A few days ago I went out to pick up the seeds from a plant that I really love - The Nettle (lat.Urtica)
Not only the leaves for tea that detox my body every spring, also the seeds that can be picked up from September until November. are a kind of "superfood" that I use for müsli or smoothies.
If you go out in these days you can see the richness of the seeds. For picking the seeds you need the female ones that are hanging down the plants, you can pick the green ones but also the brown ones as well..
Nettle seeds are the most nutritious part of nettle. They contain vitamin A and C, iron, calcium, magnesium and silicon. What is more, they contain essential fatty acids and vitamin C which are especially good for skin and brain.
Benefits of nettle seeds
In folk medicine nettle has been used to cure almost any illness.
Nettle seeds contain essential fatty acids and vitamin E which are especially good for your skin and brain.
In short, nettle seeds give you more vitality.
Experiences about nettle seeds
Nettle seeds may help you with
- skin problems
- memory decline
- fatigue
- low libido
- brittle hair and nails
FOLKLORE
The Folklore of Nettle is very interesting, so I thought I will share it with you.
The common German name "Donnernessel" indicates its meaning in mythology. The nettles were a symbol of lightning and thunder god Donar. In order to protect themselves against lightning strikes, people in the Middle Ages threw a bouquet of nettles over the roof of their dwelling and hoped that they would show the lightning the way to the earth spirits.
And also in Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "Die Wilden Schwäne /The Wild Swans", a girl has to make 7 shirts out of nettles (still common in ancient times, which the name "hemp nettle" alludes to) to rescue her brothers and in Grimm's fairy tale "Jungfrau Maleen "the nettle plays a role as well.
There are a lot of typical Germans customs that found place in Folklore since now:
- In the past, people ate a nettle cake on January 1st, to have a good year
- Eating nettle as vegetables on Gründonnerstag / Maundy Thursday should protect against financial difficulties for the following year
- To hold five nettle leaves in the hand to keep away fear
- Holding nettle and yarrow in one hand at the same time should be immune to all evil forces
- Eating nettle pancakes on Midsummer Day to be immune against mermaid and elf magic
- On Walpurgis Night nettles were put on dung heaps - probably to prevent evil magic
- Because of the stinging leaves the nettle plant was assumed that a demon was living inside the nettle and only real virgins could touch them without getting burned.
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