Basil, which came to Europe from India via the Middle East, is the culinary herb par excellence; its Greek name means ‘king,’ and they believed that it should be harvested only by the king, and then only with a golden sickle.
In India, where its Hindi name, tulsi, means ‘holy’, it is worshipped as sacred to the gods Vishnu and Krishna; it was laid on the bodies of the dead to ensure their admission to Paradise; and many Indians swear oaths in court on sprigs of basil. In Iran, Malaysia and Egypt it is planted on graves.
Legend says basil grew around Christ’s tomb, so in some Greek Orthodox churches is is used to prepare holy water and pots of basil stand on the altar.
In Italy and many southern European countries it was — and still is — a sign of love; when a woman put a pot of basil on the balcony outside her room, she was ready for her lover. In Romania, when a man took a sprig of basil from a woman, he was officially engaged.
Those concerned about a relationship would place two basil leaves on hot coals; if they lie where they are placed and quickly burn to ashes, the future will be harmonious. But if they crackle and fly apart, disaster will be the outcome. A sprig of fresh basil will wither in the hand of a promiscuous partner.
Basil is carried in the pocket or wallet to attract wealth, and new home-owners were given pots of the herb to protect the house and bring good fortune.
The Romans called it basiliescus, believing it would repel the basilisk, a malignant fire-breathing dragon that could kill with a glance. They also believed that basil would only prosper where there was chaos and misrule; they associated it with poverty, hatred and ill luck.
They said that to grow a good crop of basil, one must curse and shout while sowing it. From this arose the French saying semer le basilic (sowing the basil) for ‘raving.’