Deadly Nightshade – Belladonna

Hi, Snu, I thought I’ll share you some herb lore on some of the herbs I come cross! Let’s start with Belladonna, also known as Deadly nightshade! The name Belladonna, meaning beautiful woman, was given because women used the belladonna to dilate their pupils to make them seem bigger! It is true that it can do this due to the alkaloid atropine inside, but it also makes it pretty… poisonous. Back then they must have not know the belladonna’s other name, Deadly Nightshade (Solatrum Mortale).

A book in Mikaere’s study by a famous in the 16th century herbalist called John Gerard wrote that it’s so dangerous, you shouldn’t have it around you. Uh-huh. I’m sure he didn’t mean it. Who in their right mind would want to banish something beautiful as the belladonna?

Also, the chemicals in the belladonna is used as a sedatives in certain medical practices nowadays, and we use in a lot of potions related to flying, seeing visions and astral travelling. (Most of those potions are out of fashion though…)