Blessed plants reported in Józef Rostafiński’s (1850-1928) questionnaire, distributed in 1883

Bibliogr. s. 135-138

In 1883, an ethnobotanical enquiry was distributed by Józef Rostafiński (1850-1928), professor at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow (then Austro-Hungary). Two questions concerned the blessing of plants by Polish people during various holidays. Information on the plants was included in letters from 76 correspondents. The most plant names - 90 - were provided by Apolinary Chrzanowski. These names were used in the Janów district in the Lublin "gubernya". Rostafiński received a total of 1,052 records (13.84 records per respondent, median - 9). Ca. 160 species and at least 48 genera of plants, blessed during various religious ceremonies, were identified in the submitted responses. The most frequently blessed were Sedum acre L. and Artemisia abrotanum L. - 43 records each, and Thymus sp. - 40. Plants were blessed during the following holidays: Epiphany (4 records: 2 species, 2 records indet.), Easter (10 records: 6 species, 1 genus, and 1 indet.), Pentecost (15 records: 9 species, 3 genera), Corpus Christi (426 records: 86 species, 33 genera, 31 indet.), Assumption of Our Lady (585 records: 125 species, 43 genera, 53 indet.), eve of St. John (St. Ivan) (3 records: 3 species), St. Blaise (1 record: 1 genus), St. Nicholas (1 record: 1 species), weddings (2 records: 2 species), unspecified celebrations (4 records: 3 species). Blessed plants were stored and then used, generally as drugs or for magical purposes.