the plant for all ills
On Sunday, before the latest UK heatwave hit, I went a-strolling. It’s rare that I have the chance to go out walking alone these days. I walk mostly with my husband and, as he lives with Alzheimer’s Disease, I’m often quite focused on avoiding potential hazards as we go. But he was out on a Father’s Day treat and I took myself along the river path near home.
Scrambling down the bank to have a closer look at the (rather muddy) water, I came across a beautiful clump of Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum) in flower. I stood and looked at it for a long time. Like many native wildflowers, this is a plant with many names. “Balm of the warrior’s wounds” is one I’ve often heard. In Welsh, it’s “Dail y bendigaid” or “Leaves of the blessed”. (Thanks Iolo*, who’s single-handedly responsible for all of my Welsh countryside vocabulary.)
Of course, I’m a linguist, so I can’t just have a peaceful stroll without my brain analysing something language-related! Clearly, given the common names, this plant had a bit of folk history behind it.
When I got home and started investigating, I suddenly understood! “Tutsan”! From the old French “Toute-saine”. A plant with reputed antiseptic properties, long used in folk medicine. (In French it’s also sometimes called, “Herbe-à-tous-maux”, or the plant for all ills.)
Nature, folk wisdom and language CPD, all just a few hundred metres from home! A successful day.
* Iolo Williams, ornithologist, TV presenter and, all-round modern Welsh nature hero.
NB: It shouldn’t need saying, but probably does, that these are simply the ramblings of a random translator and nothing here should be taken as any kind of medical advice.
