Newsgroups: alt.drugs
From: [M LIEBERMANN] at [BIONIC.zer.de] (Martin Liebermann)
Subject: Re: psilocybe in european folklore
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 1994 23:55:00 +0100
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Hello Chris,

in your previous post you talked about the lack of hints in european
mythology on psilocybe mushrooms. I've wondered on that strange fact quite
often. I've looked up severeal books, but I found no hints...

However, here are some suggestions:

- there's a dolmen somwhere in southern England or Wales that is shaped
  like a mushroom

- another name for psilocybe mushrooms in England (or Scotland) is
  "fairy caps"

- I've read the brewing of mead (the germanic equivalent to soma) was
  done with mushrooms (which ones not specified). That would explain the
  more-than-alcohol qualities associated to mead

- in an old german collection of proverbs it's mentioned that "she's
  eaten mushrooms" means "she's talking a lot". They also quote:
  "Den Weibern ist der Schleyer auch darzu gegeben, damit sie das Maul
  verbinden müssten, denn sie haben viel Pültze gessen."
  (To women, the veil is also given to tie their mouth, because they have
  eaten many mushrooms)

Well, all this (exept the "fairy caps") can't be related directly to
psilocybe semilanceata. However, I suggest that many fairytales about
elves, dwarfs, fairies, strange subterranean palaces glittering with
jewels etc. could be rooted to experiences with "magic mushrooms".

But the trace seems to be lost...

I'd be *very* interested to get any more information on this!

Greetings from Germany

Martin Liebermann