Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) used to be a popular medicinal and spice plant since at least antiquity and is considered a magical plant throughout Europe and Asia. Before the introduction of hops, it was used to flavor beer. It is still used as an herb to season roast goose since mugwort helps the body digest fatty and heavy foods but it also goes very well with foods such as green beans and mushrooms. The plant grows wild on roadsides, wastelands, slopes, and embankments, and its leaves are harvested before it begins to bloom.
Mugwort in Folklore
Be mindful, Mugwort, what you revealed,
What you established at the Great Proclamation
Una you are called, oldest of herbs,
you are strong against three and against thirty,
you are strong against poison and against [flying venoms]
you are strong against the foe who goes through the land.
The passage above is an excerpt from the Anglo-Saxon Lay of the Nine Herbs which describes mugwort as “the oldest of herbs.” Mugwort’s botanical name (Artemisia) derives from the Greek goddess Artemis. In medieval times, however, it became associated with St. John the Baptist whose head, when he was beheaded, fell onto mugwort imbuing the plant with certain powers. Another story suggests that St. John carried mugwort with him to ward off evil. As a result, a tradition developed to craft mugwort garlands on St. John’s Day (Midsummer) and cast them into the fire to keep away evil. In China, there exists a similar tradition: On the fifth day of the fifth month, before dawn, mugwort is gathered and hung in bundles on the doors to ward off diseases and evil spirits.
In East Prussia, mugwort was used for divination. This practice ties into the continued use of mugwort to influence dreams. Rumor has it that ingesting mugwort (as a tea or by smoking it), or alternatively placing a bundle of the plant under a pillow results in clear and vivid as well as at times lucid dreams.
One of the German names for mugwort is Beifuß which hints at its use to protect travelers. This practice dates back to Roman times when soldiers would place mugwort in their sandals to protect them from evil spirits and wild animals as well as to prevent fatigue and foot cramps.
Medicinal Uses of Mugwort
Mugwort is a commonly listed medicinal herb from antiquity until today. Throughout history, it was used to treat nervous disorders, stomach and intestinal disorders, dog and snake bites (which supposedly mugwort provides protection against when tied to the wrists or ankles), epilepsy, and much more. It is often referred to as a women’s herb (both in Europe and in Asia) and was used to ease childbirth, prevent inflammations of the uterus, regulate menstruation, and ease heavy bleeding. A topically applied mugwort oil is supposed to relax the muscles of women in labor to allow contractions to build naturally. In the Middle Ages, mugwort used to be ground into a powder and mixed with wine to stimulate menstruation and at times bring about an abortion.
What we know today is that mugwort has some wound-healing properties and is used in China to treat burns as well as ulcers. It is antispasmodic and can therefore be used to ease period and stomach cramps. Oil infused with mugwort and applied to the skin can be used for sore muscles.
Mugwort stimulates both appetite and digestion which makes it an excellent seasoning for fatty and heavy foods such as goose, duck, and eel but also pork and game. It has the same beneficial effect of aiding digestion when brewed as tea and drunk after a meal.
Ingesting mugwort should be avoided when pregnant or breastfeeding. Some people might be allergic to its pollen. If you are allergic to other Asteraceae/Copositae (i.e., chicory, artichoke, marigold, chamomile, sunflower) it might be best to avoid mugwort.
Pumpkin Soup with Mugwort
Ingredients
1 small pumpkin (Kabocha or Hokkaido)
1 small carrot
A piece of leek
A piece of parsnip (or 1 small parsnip)
A piece of celeriac
2 potatoes
1 apple
A small piece of ginger
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, nutmeg, and optionally a pinch of chili powder
A few leaves of mugwort
A splash of cream (plant-based or dairy)
For decoration:
Toasted sunflower seeds (or other seeds/nuts)
Crème fraîche (plant-based or dairy)
Pumpkin seed oil
Steps
Peel and cut your vegetables and the apple into small pieces. (If you’re using Hokkaido pumpkin, there’s no need to peel it). Peel and grate the ginger.
Briefly sauté your chopped (and grated) ingredients in a pot.
Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and optionally chili powder. Then, add water until the water just so covers all the vegetables.
Let simmer until the vegetables are soft, then add the mugwort and blend everything into a smooth soup. If that’s not possible you can mash up the vegetables with a fork—the soup won’t be as smooth but it still works.
Add a splash of cream and stir through.
Season to taste and serve with toasted seeds (or nuts), crème fraîche, and pumpkin seed oil.
Written by Merle Emrich.
Photos by Merle Emrich.
Sources
Armstrong, Edward A. (1944) “Mugwort Lore”, Folklore, 55(1), pp. 22-27, accessible here.
Düll, R. & H. Kutzelnigg (1992) Botanisch-ökologisches Exkursionstaschenbuch, Quelle & Meyer: Wiesbaden.
Frohn, Birgit (2007) Lexikon der Heilpflanzen und ihrer Wirkstoffe, Weltbild: Augsburg.
Gardiner, Barbi (2024) “The Magic of Mugwort, the Mother of Herbs”, The Outdoor Apothecary, 6 January 2024, accessible here.
Müller, Sybille (2024) “Beifuß für Verdauung und Frauenleiden”, Zentrum der Gesundheit, 29 September 2024, accessible here.
Riley, Stephany (2022) “Historical Notes about Mugwort”, Domestic Medicine, 4 April 2022, accessible here.
Scheider, Tim (2024) “Beifuß: Wirkung und Verwendung des Heilkrauts”, Utopia, 10 June 2024, accessible here.
Szaro, Melissa (2020) “How to Use Mugwort for Dreams, Sleep, and More”, The Herbal Academy, 4 December 2020, accessible here.
Wildpflanzengärtnerei Strickler (n.d.) Artemisia vulgaris, accessible here.