Lore 280: Flower Power

Summary

Lore Podcast Episode 280: "Flower Power" Summary

Release Date: May 19, 2025
Host: Aaron Mahnke

---

Introduction

In "Flower Power," Aaron Mahnke delves into the dark and mysterious world of plants and flowers, exploring their roles in history, folklore, and the supernatural. From sinister legends to enchanting tales, this episode uncovers how flora has been both revered and feared across cultures and centuries.

The Sinister Origins of Tobacco and Potatoes

The episode begins with an ancient Russian Old Believer legend recounting the tragic tale of a princess whose "less than appropriate relationship with a dog" led to both her and the dog's execution. "Plants began to grow from their graves," narrates the episode (01:14), introducing the world's first tobacco plant from the princess's grave and the potato from the dog's.

Early 17th-century Europeans viewed potatoes with suspicion, believing they could induce lustful thoughts, contain deadly poisons, and even cause leprosy. However, Frenchman Antoine Augustin Parmentier changed this perception. During his time as a prisoner of war in Prussia, Parmentier endured a diet heavy in potatoes but emerged determined to prove their worth. "He hosted lavish potato-themed dinner parties," Mahnke explains (02:08), which successfully transformed French culinary habits. Today, Parmentier's legacy is honored in Paris with a metro stop and a statue where enthusiasts leave potatoes at his grave (02:56).

The Victorian Language of Flowers

Transitioning from the macabre to the romantic, Mahnke explores the Victorian "language of flowers," a system where different blossoms conveyed specific emotions and messages. "Through sending and receiving flowers, sweethearts could have entire wordless conversations," Mahnke states (04:08). Examples include:

• Bluebells: Kindness
• Tulips: Passion
• Roses: Devotion
• Rosemary: Remembrance
• Yellow Carnations: Disdain
• Rhododendron: Danger, flee

Flowers also played a role in funerary practices. For instance, sheaves of wheat indicated a long life, while unopened buds symbolized the untimely death of children (05:01).

Magical and Poisonous Plants in Folklore

Mahnke delves into plants with deep-rooted supernatural associations:

• Vervain (Enchanter's Herb): Sacred in various cultures, believed to protect against lightning and vampires. It also has legitimate medicinal properties, such as reducing inflammation and anxiety (05:34).

• Datura (Jimsonweed): Known for its hallucinogenic properties, used in rituals by the Aztecs and Chumash people. "Its ability to cause powerful hallucinations has been deemed sacred visions," Mahnke notes (07:07).

• Mugwort (Dreamwort): Used in Middle Ages for protection against witchcraft and as an ingredient in "flying ointments." It induces vivid dreams and wild hallucinations (08:00).

The Story of Anna Roth: The Flower Medium

One of the standout narratives in this episode is the life of Anna Roth, a renowned flower medium in late 19th-century Germany.

Early Life and Rise to Fame

Born in 1850 in Saxony, Germany, Anna faced immense personal tragedy, losing her parents and sisters to cholera as a teenager (17:20). These losses intensified her pre-existing visions of spirits, leading her to embrace her abilities fully. In 1890, after the tragic death of her daughter's fiancé, Anna's seances began to incorporate flowers as messages from the beyond.

“Participants witnessed masses of fresh, dewy flowers materializing before their eyes,” recounts an attendee (20:44). Anna was an aport medium, capable of making objects appear from thin air, most notably flowers. Her unique shows offered a semblance of connection to lost loved ones, providing comfort in an increasingly industrial and impersonal Germany (26:28).

The Downfall

Despite her popularity, skepticism lingered. In March 1902, the Berlin police infiltrated one of Anna's seances. “They found 157 flowers concealed under her clothing,” Mahnke reveals (22:37), leading to her arrest for fraud. Her trial became a media sensation, featuring testimonies from both believers and skeptics, including famed magician Harry Houdini (23:51).

Ultimately, Anna was convicted and imprisoned. Tragically, during her incarceration, both her husband and daughter passed away. Released early in December 1904, Anna died shortly after, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with both fraud and the genuine human desire for connection beyond death (24:35).

Shakespeare's Botanical Ingredients

Mahnke concludes with an exploration of Shakespeare's famous witches' brew from Macbeth. He breaks down the seemingly creepy ingredients, revealing they were actually references to ordinary plants:

• Eye of Newt: Mustard seed
• Toe of Frog: A type of buttercup
• Wool of Bat: Holly leaves or moss
• Tongue of Dog: Houndstongue (a toxic plant)
• Adder's Fork: Adder's Tongue Fern or Dogtooth Violet
• Lizard's Leg: Ivy
• Howlet's Wing: Garlic or ginger

“Turn it on its head,” Mahnke suggests, showing how ordinary flora were transformed into elements of dark lore (28:08).

