As disease was common in Medieval England, the Anglo-Saxons looked for ways to heal those with illnesses or diseases in which they used herbal remedies and poetic charms, known as the Nine Herbs Charm. The Anglo-Saxons created medical books in order to be able to quickly find remedies from certain plants in which would heal those with the disease -- this was the most effective use of healing as these texts were structured with a content list which cites the plant chapters and provides a list of symptoms that the specific plant supplies remedies for, as said by Linda E. Voigts.
It is brought up in question, though, by Voigts of the availability of plants discussed in these remedy books due to the impact of climate change and the commercial trade and exchange in Medieval England, but despite the fact that it has been implied that medieval medicine may have been theoretical it was said to be quite useful as “We have learned that early medieval medicine -- monastic, ecclesiastical, and in some instances, lay -- was pragmatic, empirical, and sometimes efficacious,” (Voigts, 254). Several different herbs served many purposes in terms of its use in medicine and the healing or treatment of diseases, where some were more widely-known in the medieval world depending on their healing and therapeutic purposes.
According to Jerry Stannard, there was more of a reliance placed on plants that had these therapeutic purposes and a large portion of medical care in this medieval time can be described as herbalistic. As many of these plants were used in rituals based off of their characteristics and symbolism, Stannard goes on to explain that “Even if a locally available plant lacked a traditional symbol, it could be invested with magical, indeed, miraculous properties by the appropriate ceremony,” (Stannard, 48). It is clear to see that the Anglo-Saxons heavily relied on these plants and their remedies to heal the sick or diseased as they even performed rituals and ceremonies by using ‘magic’ and giving the plant symbolism.
Anglo-Saxons created poetic charms as well, including magic language, which was a large part of their culture as these charms and words were used to heal disease and care for animals. The main idea, by connecting magic and medical science, was to treat diseases while much of the effort in healing diseases originated from this magic langage and the use of these texts. Paola Tornaghi said that in magic texts words becomes symbols where the speaker is able to manipulate reality and the spell represents that act of using these magic words to affect the reality.
It was believed that these words had more strength and power than words in normal text as well, supposedly having an instant effect the minute they were said. In addition to magic, witchery was a practice widespread among women as well in order for them to express themselves more freely. Through poetic charms and the magic language, it was believed that these words had a true effect on the healing of diseases.
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