Visit the Celtic Herbalist
- What is Celtic Herbalism?
The Red Book of Hergest (a copy of which is now in Jesus College, Oxford, UK) contains the great Celtic (Welsh) 13th Century Herbal written by Rhiwallon of Myddfai. Rhiwallon was Physician to the court of Rhys Grugg, Lord of Dynevor, South Wales (Britain). The Materia Medica (medicinal plants) specified therein already incorporated not only European plants, but also plants from the Middle and Far East brought to Europe via the silk routes from nearly 1000 B.C.
The Celtic Herbalists (the Druidic order of the Ovates) had little access, however, to Chinese herbs: no Gingko and Ginseng, and certainly no American plants like Golden Seal, or Poke Root. Their approach to herbs favoured the use of fresh juices and dried plants in infusions. Various 'ways of health' were also observed. These 'ways of health' were all codified in the Red Book together with many 'receipts' which had been orally communicated for over 2000 years.