Marshmallow, also known as Sweet Weed and Mortification Root, is a
flowering perennial native to Africa and naturalized in Europe.
Elsewhere, the plant is grown as an ornamental garden specimen. It is
also used to lend a mild, sweet flavor to foods and beverages and a
soothing quality to topical preparations. Because the leaf contains
pectin and mucilage, the herb is a natural thickening agent and
emollient.
A bizarre (not to mention painful) exercise that involved the use of
marshmallow was carried out during medieval times to simplify legal
matters. The accused, having had their hands pre-treated with a
marshmallow ointment, was challenged to hold a red-hot iron bar for a
specified period of time. Providing the defendant was able to do so
without receiving a serious burn, innocence was proven.
Marshmallow was once thought to have influence where affairs of the
heart were concerned. A bouquet of the leaves left on the grave of a
loved one was believed to ensure a safe journey to the next world, while
a bunch placed on a windowsill of the home would guarantee the return of
a lover gone astray.
