28-08-2017, 04:27 PM
29-08-2017, 05:12 PM
29-08-2017, 07:23 PM
I do not know any Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese (except a few words that are similar to Latin), so I'm not sure how to interpret this reference in Recueil de dessins de plantes to Gentian (which I believe is either Gentiana lutea or Gentiana purpurea). It's the one with the two dragons.
The scribe has written
Vale ale ulcere caver nox alsuco
Does this mean it's juice/sap that is used for cavernous ulcers, or does it mean you're supposed to suck it for cavernous ulcers? I know they both mean essentially the same thing, but if it's written in this manner is the emphasis on the sap or is the emphasis on the action of sucking the sap?
Also, this phrase
vale ale morsure de serpenti e una drama del suco benuto cuntra al male de corta e caduto...
Here it mentions it's used for/against serpent bite and adds that a dram of the juice/sap "benuto" against maladies... I'm not sure what "benuto" is. Is it saying that a dram of sap is "good" or "beneficial" or is it saying to take the "good" or "beneficial" sap? Again, they mean almost the same thing, but I'm trying to understand the grammar so I don't misinterpret it.
It seems important because both sap and serpent bites are mentioned, which makes it hard to puzzle out the specific reason for the dragons (maybe that is why there are two of them, one to indicate it's good for bites, the other to indicate the sap is good?). I wish I could read this better so I could "sense" exactly what he means but perhaps someone can help with the interpretation.
The scribe has written
Vale ale ulcere caver nox alsuco
Does this mean it's juice/sap that is used for cavernous ulcers, or does it mean you're supposed to suck it for cavernous ulcers? I know they both mean essentially the same thing, but if it's written in this manner is the emphasis on the sap or is the emphasis on the action of sucking the sap?
Also, this phrase
vale ale morsure de serpenti e una drama del suco benuto cuntra al male de corta e caduto...
Here it mentions it's used for/against serpent bite and adds that a dram of the juice/sap "benuto" against maladies... I'm not sure what "benuto" is. Is it saying that a dram of sap is "good" or "beneficial" or is it saying to take the "good" or "beneficial" sap? Again, they mean almost the same thing, but I'm trying to understand the grammar so I don't misinterpret it.
It seems important because both sap and serpent bites are mentioned, which makes it hard to puzzle out the specific reason for the dragons (maybe that is why there are two of them, one to indicate it's good for bites, the other to indicate the sap is good?). I wish I could read this better so I could "sense" exactly what he means but perhaps someone can help with the interpretation.
30-08-2017, 04:30 AM
Also, another plant with two dragons in Recueil de dessins de plantes is Carlina (with the long stems, this is probably Carlina vulgaris rather than C. acaulis).
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Element 106.
This is a spiny thistle and I'm not aware of any use for the sap. The leaves and roots are sometimes used medicinally, but it's really not high on the list of medicinal plants. Mostly the heart of the blooms are eaten as food (similar to artichoke) and even that is not prevalent.
So why are there dragons? It's a very spiny plant but I don't know if that would have any bearing. The African Carlina has long, fairly thick snaky roots, but I'm not sure if that would inspire dragon pictures either.
Some thistles have sap that is more noticeable than others (e.g., Onocardium) but I don't recall any references to Carlina sap and it's not a prominent feature of the plant.
----------------------
So there are two plants with double dragons (Gentiana and Carlina). One mentions sap, the other one doesn't and Carlina is not particularly known for its sap. The two plants are very different from one another. The only things I can think of that they have in common are 1) they both like to grow in fields and 2) both have somewhat thick tap roots that sometimes branch.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Element 106.
This is a spiny thistle and I'm not aware of any use for the sap. The leaves and roots are sometimes used medicinally, but it's really not high on the list of medicinal plants. Mostly the heart of the blooms are eaten as food (similar to artichoke) and even that is not prevalent.
So why are there dragons? It's a very spiny plant but I don't know if that would have any bearing. The African Carlina has long, fairly thick snaky roots, but I'm not sure if that would inspire dragon pictures either.
Some thistles have sap that is more noticeable than others (e.g., Onocardium) but I don't recall any references to Carlina sap and it's not a prominent feature of the plant.
----------------------
So there are two plants with double dragons (Gentiana and Carlina). One mentions sap, the other one doesn't and Carlina is not particularly known for its sap. The two plants are very different from one another. The only things I can think of that they have in common are 1) they both like to grow in fields and 2) both have somewhat thick tap roots that sometimes branch.