“I have, I suppose, constructed an imaginary time, but kept my feet on my own mother-earth for place.” Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: “211 To Rhona Beare”
Tolkien once mentioned in one of his letters that Middle-earth is supposed to be our world way back in an imaginary time. Of course, Middle-earth is part of a tale, but through the richness of its details, history, and linguistic development, it became a fully developed world of its own and not entirely isolated from ours. In the same letter, Tolkien states that Middle-earth is not his invention, but a “modernization or alteration of an old word for the inhabited world of men” and not another planet. One might begin to wonder where Middle-earth and our world might overlap or which aspects of our world served as an inspiration for Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
A few weeks ago, Middle-earth News’s Assistant Director Lily Milos raised the interesting question of whether there is a real life plant that served as an inspiration for Athelas. I don’t consider myself to be an expert in botany so my research is strongly based on the research of those that have a better understanding. While there is not much formal research out there, several lively discussions on various forums, blogs, and discussion boards have taken place giving suggestions on possible real life equivalents of Athelas. Well, there is not one single plant that fits all descriptions of Athelas, so you might have to postpone your trip to the garden centre or forest, but there are a number of plants that share a variety of the characteristics of Athelas. Some of these are not as unfamiliar as you might expect.
So what is Athelas according to Tolkien?
Athelas, also known as Kingsfoil, is a healing herb in Middle-earth. Originated on the island of Númenór , the plant was brought to Middle-earth by Númenóreans and can be still found where they once lived:
“It is fortunate that I could find it, for it is the healing plant that the Men of the West brought to Middle-earth. Athelas they named it, and it grows now sparsely and only near places where they dwelt or camped of old…” (FOTR; “Flight to the Ford”)
It is mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring that Athelas does not “grow in the bare hills; but in the thickets”. Moreover, the scent of Athelas, a very sweet, refreshing and very pungent since Aragorn manages to find the plant “in the dark by the scent of its leaves” (FOTR; “Lothlorien”). One of its other characteristics is that Athelas can be used to disinfect wounds (FOTR; “Lothlorien”). During the time when The Lord of the Rings is set, Athelas and its healing properties is forgotten by most in Middle-earth. In fact, most only know the plant under the name Kingsfoil. Its use and myth does only survive in folklore and rhymes during the Third Age. When trying to heal Faramir, Aragorn hears a rhyme recited by Imrahil which reveals another important association with Athelas:
When the black breath blows
And death’s shadow grows
And all lights pass,
Come athelas! Come athelas!
Life to the dying
In the king’s hand lying!
(The Return of the King; “The Houses of Healing”.)
In other words, according to folklore in Middle-earth, Athelas and its healing power comes to its full healing powers when used by a king. Moreover, Athelas used by a true king was seen as a sign that the end would come to the greatest evil in Mordor. On more than one occasion does Aragorn seem to fulfil this prediction.
Basil, the real-life Athelas?
According to various discussions on the internet, there are a number of plants that share a great amount of the characteristics of Athelas. Among the various suggestions, four plants seem to be the most likely candidates: Wintergreen, Greater Plantain, Mint, and Basil.
Native to Europe and northern and central Asia, Greater Plantain can be found everywhere where humans left their traces, similar to Athelas. However, Athelas is found only locally whereas Greater Plantain is rather widespread. For that reason, Greater Plantain is occasionally called “English Man’s Foot” or “White Man’s Foot” in New Zealand or North America. The healing properties of Greater Plains are well documented. The Anglo-Saxons, for example, esteemed the plant highly and considered it to be one of nine holy herbs. In contrast to Athelas, the Greater Plantain has no noticable odour.
Healing properties were attributed to all three chief species of mint: Spearmint, Peppermint, and Pennyroyal. Mint is widely known for its distinct fragrant and often used as a culinary herb. One interesting parallel to Athelas is that Mint was introduced to various regions in Europe by the Romans. Originally, Mint is native to the Mediterranean region. Similar to Athelas, Mint grows best in a partially shaded area.
Wintergreen is another group of plants that have been distributed by the Romans. Of course, Wintergreen covers a variety of plants, yet one specific evergreen that is believed to share similarities to Athelas is Chimpaphila umbellata. Also known as Prince’s pine or King’s cure, Chimpaphila umbellata’s leaves have a sweet smell when they are fresh. Its healing properties have been known for centuries and are considered of great use for cardiac, kidney and various other diseases.
Despite the evidence for Wintergreen, Greater Plaintain, and Mint, my favorite is Basil. Basil is known to most as a culinary herb with a sweet and sometimes pungent smell. Besides its use to enhance dishes, Basil has been also used for healing across the globe. In India, for example, Basil was seen as holy and used for supplementary treatment for respiratory infections or was used as an antivenom. The healing properties of Basil seem to cure a great number of infections and illnesses. One additional interesting fact about Basil is its name. The name Basil originates from the Greek language and means “king”, the plant itself, therefore, has used to be referred to as “king’s healing plant”. In German-speaking regions, Basil is still call “Königskraut” (Kingsherb). Considering Tolkien’s linguistic versatility, it is very likely to assume that he was aware of Basil and its linguistic roots.Those that grow their own Basil at home, or know the plant well enough, might still disagree with the idea of Basil being the real-life equivalent of Athelas for a very good reason. In contrast to Athelas, Basil needs a lot of light and warmth to grow. In other words, Basil would never prosper in the thickets. Nevertheless, Basil is, for me, one of the most likely and interesting inspirations for Athelas. While Basil doesn’t fulfil all characteristics of Athelas, the similarities are too numerous to dismiss a partial inspiration.
Those among you that have a greater knowledge in botany, is there a plant that you consider to be another source of inspiration? Or do you actually disagree with my suggestion entirely? Leave your thoughts and suggestions down below in the comments!
For further reading, here are the various forums, blogs, and internet recources that I’ve used:
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