Irish Folk Remedies
Given the unconventional--and sometimes unpalatable--nature of some Irish folk remedies, Ireland's ancient cures for medical ailments may seem more unpleasant than the maladies they were intended to treat. Many Irish folk remedies involve the use of flowers, herbs, animal body parts and family 'charms'--secret chants or a specific series of words uttered for particular situations.
Origins
According to a 2008 article published in Irish American magazine, Ireland's folk remedies grew out of the belief that injuries and illnesses were the result of unkindness or disrespect directed toward faerie folk. Disturbing a faerie activity, such as building a structure in a faerie pathway, was also thought to cause maladies. In addition, it was believed that any curative powers possessed by doctors and healers came from the faeries themselves. Until the 19th century, when traditional medicine became more widely accepted, Irish folk remedies were the preferred method for treating a wide range of trivial and serious ailments affecting humans and animals alike.
Features
Irish folk remedies often resulted from a combination of common sense, practical observations and mystical beliefs. Some remedies date back to early or pre-Christian times and reflect thinking rooted more in superstition rather than rational medical practices. Examples of strange and unusual folk remedies include boiling sheep droppings in milk to cure whooping cough and tying a child up with the rope used to hang an innocent man as a means of curing childhood dropsy (what we know today as edema, the collecting of fluid in body tissues).
Folk Remedies For Common Ailments
Many Irish folk remedies address common ailments such as colds, earaches, stomachaches, toothaches and dysentery.
Popular remedies include:
• To cure a cold, boil together hazel-buds, dandelion, chickweed, wood sorrel and oatmeal, and drink the mixture morning and evening.
• Black sheep wool placed in the ear alleviates earaches.
• Tying a cluster of mint leaves around the wrist soothes stomach disorders.
• Toothaches can be avoided by never shaving on Sunday. In the case of an existing toothache, rubbing the tooth of a dead horse over the jaw lessens the pain.
• Pounding together two plants, woodbine and maiden-hare, then boiling them in new milk along with oatmeal will cure dysentery when ingested three times daily.
Unusual Ailments and Remedies
There is an Irish folk remedy for just about anything, including the bite of a mad dog, impure blood and a stitch in the side of the body. If bitten by a dog, a touch from the hand of seventh son can help heal the wound. Drinking a mixture of boiled down carrot juice will purify blood. A stitch in the side will ease when the area is rubbed with unsalted butter and the sign of the cross is made over the area seven times.
Folk Remedies Today
Although much less common than in centuries past, folk medicine has not completely died out in Ireland. Some aspects of folk remedies and cures are still used today due to burgeoning 'New Age' interest in natural treatments and holistic medicine.
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