS Feed


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.