Remember your Rosemary

Remember your Rosemary

Rosemary is one of the herbs we have cultivated on the farm.  I have a large patch outside my She Shed/Soap Studio.

It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries and is known for keeping insects away and improving memory which is one of the reasons why it associated with Anzac Day in Australia and Remembrance day in the UK.

The Australian War Memorial website states: 

"Traditionally, sprigs of rosemary are worn on Anzac Day and sometimes on Remembrance Day, and are usually handed out by Legacy and the RSL. Rosemary has particular significance for Australians, as it is found growing wild on the Gallipoli peninsula."

According to the ANZAC portal

"Greek scholars believed the aromatic herb rosemary improved memory. Their students allegedly wore it in their hair during exams. In Roman times, people burned rosemary or placed it in tombs to honour and remember the dead. Pliny the Elder, who died in 79 AD, and other Roman writers described the use of rosemary in funeral ceremonies. It was a custom that eventually spread throughout Europe."

 

Why do we wear a sprig of Rosemary?

"Please wear a sprig of rosemary", the lady said
And held one out, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;
But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.
A boy came whistling down the street,
Bouncing along on carefree feet
His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said he, "may I have one?
"When she'd pinned it on he turned to say,
"Why do we wear rosemary today?"
The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered, "Today is Anzac Day,
And the rosemary there is the symbol for
The gallant men who died in war
And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a sprig of rosemary, you see.
"I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes.
He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird he would race about.
As the years went by he learned and grew
And became a man - as you will, too.
"He was fine and strong, with such a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day
When he turned and smiled at me and said,
"goodbye, I'll be back soon, Mum, so please don't cry.
"But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray
His letters told of the awful fight
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.
Till at last, at last, the war was won -
And that's why we wear a sprig of rosemary, son
"The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know
That sure did sound like an awful fight,
But your son - did he come back all right?"
A tear rolled down each faded cheek;
She shook her head, but didn't speak.
I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me you'd have done the same;
For our thanks, in giving, is oft delayed,
Though our freedom was bought -and thousands paid!
And so when we see a sprig of rosemary proudly worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne,
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live
Then wear a sprig of rosemary!
And remember those who no longer live!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lzFDPdO72Y
https://rsbriders.blogspot.com/2007/05/why-do-we-wear-sprig-of-rosemary.html

It is one of the main herbs in my Herby Essential Oil blend. 

I also use it in the woody balm to make sure he remembers all those special dates if he uses it in his beard.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet Ophelia declares: ‘There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance: pray, love, remember.’

This study found that that "R. officinalis had the ability of improving cognitive outcomes in normal as well as cognitively impaired animals. Results were robust across species, type of extract, treatment duration, and type of memory.   The cognitive benefits provided by R. officinalis and its mechanisms of action are in synchrony with the fundamental pathophysiology of cognitive deficit and the herb could be a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease."

Another study showed "for the first time that performance on cognitive tasks is significantly related to concentration of absorbed 1,8-cineole following exposure to rosemary aroma, with improved performance at higher concentrations."

The BBC wrote that there are compounds in rosemary oil that may be responsible for changes in memory performance. One of them is called 1,8-cineole - as well as smelling wonderful (if you like that sort of thing) it may act in the same way as the drugs licensed to treat dementia, causing an increase in a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.

More links

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344352064_Properties_and_use_of_rosemary_Rosmarinus_officinalis_L

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10641130/

 

 

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