Conclusion

"Flower Power" intricately weaves tales of how plants have been both symbols of beauty and tools of darkness. From historical misconceptions and heroic efforts to redeem certain plants to the blend of magic and deceit embodied by figures like Anna Roth, the episode paints a comprehensive picture of humanity's complex relationship with the botanical world. Mahnke eloquently encapsulates this duality, reminding listeners that beneath the surface lies a garden of stories waiting to be unearthed.

“In a world of cold industry, Anna Roth gave her audience something they desperately needed—the magic of the natural world,” Mahnke concludes (26:31).

---

Notable Quotes

• "Through sending and receiving flowers, sweethearts could have entire wordless conversations." — Aaron Mahnke (04:15)
• "They discovered remnants of digitoxin and digoxin, the chemicals produced by a poisonous plant called Dead Man's Bells, or foxglove." — Aaron Mahnke (11:20)
• "For Anna Roth, that was all she needed to hear. From that moment on, she began to conduct public seances." — Aaron Mahnke (18:30)
• "Most people associate flowers with happy moments in life... Which is why when they're used for evil, it feels all the more sinister." — Aaron Mahnke (27:53)
• "In a world of cold industry, Anna Roth gave her audience something they desperately needed—the magic of the natural world." — Aaron Mahnke (26:31)

---

This episode of "Lore" masterfully intertwines botanical history with eerie folklore, offering listeners a captivating journey through the shadowy underbelly of the floral world.

Transcript

[Aaron Manke]

This episode of LOR was made possible by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states from ancient.

[Unknown]

Rome to where you'd like to roam. T Bubble's network is there because T Mobile helps keep you connected from the heart of Portland to right where you are on America's largest 5G network. Switch now keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off up to $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com KeepAndSwitch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Last 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required card is no cash access and expires in six.

The Princess had committed a terrible sin.

According to the Russian Old Believer legend.

[Aaron Manke]

She had had a, let's just say.

[Unknown]

Less than appropriate relationship with a dog. And so she and the dog were were both put to death. They were, surprisingly, buried side by side. But as time went on and the seasons changed, something strange occurred. Plants began to grow from their graves. New plants unlike any seen before. From the Princess's grave, the world's first tobacco plant sprouted.

And from the dogs, a sinister little vegetable called the potato. Yes, the beloved foundation of everything from French fries to tater tots was originally.

Believed to be evil.

Potatoes were alleged to cause lustful thoughts, contain deadly poison, and literally be linked to the devil. Oh, and early 17th century Europeans also insisted that potatoes could give you leprosy.

But not all heroes wear capes, as they say. And we have one single potato lover to thank for mashing the rumors and.

Giving our favorite tuber its due respect. That hero was a Frenchman named Antoine.

Augustin Parmentier, and he'd spent time as a prisoner of war in Prussia, where.

Prison diet consisted largely of, you guessed it, potatoes. Now you would think that he would.

Be sick of spuds after three years.

In prison, but you'd be wrong. Because when he finally returned to France.

He dedicated years of his life to.

Convincing French people that potatoes were delicious. This guy would host lavish potato themed dinner parties which Featured up to 20 potato centric courses. And it worked. Suddenly everyone wanted to boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew. And all because of Parmentier. And don't worry, he received the acclaim that he deserved. Today, there's a stop on the Paris.

Metro named after him, complete with a.

Statue of the man, and enthusiasts even leave potatoes on his grave at the Pere Lachaise cemetery.

From food to medicine and beyond. Humans have always had a relationship with things that grow from the earth.

And if history is any indication, that relationship comes with a wild harvest of story.

I'm Aaron Manke, and this is Lore.

Not to brag, but I think it's safe to say that I'm a bit.

Of an expert on fear.

After all, I spend my days reading.

About the worst monsters the world has to offer.

And.

And that's why I know that since ancient times, there is one thing that has terrified people more than all the.

Werewolves, ghosts and ghouls put together. That is telling a crush how you feel.

It sends shivers down your spine just to hear me say it.

Right?

But don't fret.

Luckily, Victorians came up with a workaround, with a little help from the garden, that is.

It was called the language of flowers. Basically, different flowers had different meanings attached to them.

And so, through sending and receiving flowers, sweethearts could have entire wordless conversations.

Bluebells, for example, meant kindness.

Tulips meant passion.

Roses, of course, represented devotion, while rosemary symbolized remembrance. If you weren't actually into the person who gave you one of these flowers, don't worry, there's a flower for that, too. Yellow carnations, which meant disdain.

And then there's the strangely ominous rhododendron.

Which meant danger, flee.

But it wasn't only in courtship that flowers had a hidden meaning.

Flowers also spoke for the dead. In fact, you've probably seen this particular secret code hiding in plain sight on gravestones.

