Devil's-bit Scabious

Succisa Pratensis

Hygiene in the middle ages - especially in rural communities - has had a bit of a bad rap. Country folk weren’t quite as grimy as we imagine them. For instance, everyone was expected to wash their hands before - and often after - meals. And they’d frequently wash their faces at the same time. Few dwellings had running water, so water had to be collected from wells and rivers sometimes quite a distance away, which involved a lot of water carrying - no small commitment to the hygiene cause. Having said that, your average peasant would probably only have a bath once a year and they’d be unlikely to change their underwear, if they had any, for months on end; beds were shared with the whole family and any visitors who happened to be staying (read more in Lady’s Bedstraw). As a result, fleas, lice and mites had a field day, which meant that the humans (even with their clean hands and faces) spent a lot of time scratching. Scabies mites and the other little biters could cause numerous, itchy conditions.

Sarcoptus Scabiei - the mite responsible for Scabies

In people's search for relief, it was discovered that certain plants helped soothe the scabies rash, and some of these plants were named, as was often the case, after the condition they were said to ease. Hence the genus ’Scabious’. When the Black Death arrived in 1346, Scabious also gained a reputation for soothing the swollen lymph nodes called buboes that were caused by the disease (see also Toadflax). Alas, it didn’t lessen the fatality rates.

The story of how Succisa Pratensis’s common name became associated with the devil is to do with its relatively small root system. The story goes that the devil, who wanted people to suffer as much as possible from scabies and the black death and other sore and itchy ailments, became so angry with the little Scabious plant and its ability to sooth human suffering that he bit off its root in a mad tantrum. The stubby little roots remained and the little Scabious plant hence became known as 'Devil's-bit Scabious'.

In 1597 the famous Herbalist John Gerard wrote:

“It is commonly called Morsus Diaboli, or Divels bit, It is called Divil’s bit of the root (as it seemeth) that is bitten off. Old fantasticke charmers report that the Divil did bite it for envie because it is an herbe that hath so many good vertues and is so beneficent to mankind.”

The scientific name ‘Succisa’ comes from the Latin verb ‘Succidere’ meaning ‘to cut off below’. And as we’ve seen before with Red Clover (Trifolium Pratense )’Pratenis’ means 'growing in meadows’, which is exactly what it does. At the moment (early September) it is one of the flowers I still see in bloom on the plains. We also, happily, have a small Devil’s-Bit Scabious plant currently in bloom at the end of our garden, an escapee from the adjoining field.

Devil’s-Bit Scabious’s cousins, Field Scabious and Small Scabious, were said to be just as powerful in dealing with scabby, itchy skin conditions. Their flowers are larger and their roots longer as the devil hasn't got to them yet. The word ‘Scabious’ comes from the Latin word ‘Scrabere’ which is also the root of the word ‘Scratching’. And ‘scabies’ of course.

Two Field Scabious flowers and one Devil’s-bit Scabious flower

Luckily people nowadays have Permethrin cream and anti-parasitic drugs like Ivermectin to get rid of scabies, and a combination of four different antibiotics to cure The Plague: streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline and ciprofloxacin. Phew!

Other languages have similar references to the poor little plant being bitten by the devil. In French it is called Mors due Diable, in Spanish ‘Bocado del Diablo’ in Norwegian ‘Djævelsbid’ and in German Teufelsabbiss. All meaning bitten by the devil. In Germany the legend has an extra paragraph in which Mary, Mother of God, felt sorry for the little flower’s roots being so badly damaged by the devil, and gave it the power to protect people from Satan, if they carried Devil's-bit Scabious with them. So in Germany, if you pick it, the flower protects you from the devil, however, if you pick it in Cornwall, England, it actually summons him. Eek!

Other names for Devil’s-bit Scabies are Devilsbit, Sheep's-bit, Premorse (irregularly cut of) Scabious, and Ofbit. All referring to the odd shape of the root. In some parts of Britain it is also called ‘Blue Button’, after its appearance. Interestingly the official name in Holland is exactly that: ‘Blauwe Knoop’ - blue button.

You might also enjoy reading about other wildflowers and you can find all flowers covered in Flowerology so far, in the alphabetical archive. And you can find a list of all the books used for researching Flowerology in the Reading List which is frequently updated.

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This newsletter is NOT a field guide for flower identification. It’s often difficult to tell the difference between harmless plants and poisonous plants and some flowers are rare and protected by law, so, NEVER pick or use any plants or flowers if you’re not sure about them.

illustrations and text ©Chantal Bourgonje