Old English Medical Remedies: Mandrake, Wormwood and Raven's Eye

by Sinéad Spearing

How pagan women blended magic and medicine--and why their medieval recipes may help cure modern-day illnesses.

In ninth-century England, Bishop lfheah the Bald is dabbling with magic. By collecting folk remedies from pagan women, he risks his reputation. Yet posterity has been kind, as from the pages of Bald's book a remedy has been found that cures the superbug MRSA where modern antibiotics have failed.

Within a few months of this discovery, a whole new area of medical research called Ancientbiotics has been created to discover further applications for these remedies. Yet, what will science make of the elves, hags and nightwalkers which also stalk the pages of Bald's book and its companion piece Lacnunga, urging prescriptions of a very different, unsettling nature?

In these works, cures for the "moon mad" and hysteria are interspersed with directives to drink sheep's dung and jump across dead men's graves. Old English Medical Remedies explores the herbal efficacy of these ancient remedies while evaluating the supernatural, magical elements, and suggests these provide a powerful psychological narrative revealing an approach to healthcare far more sophisticated than hitherto believed. All the while, the voices of the wise women who created and used these remedies are brought to life, after centuries of suppression by the Church, in this fascinating read.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Medieval

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2018

About the author

Sinéad Spearing is a writer and historian whose work traces the quiet threads of healing, devotion, and forgotten lives. Her writing blends historical scholarship with spiritual reflection, uncovering the stories of those who offered care, wisdom, and light in the margins of history.

She trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Royal College of Music in London, later teaching flute at Benenden School in Kent. In later life, after earning a first-class honours degree in Psychology with Philosophy, she turned her focus to the emotional and spiritual legacy of healing practices across time.

Sinéad is the author of several acclaimed books exploring early English remedies and the lives of women who worked in service of others through medicine, midwifery, and quiet faith. Her translations of Old English medical texts have been praised by Professor Jacalyn Duffin of the National History Museum, and her work has been featured by the British Psychological Society and invited into the archives of televised historical documentaries.

Invited to speak at institutions including the Royal Society of Pharmacology and The Old Operating Theatre Museum in London, Sinead continues to be sought after as a historical consultant.

Her forthcoming book explores the revelations of Julian of Norwich — a woman whose vision of divine love and spiritual resilience still speaks to those living through uncertainty and silence.

Sinéad lives in the English countryside with her husband and their cats, where she continues to write, research, and walk the bramble path that winds through history and faith.

Reviews

[Anna Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting look back at the role of healing and the pre-Christian beliefs that were common in Europe and the UK.
It suffered a little with some strange sentence construction and could have done with a proofread for punctuation, but it was fascinating nonetheless and while much of it would no doubt be dismissed as nonsense, the author makes a compelling case for the rituals, charms and songs that were performed at the same time as the healing - a holistic approach to mental, emotional and physical health combined, rather than just treating the symptoms.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not at all what I expected - I thought it would be more like a recipe book than anything else. But I'm so glad I read it anyway, as it was a fascinating account of the life and beliefs of people in the olden days when it comes to medical remedies and healthcare. I learned a great deal as I realised I had a very limited knowledge of the topic.
It will be easier to read for people who are used to more academic history texts, but not inaccessible to a beginner.

Disclaimer - I requested a free digital copy from Pen&Sword History and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book looks at Bald's "Leechbook III" and "Lacnunga," where he recorded medical recipes and rituals from 400 to 900 AD Britain. The rituals often targeted supernatural causes of disease, like elves, hags, and night walkers. While the recipes usually do include herbs, the author points out that many of these herbs are toxic and so would not be used in modern medicine. Also, no amounts are recorded, so we can't replicate what they did anyway.

Since many of the remedies involve visualization, focused intention, transference, curses, sympathetic magic, and ritual, the author looked at other ancient traditions and modern things that we do which are similar and how it may help the sick. It's more a philosophical look at the rituals than a scientific one. However, he did consider the medical action of the various herbs and how it may have helped the person, as well as the psychological benefit of the rituals. He also looked at how the church tried to repress these remedies and the memory of the healing women who used them as the Christian Church came into power.

I received an ebook review copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old English Medical Remedies, Mandrake, Wormwood and Raven's Eye,  Sinead Spearing

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Health, Mind & Body , History

I'm kind of conflicted about this review. It wasn't at all what I was expecting, which was actual historical remedies and then a discussion on individual issues from them in the light of today's knowledge.
I'm fascinated by old ways, remedies that were surprisingly effective, gained from acute observation of patient, remedy and effects mixed in with what seems to us much weirdness, gathering herbs on certain days, standing in certain position, using different coloured materials and of course the ever present evils of the day....What I got was an intensely interesting read, but which was much more like an academic treatise, at times pretty hard going for a hobby historian like myself.
I think that really needs to be made clearer in the description as I can see from reviews several others felt the same.