All those vines and trees and flowers carved onto Victorian gravestones aren't just there for decoration. They have meaning. And they can often tell you about.

The person buried beneath, like sheaves of.

Wheat, which indicate that the deceased had lived a long life.

In contrast, children's graves are often adorned.

With unopened flower buds, which, like the child, never had the chance to bloom.

Daisies, too, indicate a child's grave, while, chillingly, if you spot a carved thistle on a gravestone, it means the deceased.

Suffered terribly while alive.

Of course, plants in folklore extend far beyond harmless superstition. Throughout history, every culture on Earth has.

Used the flora around them as magical tools.

Heck, just about every herb and flower.

Has some folklore attached to it.

And that said, certain plants seem to have gathered more superstition than the rest. Take, for example, vervain, also known as enchanter's herb. This purple flower has been treated as sacred by nearly every culture that's encountered it. In Egyptian mythology, vervain was formed from.

The goddess Isis tears.

Christians believe that it was used to.

Treat Jesus wounds on the cross.

While worldwide, it's been said to protect against everything from lightning to vampires.

And to be fair, there might be some stock to all of this. Okay, maybe not the vampire thing, but vervain does have a number of medical properties.

It can reduce inflammation, calm, anxiety. And it's actually being studied right now for its potential ability to reduce tumor.

Growth and even treat Alzheimer's disease.

Then there's datura, with its beautiful and poisonous trumpet shaped flowers. A nightshade, datura only blooms after dark. And be warned, because ingesting it can send you into a coma or even to your death. But, hey, that hasn't kept people around the world from having just a little.

Nibble as a treat. Why?

Well, despite being a deadly poison, datura.

Also has a few medicinal uses of its own.

In folk medicine, it's been used to treat everything from hemorrhoids and eczema to fevers and coughs. Until recently, datura cigarettes were even prescribed to asthma sufferers. But its most popular property, that would be its ability to cause powerful hallucinations. Hallucinations so intense, in fact, that they've.

Been deemed sacred visions.

Some scholars even believe that datura was responsible for the visions of the Oracle of Delphi.

[Aaron Manke]

The Aztecs used datura as a narcotic during various rituals and sacrifices. And meanwhile, if you were a young Chumash boy, you might be given a.

[Unknown]

Liquid form of datura during your puberty rites. The resulting dreams would then reveal a.

Spirit guardian to guide you into adulthood.

And by the way, if datura doesn't sound familiar, you may simply know it.

By a different name. It has a ton, and they're all absolute gems.

Devil's snare, thorn apple, hell's bells, devil's trumpet, devil's weed, the devil's cucumber, and my personal favorite, Beelzebub's twinkle.

Most commonly, though, it's known as jimsonweed.

Another supposedly magical plant is mugworth, sometimes referred to as the mother of all herbs. Its genus, Artemisa, derives its name from.

The Greek Artemis, goddess of nature.

The word mugwort, though, is a holdover from when it was used to flavor beer back before being replaced by hops. So, yeah, it literally went into your mug. These days, the minty herb is still.

Used as seasoning, mostly in northern Europe.

But during the Middle Ages, mugwort was renowned less for its flavor except and.

More for its magical powers.

What powers? Well, wearing a mugwort belt could protect.

Against witchcraft, for one.

On the other hand, it was also.

Said to be used by witches as one of the many ingredients in what.

Was called a flying ointment. Now, don't misunderstand. Flying ointments didn't literally lift witches into.

The air, but it came close.

You see, the mugwort would be mixed.

With numerous other hallucinogenic plants to make.

An ointment which, when applied to the.

Skin, would send magic practitioners on a vivid drug trip.

They would hallucinate bacchanalian revelries, dances with.

The devil, and yes, even flight.

The idea was that the magic salve sent their consciousnesses flying while their physical.

Bodies remained on the ground. Meanwhile, in China, mugwort dolls were hung in doorways to keep out evil. While in Japan, the Ainu people created.

Voodoo like images out of mugwort that.

When thrust upside down into a hole, would bring misfortune upon their enemies.

In England, women would place mugwort root.

Beneath their pillows to bring on dreams of their future husbands.

Actually, another name for mugwort is dreamwort, because smoking it induces wild dreams.

In folk medicine, the herb has been.

Used to aid digestive problems, lower high blood pressure, induce menstruation, and reduce itching and scars, which might not be the best move. As don't forget, rubbing mugwort ointment on.

The skin can also induce terrifying hallucinations.

And speaking of witches ointments, Francis Bacon incorrectly insisted that it wasn't only the plants in the pot, but, and I quote, the fat of children digged out of their graves.

At the end of the day, it's no surprise that there are so many macabre legends connected to things that grow.

Because don't forget, for all their pretty.

Petals and delicate leaves, there are plenty.

