Thyme
History
Most varieties are native to the Mediterranean. The Egyptians used thyme in their embalming process, the Greeks used it to scent bath water and their temples, the Romans to purify their apartments. It is probably spread across Europe with the Roman invasions.
In Europe, in the Middle Ages, it was drunk as tea to see fairies. But also to conceal unpleasant smells and protect against illness
Thyme has now colonised the whole planet: from Greenland to Asia
Beliefs
- Thyme: Thymus Vulgaris
- magical according to Dioscorid,
- Saint Hildegard's universal panacea
- Symbolising courage: it was embroidered onto knights' sashes
- Present in Charlemagne's capitularies
- England: when a young woman hesitated about choosing her future beloved, she was advised to " coat herself with a mixture of marjoram, thyme and absinthe on Saint Luke's Day, to dream of her future husband" (Kruger, An illustrated Guide to Herbs, their medexcin and magic)
- Wild thyme: Thymus Serpyllum
- Universal remedy (Pliny and Dioscorid)
- a sprig protects against snakes...
Miracle product of the sixteenth century: stimulant, against headaches
Virtues
- stimulant, tonic
- diuretic
- pectoral
- balsamic
- worming
- depurative
- anti-tussive
- sedative
- anti-rheumatism
T vulgaris:- o Stomatic, carminative
- o anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal
- o powerful antiseptic (known for a long time): as a mouthwash or gargarism, a thyme infusion fights sore throats and sore gums,
BE CAREFUL : the essential oil is toxic, do not swallow
Tips and tricks
- Prefer wild thyme, picked in the sun. It is more fragrant.
Composition
very variable, depending on the climate, the species and time of day
- Thymus Vulgaris
- 0.75 to 6.5% essential oil
- 20-40% thymol
- 15% carvacrol
- 2% thymol methyl ester
- cineol, cymene, alpha pinene, borneol, linalool, bornyl acetate …
The plant
Thymus
Lamiaceae family (like mint, basil.)
Rustic or semi-rustic hardy, most of the species is reproduced by cutting.
There are more than 100 species of thyme, including just 65 in Europe.
Thyme is a small shrub with several dense branches.
Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum), a species of thyme, is a small climbing plant which grows on dry, chalky slopes.
Classification and recognition of different types of thyme is complex as they are easy to hybrid and certain species only differ by a variation in their essential oil.
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