the.com/thyme
the ancient herb that embalmed pharaohs and now just sits in your spice rack
means A small-leaved Mediterranean herb in the mint family, used to season food and once valued for its preserving and antiseptic qualities.
from From Greek 'thymon,' tied to the verb 'thyein,' to burn as a sacrifice or to make incense — the herb was prized for its fragrance and burned as offering. It traveled through Latin 'thymum' and Old French into English, picking up its silent 'h' along the way. The link to courage you sometimes hear ('to smell of thyme' meaning to be brave) is later lore rather than the word's true root.
- egyptian use
- Used in mummification for its preservative oils
- battlefield bravery
- Knights wore thyme sprigs to inspire courage
- antiseptic power
- Thymol still disinfects mouthwash and hand sanitizer
- bee magnet
- Honeybees prize thyme nectar above most flowers
- tiny but tough
- Survives rocky Mediterranean cliffs with almost no water
mediterranean thyme — thymus vulgaris, native to southern europe, primary culinary herb in provence, france
lemon thyme — thymus citriodorus, hybrid species cultivated since 18th century, popular in british gardens
creeping thyme — thymus praecox, groundcover native to arctic regions, used in scandinavia since medieval times