Of plants more than eager to kill you. The corpse was perfectly preserved.

Even after 675 years.

Its skin was firm, its eyes closed.

The fingers of its right hand splayed over a yellowing shroud.

It was the body of Italian warlord.

Can Grande della Scala. And because he'd been buried in the dry city of Verona, the climate had naturally mummified him.

All of which to say, when researchers.

Exhumed Kongrande in 2004, they had plenty.

To work with, including the most important.

Part, the contents of his intestines. You see, when Kongrande had died way back in 1329, at the age of 38.

The official report claimed that he had.

Accidentally drunk from a polluted spring. But other rumors swirled as well, namely that the warlord had been poisoned.

Of course, that's all they were, just rumors until now. Because when those 21st century scientists tested.

A sample of the mummy's intestine, they.

Discovered remnants of digitoxin and digoxin, the chemicals produced by a poisonous plant called.

Dead Man's Bells, or as you may know it, foxglove.

We all know that plants have been.

Used to heal people since ancient times.

But throughout the centuries, there's been a.

Flip side to that coin.

Plants as tools of murder.

And in Cangrande's case, that seems to be exactly what happened. Foxglove, by the way, may derive its name from a 12th century French tale.

In which a fox named Reynard wears.

The bell shaped flowers as little socks to help him silently sneak up on his prey.

Which is totally unrelated to poison, but just an adorable fact that I had to share.

Now, perhaps the most famously poisonous plant of all is belladonna, or deadly nightshade. Every single part of this femme fatale is deadly, from its shiny blackberries to.

Its spreading green leaves.

And even tiny doses of it can kill you. And I mean tiny people have been poisoned by not just the plant itself, but by eating honey from bees who pollinated belladonna plants.

Belladonna actually means beautiful woman in Italian.

A name earned from the fact that.

Women in the Venetian court used to.

Use eye drops made from this stuff.

To enlarge their pupils, which was a.

Sign of beauty at the time. And before you judge, you should know if. If you've ever been to an optometrist, you have probably consented to something similar.

You see, eye doctors today use a.

Synthetic version of belladonna to dilate your pupils.

Trust me, though, for those suffering belladonna.

Poisoning, wide pupils is the least of their worries. First, the heart begins to race.

Then headaches set in, accompanied by horrifying.

Violent hallucinations so vivid they seem real.

Next, in the throes of full on.

Delirium, the the body begins to convulse.

All before slipping mercifully into a coma and eventually, death. Now, given all this, it's no surprise that belladonna's genus is Atropa Belladonna, Atropa being the name of the Greek fate.

Responsible for snipping the thread of life.

And it's also no surprise that for.

Millennia, belladonna hasn't only been ingested by accident, it's also been used as Poison.

Take this nasty little trick pulled by.

Scotland around a thousand years ago as the Danish army invaded the Scots.

What seemed to be perfectly ordinary bread.

And wine to Danish soldiers. Mistaking it for their provisions, the army.

Devoured it, only to realize the truth all too late. The food had been laced with deadly nightshade. The Danish soldiers perished, and the Scots were victorious. So victorious, in fact, that the incident would later be immortalized in theater, specifically in a little play called Macbeth. Then there's Locusta, one of three famous.

Female poisoners from ancient Rome. La Costa had possibly the coolest job title of all time. That is, the emperor's official advisor on poisons. She served under both Emperor Claudius and.

Nero, poisoning their enemies, often with belladonna.

She even ran a poison school where she tutored others on the deadly art.

But of course, poisoning in war and.

Politics is one thing.

How about poisoning for fun? Now I really hate this. In 15th century Europe, nobility would deliberately dose banquet guests with belladonna.

Not to kill them, mind you, but for.

For entertainment. That's right. They would slip the poison into an innocent victim's drink, who would then begin.

To madly hallucinate and act insane, which.

Apparently everyone else found hilarious. Note to listeners, please don't drug your.

Friends with deadly poison.

It is not cool. Oh, and by the way, there's another.

Member of the nightshade family that was long believed to be poisonous as well.

It wasn't actually, but it still managed.

To kill people anyway. You see, early modern Europeans tended to eat off of pewter dinner plates, plates that happened to contain lead, which sometimes.

Worked out okay, except for the fact that the fruit from this particular nightshade.

Happened to be highly acidic.

So when eaten off of these plates.

It would leach the lead out, causing lead poisoning.

Now, folks back then called this plant the poison apple, but if you're envisioning that dark, glistening fruit from Snow White, think again. Poison apples, you see, were none other than tomatoes.

From poisons to potions and secret codes.

It'S amazing how many stories sprout right.

Out of the very earth around us.

But if this next story is to be believed, some flowers don't come from our world at all.

