High rating mostly because of emotional connection to the narrator. (I listened to this when i was tired or emotionally exhausted, so over time we kinda (one-sidedly) bonded.) There are also historical and religious elements broader than folklore that are quite eye-opening, and that serve as interesting reminders about truth within reported history.

Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants

The facts presented about the plants are as varied as the range of plants covered. Each entry might span many different cultures and touch on information like how plants got their name, how they were used during different time periods, what superstitions people had about them and why. (And if you’re an academic nerd like me, rest assured that it’s all very well cited!) The broad nature of the knowledge conveyed is cool because it gives a more thorough picture of what life is like in these different cultures. Names, in particular, have a lot to say about the societal values of a time. One of my favorite examples of that is Devil’s Bit, named because the highly medicinal roots were also abnormally short, leading people to believe that the devil “bit” off the rest of the roots so less medicine could be made from them. The different utilities people found for plants that are toxic are interesting too—for example, bug collectors used to place live specimens in a jar with crushed laurel leaves so the toxic fumes from the laurel would kill the insect without damaging it. I’ve rounded up a list of six botanical gothic books as a great entry point into the genre. While by no means an exhaustive list, with these books, you’ll be ready to plant your own gothic garden in no time.The book is beautifully illustrated by simple mono line drawings which stir the imagination and which give, along with the text, a comprehensive guide to the A-Z of Plants which could potentially do great harm. There is a disclaimer at the start of the book to not try any of these as the book is for information and entertainment only and not a medicinal guide to try plant based medicine at home. I already knew I had a few poisonous/toxic plants in my garden but I was amazed to discover the violet, which I always thought was such a happy little flower was so associated with death and the underworld. Fez Inkwright is an illustrator and author with a passion and knowledge of botany, nature, primitive religions, and folklore. She has produced work for children's books, created hand-drawn maps, and designed tattoos. She lives in Bristol, England. By publishing your document, the content will be optimally indexed by Google via AI and sorted into the right category for over 500 million ePaper readers on YUMPU.

Review: Botanical Curses and Poisons – A Cat, A Book, and A Review: Botanical Curses and Poisons – A Cat, A Book, and A

If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison’, it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.’ – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland. What you get: Gothic author Eleanor Sciolistein says: “Another gorgeous slice of eerie Southern Gothic from a talented writer whose gift for building memorable and relatable characters is matched only by her ability to send a chill up the reader’s spine. Perfect for anyone with artistic leanings, The Haunting of Willow Creek is a rewarding read for any fans of gothic literature. Highly recommended.” 6. Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants by Fez InkwrightSo, grab a cup of tea, a comfortable chair, and prepare to delve into the dark, twisted world of botanical gothic literature. 1. Evil Roots: Killer Tales of the Botanical Gothic by Daisy Butcher People have learnt the very hard way over time immemorial which plants are safe and which are deadly. People have used this plant knowledge too for all sorts of nefarious dealings too, planning a murder using the poisons from a plant requires careful and deliberate preparation. Yet some of these plants have a very grey line between medicine and toxin and knowing what plant is capable of what normally needs an expert.

Botanical Curses and Poisons The Shadow-Lives of Plants - NHBS

Fez Inkwright is a Bristol-based author and illustrator whose main passions lie in conservation, folklore, and tattoo design, with heavy occult and ethnobotanical themes. She focuses on the significance of parts of our ecosystems that are often overlooked, such as common weeds and hedgerow plants, and aim to raise awareness of their vital importance to the health of our planet. I was surprised by most of this book. Some of these things I already knew, but even in the plants I read about that I thought I knew about, I learned unexpected things, whether it was mythology or historical usage or maybe a bit of both. It ended up being, quite frankly, one of the most illuminating plant books I’ve ever read. The accessible prose and the subject matter combined to create a book I both couldn’t put down and couldn’t stop thinking about. Your first thoughts about gothic fiction may not include vicious, thriving plant life. But if you’re a nature-lover, I invite you to take a closer look at the subgenre called “botanical gothic.” The A-Z layout of the plants makes for a really manageable structure, and gives the reader regular natural breaks to allow for them to reflect and absorb what they have read. But the facts and stories themselves are so interesting that you can easily read a large portion in one sitting. Filled with information as well as stories this novel presents a nice balance into the past of these plants. There are many more than I knew of and learning how some were used in plots and executions was very interesting. The narrator did a great job reading through these plants alphabetically, but knowing there are so many poisonous plants out there(or which I don't know how to identify) has definitely made me feel less prepared for an apocalypse.Content warnings: Discussions of death, murder, poisoning, injury, medical symptoms, miscarriage and other medical grimness.