Friday, January 24, 2014

Artemisia



I seem to have a trend of calling most nature names unisex (as I feel most are). Well, if you are looking for a balls-to-the-wall, badass girl name, look no further than this gem.
Artemisia is a large (200-400 species!!) and diverse genus of plants in the Asteraceae family (also known as the daisy family). The plants range from hardy flowering plants to shrubs and are pretty well known for their chemical properties. Some notable species include those commonly known as mugwort, sagebrush, sagewort, wormwoos, tarragon, and southernwood. These things are everywhere and can survive in most climates. Most species have strong, sweet aromas, but have a bitter taste when consumed. All species are used as a food source for insects in the Lepidoptera family, including the Monarch butterfly and the Luna moth.
The name Artemisia is properly pronounced ar-te-miz-eeah and comes from the widely worshipped goddess Artemis of the Greek pantheon (also known as Diana in Roman mythology).  Some scholars actually believe that her name and the goddess herself pre-date ancient Greek culture. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of Apollo (the sun god). She was the goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth (in the Hellenistic time period-prior the goddess Eileithyia had this role), and virginity. She was called upon as a protector of young girls and to bring relief to ailing women. Artemis was typically depicted as a youthful, athletic huntress with bow and arrow. Deer, cypress trees, amaranth, and asphodel were her sacred symbols.
Wormwood and tarragon are probably the most commonly known species of Artemisia. Tarragon is a popularly used culinary herb that is especially important in French cuisine. Tree wormwood (known as sheeba in Arabic) is Middle Eastern bitter herb usually blended with mint to make tea. Other subspecies of wormwood are used to make/flavor different alcoholic beverages including vermouth (though it is no longer commonly used and has been replaced with a different blend of herbs), Malort, and absinthe. Absinthe in particular has a pretty colorful history and has been historically banned in several countries as it has been thought as a highly addictive psychoactive drug. It has since been shown to not be any more dangerous than any other spirit drink. It has long been associated with bohemian culture and was a favorite drink of Hemingway, Baudelaire, Verlaine, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, and Aleister Crowley (interesting fellow, you should look him up if you are interested in the occult). Another species, Artemisinin, is used to treat malaria.
Different species of Artemisia, notably wormwood, are referenced throughout the Torah and the Bible and is always used to implicate bitterness. Wormwood is mentioned 7 times throughout the Torah and once in the New Testament. In the Book of Revelation, the star that is cast by the angel and falls into the Earth’s water, making them undrinkable is named Wormwood. In Hamlet, the words “Wormwood, wormwood” are used by one character to imply the bitterness of the queen has just said. C.S. Lewis used the name Wormwood in The Screwtape Letters for a young, inexperienced demon who was tasked with guiding a man to Satan.
Historically, there have been two queens named Artemisia. Atermisia II of Caria was a constantly in mourning queen for only 2 years and is known for the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world) which she constructed to perpetuate the memory of her dead husband/brother Mausolus. Equally as melodramatic was Artemisia I of Caria who reigned in the 5th century B.C. Renowned as a warrior queen who joined Xerxes in his battle against the Greeks at Salamis, she later convinced him to abandon his invasion of Greece. After the war, she fell in love with a man who did not return her feelings, so she jumped from a cliff to her death. Apparently ancient Greece was a gloomy place to be a woman. Luckily, the name was also worn by a botanist and medical researcher in the mid-3rd century B.C. and the 17th century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi and they were a lot less dreary.
Artemisia (and Artemis and Wormwood, since they were also sort of profiled) has never been a popular name, though I have found some use during the Victorian flower name craze. I think it is a great blend of dark mystery and princess. If I could associate anything with this name, it would be a medieval princess dressed as knight. It is a particularly frilly name, so if that is your style, this is definitely a wonderful choice.


Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Nettle


Sorry for such the long hiatus, unannounced. With all the holidays, I was swamped with family events and commitment. Forgive me? Let’s start the New Year with a name that I have found to be polarizing in popular opinion: Nettle.
Commonly thought of as a troublesome weed, (thus the sometimes negative reaction people have to the thought of having a child named after one) I think the plant is largely misunderstood. To begin, there are six subspecies of true nettle – some “sting”, some do not. Though part of a different genus, other plants bearing the name “nettle” are known as deadnettle or henbit nettle (which are actually named lamiums). A fun fact is there is actually a species of jellyfish known as sea nettles. The plants are native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America. The nettles that sting do so by injecting histamine and other bio-chemicals through needle-like hairs on the stems and leaves. It is one of the first plants to grow in an area where contamination has taken place in the earth, signifying the ground is now good for use.
The word “nettle” is thought to have come from the Middle/Old English word netele – meaning needle as it refers to the stinging hairs. As a verb, being nettled or nettling is to irritate, annoy, or provoke. There is an Australian idiom (“grasp the nettle”) that basically means to tackles an unpleasant task. References to the plant are scattered throughout the Bible (mostly with negative connotations), notably in Proverbs 24:30-31 and Job 30:7, though there is some debate on which actual plant is being referenced. Many believe the intended plant is actually thistle, bramble (blackberry bush), a species of wild mustard, or some other thorny plant. I’ve only found one popular culture reference of this word being used as a name: the Disney television show Sofia the First where the name is bestowed upon an evil fairy (Ms. Nettle).
Wow, a lot of negative and very little positive thus far. The good news is, despite the bad reputation, this herbaceous plant has a lot of positive uses and is actually quite a lovely companion plant instead of just an annoying weed. Its use medicinally goes back into antiquity. Nettle is one of the nine plants invoked in the 10th century Anglo-Saxon poem Nine Herbs Charms which was intended as a treatment for poisoning and infection. The poem repeatedly references the numbers 9 and 3 which were numbers significant to Germanic paganism (the poem also mentions the Germanic god Woden), however it also contains Christian elements. After the poem was chanted aloud 3 times over each herb, the nine herbs were crushed into dust and mixed with apple juice and were poured into the mouth, ears, and over the wound and then applied as a salve. In Austrian traditional medicine, the leaves are eaten or brewed into a tea to treat kidney and urinary tract infections, disorders of the skin and cardiovascular system, hemorrhage, flu, and gout. Modernly, nettle leaves are commonly used for treatment of arthritis in Germany. It is, apparently, also good for making your hair glossy and fighting dandruff as it is used in shampoos. The plant is also a great foodstuff for humans and the fibers from its stems can be used in textiles. (Note worthy: nettle grows well without pesticides and would make a great cost-effective alternative to cotton if you can deal with the coarser fibers) In the garden, the growth of nettle indicates high soil fertility. It also encourages beneficial insects; it is an exclusive food source for several species of butterfly and moth, namely the Peacock Butterfly, The Gothic Moth, and The Flame Moth. Sometimes, the roots provide food for the Ghost Moth.
Nettle has never been a common given name. It is actually much more common as a surname. I have seen two groups of people who actually see the appeal of this name: the nature loving and the “gothic”. I happen to belong to the former; however I do see why it would appeal to the latter. I personally love this name and it is in my top 2 choices for if I ever have another daughter. It is decidedly gender neutral as a name and would be a lovely and intriguing, if not daring, choice on either a baby boy or girl.