Some may hail from another place. The Land of the Dead. Imagine yourself there. It's 1901 in Berlin, and you have arrived just in time.

After paying at the door, you're led.

Into a room where other curious spectators like yourself are seated around a table.

You join them, squinting at the light.

It is bright in the room, which is unexpected. After all, you've been to events like.

This before, and the lamps had always been kept dim, the shadows long.

But here, things would be different. Because this wasn't any old seance.

No.

Tonight you're in the hands of a woman known as the flower medium. And she wants you to see every tiny detail of what's about to happen. Every petal and thorn, every one of the hundreds of blooming flowers she is about to conjure.

Straight from the spirit realm.

Born in Saxony, Germany, in the year.

1850, Anna Roth wasn't always known as the flower medium.

She started life as a regular working class kid.

I like to hope that her early life at least, was a happy one. Playing with her sisters, hearing bedtime stories from her father, perhaps even helping her.

Mother in the garden.

Because sadly for Anna, there would be much sorrow ahead. When she was just a teenager, a.

Both of her parents and two of.

Her sisters died of cholera suddenly. An orphan, the care of Anna's younger.

Siblings fell to her. She went to work as a servant.

To make ends meet and married at the young age of 18, soon giving.

Birth to a daughter of her own. And through all the hardship and labor, Anna had another issue to worry. Visions of the dead. Allegedly, Anna began seeing spirits at the tender age of 10.

And although she managed to push it.

Away for decades, she couldn't outrun her powers forever.

In 1890, Anna's daughter was fully grown and about to be married.

But tragically, her fiance died before the.

Wedding could take place.

And after that, well, something shifted for Anna. Because while the dead man may have left his betrothed behind, he didn't seem to give his future mother in law the same space. Anna started seeing her daughter's lost love wandering around the house. It got so intense that her husband.

Took her to see a healer.

But rather than provide the respite she hoped for, the healer delivered a rather interesting diagnosis. The visions, according to the healer, were not something to fight. They weren't a sign of mental illness.

On the contrary, they were proof that.

Anna was no ordinary woman, but a powerful medium.

For Anna Roth, that was all she needed to hear. From that moment on, she began to conduct public seances. And look, if she'd been alive today.

She probably would have been dismissed as a crank. But in the late 19th century in.

Germany, occultism was all the rage, and Anna fit right in.

Within a few years, she had gathered a hearty following among her fellow German spiritualists. And soon she was touring full time, performing seances for paying crowds all across Europe. By then, though, Anna was a Frail, middle aged woman, and as any rock star knows, touring life isn't exactly easy on the body.

So in 1901, she settled down in.

Berlin, where she continued to do her work. Of course, you're probably all wondering the same thing. What exactly happened at an anahroth seance that made her so darn popular? Something to do with flowers, right?

Well, luckily we have records documenting exactly what took place in that eerily bright room.

Once the participants paid and were seated, Anna would invite a female member of the group to pat her down, to assure everyone that she had no tricks up her sleeve. Literally.

Then an impresario would hype her up and Anna would lead a prayer before falling into a deep, impenetrable trance.

And now the evening would officially begin. First came the visitors. Not living visitors, mind you, but dead ones. A carousel of personalities took over Anna's body, speaking through her mouth.

Some of them were deceased friends and.

Family of those in attendance that night. Others were celebrities and historical figures. Martin Luther made an appearance along with various European kings.

These special guests brought news from the.

Beyond and even offered personal and medical advice to the audience members. Now, I'll be honest here.

I might have been a little skeptical.

If I had been seated in that crowd. Because you see, despite being supposedly possessed.

By these spirits, Anna's voice didn't actually change. All of the visitors talked with her.

Thick Saxony accent, which she apparently made no attempt to conceal.

But the truth is, what came next was so wild, most people probably forgot.

All about the accent. Here, I'll let an actual attendee from.

1901 describe it directly. Such masses of fresh, dewy, charmingly fragrant.

Flowers were materialized before our eyes that we all carried home with us large bunches of them.

For my part, I received one large red tulip, one lily of the valley, two mignonettes, one snowdrop, a handful of fresh grass, and a large cluster of scented myrtle, which the medium picked as.

From an invisible wreath around my head. Now, let me explain.

Anna, you see, was what was called an aport medium. That is, she could make objects appear.

Out of thin air.

It was a rare gift for mediums to have and was why she rose.

To fame so quickly.

During her seances, Anna produced gold dust, small glass hearts, figurines of Jesus, religious pamphlets, and even tiny candy filled animals.

Made of paper mache.

But what she was really famous for was flowers. In the course of a single seance.

Shocked attendees would hold out their hands.

As countless flowers in full bloom fell from, well, nowhere.

They seemed to materialize right out of the air.

According to Ana, these were gifts from.

The beyond and people went wild for them. The thing is, though, while audiences did adore her, not everyone was a true believer.

