How to harvest a mandrake

Have you been been contemplating the best way to harvest a mandrake? Handy tips on cultivating this most notorious of plants, based on manuscripts in the British Library's collections.

7 December 2017

Blog series Medieval manuscripts

Author Julian Harrison, British Library

As a general rule, we don't normally give gardening advice on the Medieval manuscripts blog. It's just possible, however, that you may have been contemplating the best way to harvest a mandrake.

And so here we provide you with some handy tips on cultivating this most notorious of plants, based on manuscripts in the British Library's collections.

A cure for insanity

In the Middle Ages, it was believed that mandrakes (mandragora) could cure headaches, earache, gout and insanity. At the same time, it was supposed that this plant was particularly hazardous to harvest, because its roots resembled the human form; when pulled from the ground, its shrieks could cause madness.

The root of a mandrake, carved to resemble a tiny human. — The root of a mandrake, carved to resemble a tiny human, loaned from the Science Museum to the British Library's exhibition, *Harry Potter: A History of Magic*.

Identify your mandrake

You would think this was simple, but it was long believed that there were two different sexes of mandrake (which we have always been tempted to call the 'mandrake' and 'womandrake').

The beautiful 14th-century manuscript below was on show in the British Library's Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition. It contains an Arabic version of De materia medica, originally written in Ancient Greek by Pedanius Dioscorides, who worked as a physician in the Roman army.

Dioscorides was one of the first authors to distinguish (mistakenly) between the male and female mandrake, as depicted here. In fact, there is more than one species of mandrake native to the Mediterranean, rather than two sexes of the same plant.

An Arabic version of De materia medica, originally written in Ancient Greek by Pedanius Dioscorides, who worked as a physician in the Roman army. Or 3366: Baghdad, 14th century. — Or 3366: Baghdad, 14th century

Illustration of a male mandrake. Sloane MS 4016: Herbal, Lombardy, 15th century. — This mandrake, on the other hand, is quite clearly (ahem) the male of the species. Sloane MS 4016: Herbal, Lombardy, 15th century.

Two mandrakes, one male, one female, drawn in the lower margin of the Queen Mary Psalter — hanging upside down, their blood is clearly rushing to their heads. Royal MS 2 B VII: The Queen Mary Psalter, England, 14th century. — Two mandrakes drawn in the lower margin of the Queen Mary Psalter – hanging upside down, their blood is clearly rushing to their heads. Royal MS 2 B VII: The Queen Mary Psalter, England, 14th century.

Mandrakes and gonks

It's also advisable not to confuse your mandrake with a gonk, with an elephant (yes, they are elephants), or with a dragon.

Manuscript showing mandrake and gonks (elephants). Sloane MS 278: Bestiary, France, 13th century. — Sloane MS 278: Bestiary, France, 13th century.

Bring a dog

Medieval plant-collectors devised an elaborate method to harvest mandrakes. The best way to obtain one safely was to unearth its roots with an ivory stake, attaching the plant to a dog with a cord. A horn should then be sounded, drowning out the shrieking while at the same time startling the dog, causing it to drag out the mandrake.

A mandrake and a dog. Harley MS 1585: Herbal, Southern Netherlands, 12th century. — This medieval mandrake looks resigned to its fate. Harley MS 1585: Herbal, Southern Netherlands, 12th century.

Mandrake and hound. Cotton MS Vitellius C III: Herbal, England, 11th century. — This Anglo-Saxon hound has yet to be tied to the mandrake (is that a ball that has distracted it attention?). Cotton MS Vitellius C III: Herbal, England, 11th century.

Stuff your ears with earth

Another trick was to stuff your ears with clods of earth before attempting to pull the mandrake from the ground. The gentleman in the red cap below has done exactly this, and is blowing resoundingly upon his horn: perfect technique!

Mandrake and a man blowing on a horn. Harley MS 3736 Giovanni Cadamosto, Herbal, Southern Germany(), 15th century. — Harley MS 3736: Giovanni Cadamosto, Herbal, Southern Germany(?), 15th century.

Medieval manuscripts series

This blog is part of our Medieval manuscripts series, exploring the British Library's world-class collections of manuscripts – including papyri, medieval illuminated manuscripts and early modern state papers.

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