Four Thieves Vinegar
Four Thieves Vinegar (sometimes referred to as Vinaigre des Quatre Voleurs[1]) is a concoction of vinegar (either from red wine, white wine, cider, or distilled white) infused with herbs, spices or garlic that was believed to protect users from the plague. The recipe for this vinegar has almost as many variations as its legend.
[edit] History
Vinegar has been used to fight plague since the Middle Ages,[2] and herbal vinegars have been used as medicine since the time of Hippocrates.[3]
Early recipes for the concoction specifically known as Four Thieves Vinegar sometimes employ a different number of thieves, and in the 18th century the mixture was sometimes just called "Thieves Vinegar" or in at least one instance, "Three Thieves Vinegar." In Italy a mixture called "Seven Thieves Vinegar" is sold as a smelling salt, though its ingredients appear to be the same as in Four Thieves mixtures.[4]
Modern day versions of Four Thieves Vinegar include various herbs that typically include sage, lavender, thyme, and rosemary, along with garlic. Additional herbs sometimes include rue, mint, and wormwood. It has become traditional to use four herbs in the recipe—one for each thief, though earlier recipes often have a dozen herbs or more. It is still sold in Provence. It is also used by modern practitioners of witchcraft to ward off the spells of other witches, or to enhance spells that call for vinegar.
[edit] Mythology
The usual story declares that a group of thieves during a European plague outbreak were robbing the dead or the sick. When they were caught, they offered to exchange their secret recipe, which had allowed them to commit the robberies without catching the disease, in exchange for leniency. Another version says that the thieves had already been caught before the outbreak and their sentence had been to bury dead plague victims; to survive this punishment, they created the vinegar. The city in which this happened is usually said to be Marseille or Toulouse, and the time period can be given as anywhere between the 14th and 18th century depending on the storyteller.
One interesting twist says that "Four Thieves Vinegar" is simply a corruption of the original "Forthave's Vinegar," a popular concoction created by an enterprising fellow by the name of Richard Forthave.[5] Another source, Abregé de tout la médecine practique (published in 1741), seems to attribute its creation to George Bates, though Bates' own published recipe for antipestilential vinegar in his Pharmacopoeia Bateana does not specifically use the name 'thieves' or 'four thieves.'[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Illes, Judika (2008). Magic When You Need It. Weiser Books. p. 138. ISBN 9781578634194
- ^ http://www.thenaturaloptions.com/natural-home/natural-cleaning/history-of-vinegar
- ^ http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/vinegar-history.html
- ^ http://www.cooker.net/doc/3A7B645D81D2CFB5C12572EE004D745A
- ^ "Secret of Thieves" website provides a detailed account of the legend of Four Thieves Vinegar
- ^ http://spellcasters-source.blogspot.com/2010/06/four-thieves-vinegar.html
- http://www.bulkherbstore.com/The-Vinegar-Of-The-Four-Thieves
- http://www.kitchendoctor.com/essays/four_thieves.php
- http://nourishedkitchen.com/four-thieves-vinegar-recipe/
- Felix, Talia (2010). The Conjure Cookbook. Createspace. p. 32. ISBN 9781450573177. http://books.google.com/books?id=scO-v-0bP6gC&lpg=PA31&dq=%22three%20thieves%20vinegar%22&lr&pg=PA32#v=onepage&q=%22three%20thieves%20vinegar%22&f=false.
- Kintzios, Spiridon E. (2000). Sage: The Genus Salvia. CRC Press. p. 10. ISBN 9789058230058.
- Renoux, Victoria (2005). For the Love of Garlic. Square One Publishers, Inc.. p. 19. ISBN 9780757000874. http://books.google.com/books?id=9zt4nhLB_NAC&pg=PA19.
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