And In March of 1902, Anna's blossoming.

Career would officially begin to wilt. No pun intended, I swear.

Because that's the year when the Berlin.

Police snuck into a flower medium seance undercover. At first, all went as it typically did. The bright lights, the opening prayer, the character channeling. Until finally the flowers began to fall.

Anna had just produced a smattering of hyacinth and narcissus when the cops broke their cover and stepped in, wrestling the.

Delicate woman to the ground.

They pulled up her skirt, revealing bundles upon bundles of hidden flowers. All in all, the police found a.

Whopping 157 flowers concealed under Anna's clothing.

Plus, and this is just impressive, a.

Few oranges and lemons for good measure.

That was that.

Anna was arrested for fraud and taken to jail. It seemed Anna Roth's luck had run out.

Tragically, in more ways than one. You see, as Anna awaited her trial.

Her husband and daughter both passed away. But she was deemed too dangerous to be allowed to join them in their final moments. Instead, she had to settle for kneeling by their graves once it was already too late. All while flanked by police.

And I know it seems like overkill for a lady who was essentially guilty of tossing a bunch of plants in.

The air, but not everyone viewed her as so innocuous. Berlin had begun debating whether spiritualism and.

Superstition in general was ethical, and Anna.

Found herself smack dab in the center of the discourse. Her seances, one critic insisted, spread diseases of the brain and nervous system. Indeed, they were dangerous not just to those who attended her seances, but even to the unborn. For many of her followers were women who could then pass on their mental diseases to their children. Her trial, of course, was a media sensation.

Every day the courtroom was packed with spectators, including King of the Skeptics himself, Harry Houdini, and Anna.

Defense consisted of Berlin's most famous lawyers. Witnesses came forward with miraculous stories, tales of the other world of talking spirits and impossible flowers. Many former seance attendees insisted that Anna's flowers hadn't simply dropped from her clothing, but manifested out of the air.

They described what they had seen as being like clouds of steam gradually solidifying.

Into flowers right before their eyes. But in the end, none of it mattered. Anna Roth, the flower medium, was found guilty of fraud.

She went to prison, and although released early on December 16th of 1904.

Only nine months after her arrival, Anna passed away.

After a life of hardship, she had.

Finally passed into a new world that she knew all too the realm of the flowers. History is like a garden. Some parts of the past are easily spotted by the naked eye.

The leaves and flowers, the vines and ripening fruit.

All those parts above the ground. The past is as it appears on the surface. And were you to take the lives.

Of people like Anna Roth at face.

Value, those visible bits would seem like the whole story.

But here's the thing about a garden. Most of the action takes place under.

The surface, in the twisting roots. And that's the part you'll only find if you dig. The tale of the flower medium may seem like a simple story about a.

Charlatan using stage trickery to make a quick buck. But when you start to dig well, the roots run deep.

You see, Germany during Anna's lifetime was a very unique place.

Between the late 19th and early 20th.

Centuries, what had once been a provincial nation suddenly became one of the world's greatest economic powerhouses, matched only by the US And Great Britain.

This was an age of steel, of.

Industrial smog and chemical plants. German farmers set aside their hand tools in favor of new belching machinery produced in corporate factories. Those who had once worshiped the simple magic of a seed sprouting from the.

Soil now bow down to steam and metal. But then a woman arrives who can.

Make flowers fall from the sky. And sure, she may have been a fraud. But in the end, does that really matter?

In a world of cold industry, Anna.

Roth gave her audience something they desperately the magic of the natural world maybe buried in a colorless haze of smoke and steel. What people really needed, what they wanted, was just a bit of beauty. So let's imagine it once more with that unique perspective in mind.

A widow would weep with joy as.

Her dead husband presented her with a bouquet. A mourning father would reach upward only for his ghostly child to present him with a bundle of baby's breath or forget me not. After years of separation from their dead loved ones, after being forced to live on in an industrial, unfeeling world, Anna's customers were finally able to hold something natural, something physical that proved their lost loved ones were still out there. Real or fake, Anna Roth offered her clients something they desperately the sweet smell of hope. I hope you enjoy today's tour through the wild and wonderful garden that is folklore.

Most people associate flowers with happy moments in life, weddings and first dates, the hopeful pop of spring.

Which is why when they're used for.

Evil, it feels all the more sinister. And I have one final tale featuring.

Some famously frightening flowers.

By the way, there is nothing I love more than taking a legend you.

Think you know and turning it on its head.

Which is why this final story coming.

Up is so much fun.

Stick around through this brief sponsor break.

To hear all about it.