I really enjoyed the remedies and discussions when they cropped up, learning about how many are finding their way into modern medicine. The discussion too on why practices that seem so irrelevant to us now, with our science knows all outlook, things like times, days, colours, that are all set down so precisely were so important and not the side dressing they appear.
It reminded me of the way I read years back that so many recipes called for “the water of a man-child” and that seems sexist. Did they really think male urine was somehow stronger, more special? No, but the penis naturally allows urine to remain sterile longer while female urine can get skin contamination more easily as its gathered. Simple but important stuff. They may not have know why, but observation and records will have shown them that male urine was more effective.
Then too we now have a whole school of theory based around bio-dynamics, incorporating moon schedules for planting etc.

I found fascinating the research now done on intention of thought, where research was done on stands of human DNA, one group were asked to hold the vial while maintaining a heightened state of emotional positivity, the second asked to mentally intend to unwind the strand of DNA and the third group asked to do both. There was a marked difference in the first two groups compared with the third, with that one showing material change. It lead to a conclusion that focused intention could produce a material change, a small study but certainly food for thought, and one that could explain why intention was regarded as so important.
We're so quick to dismiss what doesn't fit our current science theories that we often dismiss old words, and yet as shown on the MRSA antibiotic, we could be losing valuable cures. Just because there seems no science base, no logic doesn't mean a theory or remedy in invalid. I remember my shock years back when my PC/IT son told me about water being research for computer chips as water has a memory...I still find that hard to take ;-)

Its a fascinating read, but so intense and academic that I found it hard at times, and I've skimmed through, reading sections that catch my eye. Its certainly a read I'll dip back into for sheer interest, and its very clear the author has a real knowledge and passion for the subject. I had convinced that what she wrote had been thoroughly researched and checked, and wasn't just an opinion of hers, but something gleaned from thorough analysis of the texts available.
For me though a read that was a bit lighter, or a better description so I knew what to expect would have made me happier.

Stars: 4, a great read for anyone interested in old remedies and the history of why they were so used.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
 

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book this was! I enjoy my fiction but I also crave for well documented books filled with interesting facts, research and in depth analysis. This is one of those books that left me captivated by the subject and wanting to know more about it. Old English Medical Remedies takes a new look at Bald’s Leechbook III and Lacnunga, two ancient compilations of healing remedies from Britain’s Middle Ages. The aim of this book is to explore the content of these old texts, bringing new insights and interpretations that help us understand more about that time of humanity; their traditions, believes and of course, healing practices. I thoroughly enjoyed that the remedies are analyzed from different areas of expertise like psychology, history, biology, mythology, religion, philosophy, etc. Some remedies are meant to cure well known diseases while others deal with entities such as elves, evil spirits and nighwalkers. This book is not meant to be used for healing, but rather as an approachable guide to understanding medieval folklore and the remedies used at that time.
At first glance, most (if not all) of the cures seem like outdated remedies drowned in mysticism and superstition, but when contemporary research is presented side by side, it is impossible to disregard these manuscripts as merely outdated information. Moreover, the historical and scientific background makes them easier to understand and brings you closer to this intriguing time period. For example, a remedy involving eating sheep’s dung sounds crazy and pointless, but when the author explains how it is specially rich in nitrogen and potassium and the healing properties these two have, it doesn’t sound as crazy anymore (still yucky though). The directions included that the healer should not to reveal the contents of the remedy to the patient… and I can totally understand why.

Spearing makes use of her vast knowledge (specially in psychology) and diverse analysis to question previous interpretations and submit her own alongside relevant context material. The remedies include the original Old English text, which I tried to read at the beginning because of the novelty, but ended up skipping for the rest of the book. Maybe some day, when I learn some ninth century English, I would go through them again. It was specially interesting to know about the important, yet forgotten, role of women in ancient healing, as well as the way mind and body were treated as a whole when curing an illness, a view that has recently gained renewed attention. This seemingly outdated manuscript might be more relevant today than what we thought at first, but if the medical side of it doesn’t interest you, its Dark Ages historical appeal is undeniable.

*I requested an eArc from Pen & Sword, Thank you!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for a free review. This book discusses herbal treatments, amulets, chants, among other things that was used in Old English Medicine. It utilizes two Old English medical books that have been translated to modern day English to understand the remedies. This book explains the herbs used and their medicinal values with the condition. It was interesting to learn about poppets (similar in my mind to a voodoo doll), amulets, chants, and the actual remedies. The book explores mostly Britain, but discussed Scandinavian, Germanic and other cultures and the cures. It was interesting to learn about how poisonous herbs along with counteracting herbs would provide a cure. The use of chants, along with rituals to harvest the herbs was interesting. It was quite interesting during the discussion about mandrakes, I ended up thinking about Harry Potter and their herbology class on mandrakes. Old English thought the screams of a mandrake would kill you and they also saw them as male or female. I very much enjoyed this book and definitely learnt from reading it.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this isn’t exactly the book I wasn’t anticipating, this is such a fascinating read into how people once treated different ailments, through some natural remedies but also their belief in the supernatural and fate.

