The mandrake – Mandragora autumnalis – is a herbaceous plant characteristic of the Mediterranean to which magical properties have been attributed, especially because of the resemblance that its root has with a human figure . In the popular imagination, the mandrake emerged from the soil that fertilized the semen that a hanged man spilled when he was executed . In addition, it screamed in such a way the moment it was torn off, that its scream drove the listener mad. The mandrake, which has a foul odor and is very toxic, was used as an aphrodisiac and as an ingredient to prepare ointments used by witches to experience hallucinations. In reality, its large root is similar to a turnip. In the Middle Ages, it was used to prepare potions that were administered as a narcotic to put patients to sleep before surgery.
Does the mandrake have magical qualities?
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