[Aaron Manke]

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Mental health awareness is growing, but there is still progress to be made. 26% of Americans who participated in a recent survey say they have avoided seeking mental health support due to fear of judgment. When people hesitate to get help, it doesn't just affect them, it impacts families, workplaces and entire communities. So this Mental Health Awareness month, let's encourage everyone to take care of their well being and break the stigma. After all, the world is better when.

[Unknown]

People are healthy and happy.

[Aaron Manke]

I know how important and helpful therapy can be and it is not just for folks who have experienced major trauma. Therapy is helpful for learning positive coping skills and how to set boundaries in our lives and it can empower you to be the best version of yourself. BetterHelp has over 10 years of experience matching people with the right therapist from their diverse network of more than 30,000 licensed therapists with a wide range of specialties. BetterHelp is fully online, making therapy affordable and convenient, serving over 5 million people worldwide and you can easily switch therapists anytime at no extra cost.

[Unknown]

We're all better with help.

[Aaron Manke]

Visit betterhelp.com lore to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp H-E-L-P.com lore this episode was also sponsored by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform that's designed to help you stand out and succeed online. Whether you're just starting out or you're scaling your business, Squarespace gives you everything you need to claim your domain, showcase your offerings with a professional website, grow your brand and get paid all in one place. As a former freelance graphic designer, I know firsthand how tough it can be to craft a brand and a website that wows customers. But Squarespace makes that so incredibly easy. You can get paid on time with professional on brand invoices and online payments, streamline your workflow with built in appointment scheduling. They even have email marketing tools and the actual building of the website. Well, Squarespace has cutting edge tools that are meant to give you the boost you need to craft a beautiful website around you and your brand. Gorgeous templates, drag and drop editing and personalized design recommendations.

[Unknown]

They will help you look so, so good.

[Aaron Manke]

Plus Squarespace domains makes it easy to find the best name for your business at one fair, all inclusive price. No hidden fees or add ons required, and every Squarespace domain comes with advanced privacy and security tools to ensure your domain remains online and protected. Get started today head over to squarespace.com lore for a free trial and when you're ready to launch, use the offer code lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Build something Beautiful this episode was also made possible by SimpliSafe. Every day I make countless decisions, but one of the easiest and most important is securing my home. With SimpliSafe. The moment I arm the system, I know my family and everything I've worked for are protected. Whether I'm stepping out for the day or settling in for the night, that small action delivers something peace of mind I can focus on what matters, rest easier and go about my day. Knowing SimpliSafe has my back in a crisis, I and I want you to have that same confidence as well. With SimpliSafe. Millions of Americans enjoy the new standard in home security and greater peace of mind every time they arm their system. When heading out in the morning or when locking up each night, AI powered cameras backed by live professional monitoring agents monitor your property and detect suspicious activity. If someone's lurking around or acting suspiciously, these agents see and talk to them in real time, activate spotlights and even contact the police, all before they've had a chance to get inside your home. There are no long term contracts or cancellation fees and their monitoring plans start affordably at around a dollar a day plus they have a 60 day satisfaction guarantee or your money back. Visit simplisafe.com lore to claim 50% off a new system with a professional monitoring plan and get your first month free. That's SimpliSafe.com lore. There's no safe like SimpliSafe. And finally, this episode was sponsored by Goldbelly. Alright friends, listen up. I'm gonna tell you about the only gift that any dad wants to get this Father's Day.

[Unknown]

Get him Goldbelly.

[Aaron Manke]

Goldbelly ships the most iconic foods from the best restaurants across the country straight.

[Unknown]

To his door for free.

Let him kick back this Father's Day.

[Aaron Manke]

And chow down on award winning BBQ.

[Unknown]

From Texas, Epic deep dish pizza from.

[Aaron Manke]

Chicago or Colossal pastrami sandwiches from New York. No matter where in the country he is, whether it's a dish from that one of a kind restaurant or me.

[Unknown]

Meals from world famous chefs like Jose.

[Aaron Manke]

Andres, Peter Luger or Guy Fieri Gold.

[Unknown]

Belly has you covered.

[Aaron Manke]

Now, as an Illinois boy living in the Boston area, I was instantly drawn to the Chicago deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati's. It is iconic and it's absolutely delicious. It honestly made me feel like I had gone home for a visit. The shipping was simple and quick and.

[Unknown]

The quality of this pizza was incredible.

[Aaron Manke]

So if you're looking to make dad feel like an absolute legend this Father's Day, or you just want to impress friends and family with an epic meal, the next time you Host, go to goldbelly.com and get free shipping and 20% off your first order with promo code LORE. That's goldbelly.com promo code LORE for free shipping and 20% off your 1st order.

[Unknown]

Double double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

So begins the all too familiar witches speech from Shakespeare's Macbeth. It might be the world's most famous.

Recipe, but you probably aren't eager to serve this particular stew at a dinner party.

