In many parts of Europe, a bundle of rosemary hanging above a cottage doorway was more than decoration.
It was protection.
For centuries, rosemary was believed to carry strong cleansing and protective qualities. The plant’s powerful scent was thought to purify air and discourage illness.
During outbreaks of plague and other diseases, people burned rosemary in hearth fires or scattered it across floors in an attempt to cleanse the air.
Bundles of rosemary were often hung near doors and windows for similar reasons.
But rosemary also held symbolic meaning.
It was known as the “herb of remembrance.”
Sprigs were used in weddings to symbolize loyalty and love, and in funerals to honor memory and mourning.
A simple rosemary plant growing near the door quietly served many purposes at once:
protection, fragrance, remembrance, and comfort.
*From the Root & Leaf Journal
Stories, traditions, and the old ways of working with plants. CS
