Top Weight Loss Foods

Holy Basil Information

There are many rituals and beliefs associated with basil. The French call basil herb royale. Jewish folklore suggests it adds strength while fasting. It is a symbol of love in present-day Italy, but represented hatred in ancient Greece. African legend claims that basil protects against scorpions while European lore sometimes claims that basil is a symbol of Satan.

Holy Basil is highly revered in Hinduism and also has religious significance in the Greek Orthodox Church, where it is used to prepare holy water. It is said to have been found around Christ’s tomb after his resurrection. In Europe, they place basil in the hands of the dead to ensure a safe journey. In India, they place it in the mouth of the dying to ensure they reach God. The Egyptians and Grecians believe it will actually open the gates of heaven for a person passing on.

In Boccaccio’s Decameron a memorably morbid tale (novella V) tells of Lisabetta, whose brothers slay her lover. He appears to her in a dream and shows her where he is buried. She secretly disinters the head, and sets it in a pot of basil, which she waters with her daily tears. The pot being taken from her by her brothers, she dies of her grief not long after. The story is already told of the Longobard queen Rosalind.

Source: Wikipedia