For the high church festival on August 15, Salzburgers have been making traditional bouquets of seven, nine, twelve or even more different herbs for centuries. Typical of these are St. John’s wort, wormwood, mugwort, yarrow, mullein, chamomile, thyme, valerian and verbena. A special healing power is attributed to these herbs, especially in the period between August 15th and September 30th. This is reinforced by the magic number – like seven or nine. The custom of binding herbs already existed among the Celts, but the pagan ritual only became part of Catholic customs in the Middle Ages through the blessing of a priest. After the blessing, the tied bouquets are traditionally hung up in Salzburg’s attics or in the Herrgottswinkel, where they are supposed to protect against evil such as illnesses, thunderstorms or lightning strikes.
Ancient custom – Pagan medicinal herbs for the Mother of God
