Herbarium of Apuleius
This is a translated manuscript, not an original Anglo-Saxon work. Latin text originally
from 4th or 5th century, widely distributed throughout Europe.
First translated into Old
English between 1000 to 1050 AD (located in the British Library). Many later
manuscripts and printed texts exist. The actual author is unknown (Apuleius
Platonicus is a fake name, sometimes referenced as Pseudo-Apuleius, not to be
confused with Apuleius Madaurensis, the Roman novelist of “The Golden Ass”).
This
manuscript was highly influential in bringing southern European herbal medicine and
lore into England. Some lore perpetuated by this book includes mandrake. Root of
this plant in human form-digging up would result in severe illness or death. To extract
this root –tied to dog to drag it up.
See: Influential Herbal and Botanical Texts from the16th through 18th Centuries by Michael C. Goates