Reading like academic text more, Old English Medical Remedies really goes into real detail about what people believe and used in the time, using more modern sources to really cement why people believed what they did. The chapter I found most intriguing was ‘The Day The Elves Died’ and how bacteria being found led to the end of certain superstitions when it comes to illness.

An incredibly interesting book that delves into the history of Medicine and the new study of ‘ancientbiotics’, Old English Medical Maladies makes an intriguing book and a new discovery - if you’re into this subject, this is a must read book.

(I received an ARC from Netgalley for a honest review

[Shelli Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and clearly written. Spearing does an excellent job highlighting uncertainties in translation and possible misunderstandings. Love the emphasis on changing societal and religious views impacting the utility and use of herbal remedies, and the closing discussion of the change in status of cunning women and female healers.

[vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.5 stars]

some parts of this book were marvelous (such as the assessment of cures and the medicinal powers of the elements that are described) but it felt disjointed at times. i think that might be due to some of the links the author tries to make to the modern world or modern themes that could feel somewhat forced

[Deborah Siddoway · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to agree with most of the reviewers. Parts of this book were excellent, informative, and interesting, but many times the language seemed a little more like a research paper than a book designed to be both informative and enjoyable to read.

I found some interesting nuggets of information, but also the huge swathes of old English writing came across more as a filler, because I, along with I am sure many readers, simply skipped over them as they were meaningless to me.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, really interesting, engaging writing.

[Mary Sue]

Fascinating history of medicine, cures and cunning women

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Old English Medical Remedies is definitely something different. Filled with lore and teachings of old, you will learn why certain plants were used for healing and what rituals should be performed to allow "a healing that occurs in response to an amends made." Sinead Spearing's recounting of old writings, codices and manuscripts with her explanation and deciphering of the Old English recipes and actions is interesting and engaging, the research deep and well sourced. For example, one combination of herbs "... stands against pain, it dashes against poison, it has power against three and against thirty, against the hand of a fiend and against noble devices, against the charm of vile creatures..." Sounds like a handy thing to have in my medical kit, you know, just in case of fiends and creatures. But, there is a warning against sampling the cure because it could kill you.
Full Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.

[Rosalie Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I particularly liked that the original text was included as well as the English translations for these remedies. A great deal of the book included remedies against things which we would consider psychological rather than physical illnesses. The alternate names for herbs used are included which is also helpful. I enjoyed this book.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to Pen and Sword History and Netgalley.
This is a very interesting book, recommended to people who are interested in both ancient remedies and history.

[KT · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is at the beginning of researching herbal remedies and folklore of this time I was excited to receive a copy of this from NetGalley and the publishers. It was not what I was expecting which was a dictionary or collection of remedies but so much more. It delves into the history of medicine, magic and beliefs of this time in an accessible way. For me it was a perfect resource.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an interesting but heavy read. It describes in a fascinating way the role that women played in early medicine and how it has now been discovered that by reconstructing some of the remedies in a book dated well before 1000 AD they are as eff3ctive if not more so in some cases than we currently produce. The fact that these were issued by Christian monks and that later the Christian church tried to debunk them all brings added readability. The description of witches and elves add a new perspective n the meaning of these words. A bit late to save either the Salem witches or 5he Anglian witches that by this account were simply early medical women.
As I read this I thought that perhaps it was a research book that has been published as that is how it is written.

[Chinchilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book examines the legitimacy of old medicinal remedies through the lenses of modern psychology and medicine. The centre of the discussions: "Bald's Leechbook III" and "Lacnunga", are two of the oldest surviving books comprised of folk customs and traditions of medicine and magic from the Nordic, Germanic and Celtic cultures. These books have been disregarded throughout history, and were especially condemned by the Catholic Church as books that encouraged witchcraft. The author argues that these books were actually combobulated with many systematic and logical (to our ancestors) remedial actions for ailment and unexplainable illness; though it was true that some were pure superstitions. Many of the seemingly bogus treatments are now gaining validity as they are proven genuine by science. Certain superstitious and non-functional healing actions can be explain by psychology, if not traced back to legitimate scientific origins as well. I suppose before there were ways to systematically test out effective treatments, people relied on passed-down wisdoms that were acquired through coincidences and luck.

Material presented in this book is very interesting, but the content is difficult to digest. For a short non-fiction (159 pages), it failed to grasp my attention. I could only read few pages at a time before feeling overwhelmed and losing my concentration. I think perhaps it has to do with the amount of information the author tries to cramp in within such few pages. The way information is presented also seems a bit unfocused. I think, given that most readers cannot understand Old English, it would be better if those long passages of original texts were reduced/omitted from the book.

I think it's unfortunate that the delivery of this book wasn't as reader friendly. I requested the ARC copy from NetGalley because the subject seemed interesting, even though I didn't have prior knowledge in the associated fields. If the author's intended audience is the general public, I can't see the book being well-received; however, if she's writing for the historians, than the book will resonate.

I want to give the book 3.5 stars based on its content, but the delivery is so poor I can only give it 2 stars overall.