After all, the witch's brew consists of, and I quote, fillet of a fenny snake. In the cauldron boil and bake, eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog, adder's fork and blind worm's sting, lizard's leg.

And howlet's wing for a charm of powerful trouble like a hell broth, boil and bubble. So yeah, not exactly appetizing. Or so it seems.

What you may not know is that many of these spooky sounding ingredients are.

Actually names for ordinary plants. Take for example, eye of newt.

We all know how many cartoons and fantasy movies depict wart covered witches grabbing a fistful of slimy eyeballs from a.

Jar to toss into a cauldron.

But in reality, the weird sisters weren't.

Referring to actual eyes at all.

In Shakespeare's day, eye of newt was actually a common name for mustard seed. And if you saw mustard seeds and.

Newts side by side, it would make sense why the tiny spherical seeds happen.

To be the exact same shade of.

Dark yellow as some newts eyes. And then there's toe of frog, another.

Seemingly creepy crawly ingredient that doesn't creep.

Or crawl at all.

Scholars believe that toa frog is simply.

A nickname for a particular kind of buttercup notable for having a bulbous green base or toe at the bottom of its stem. Meanwhile, wool of bat is thought to be a reference to holly leaves. You can picture holly, right, those glossy.

Scalloped wings with spiny points between the.

Margins, almost like, yes, the shape of a bat's wing.

Alternatively, others think the witch's wool of bat might not be holly at all, but moss, which is fuzzy like a bat. And I know what you're thinking at this point. Surely there is not a plant called.

Tongue of dog, right? Well, guess again. Houndstongue, or dog's tongue is a highly toxic member of the forget me not family, with long hairy stalks and rough tongue like leaves.

In folk medicine, Dog's tongue was even prescribed to heal dog bites, relying on.

The theory of sympathetic magic in which two things that visually resemble one another are somehow magically connected.

This particular plant also has another witch.

Worthy name, by the way. Some call it rats and mice because it apparently smells like, well, rats and mice. Honestly, I'm not sure which I would rather have this stuff or an actual dog's tongue. I vote neither. Moving on. Next in the litany comes Adder's Fork. Rather than a reference to a snake, the witches were probably talking about either the Adder's Tongue Fern or the Adder's Tongue Lily, AKA Dogtooth violet. And that's not too surprising. There have been many folk medicine uses for the Dogtooth violet throughout history, including as a contraceptive.

Some say that soaking the flower in cold water, wrapping it around an injury.

And then once it warms up, burying the lily in a mud pit can heal a wound or a bruise. Lizard's leg, on the other hand, is another name for ivy, while Howlett's wing is believed to be garlic or ginger.

All of which are steeped in more.

Than their fair share of supernatural lore. Ivy shows up in a number of English divination games.

This one is my favorite. On Halloween, each of your family members.

Would write their name on an ivy leaf before dropping them into a bowl of water.

The next day, everyone anxiously gathered around.

The bowl to inspect the leaves one by one. If any of the leaves had magically.

Transformed into a coffin shape, you better.

Hope the name written on it wasn't yours, because death was on its way.

And garlic is surrounded by far more.

Superstition than just as a vampire deterrent. We could honestly have a whole episode on this stuff, and maybe someday we might.

But just as a taste, Ancient Greeks used to pile garlic at crossroads to.

Ward off demons and appease the goddess Hecate. Going through the list, it turns out that the only ingredients in the Wyrd.

Sisters concoction that don't seem to be plants are the Blind Worm sting, blind worm being a type of legless lizard, and the Fillet of Fenny snake, which.

Is simply a snake that lives in the fens.

Hey, even an herbal concoction needs a little protein, right? So the next time you're brewing up.

A magic potion under the full moon, leave out the eyeballs and tongues.

Turns out a can of Campbell's tomato.

Soup might be closer to the real thing.

This episode of Lore was produced by.

Me, Aaron Manke, with writing by Jenna.

Rose Nethercott, research by Cassandra d' Alba.

And music by Chad Lawson. Don't like hearing the ads in the episodes?

I've got a solution for you.

There's a paid version of Lore on Apple Podcasts and patreon that is 100% ad free. Plus subscribers there also get weekly mini.

Episodes that we call Lore Bytes. It's a bargain for all of that.

Ad free storytelling and a great way to support this show and the team behind it. Of course, Lore is much more than just a podcast. There's the book series available in bookstores and online, and two seasons of the television show on Amazon Prime. Information about all of that and more is available [e-mail] and you can also follow the show on various social media platforms like Blue sky and YouTube. Just search for lore podcast, all one word and then click that follow button. And when you do, say hi. I like it when people say hi. And as always, thanks for listening.

Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great. You love the host. You seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements, or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target audience in their favorite podcasts with Libsyn ads, go to Libsyn ads.com that's L I B S Y N ads.com today.