HERB - Re: Culpepper and beginning period books

[Gaylin Walli]

Jadwiga asked:
>Suppose we could get a hold of any book we wanted: I think the ideal books
>for the beginner to have would be Dioscorides (not that ANYONE has an
>edition out right now) and Bankes [1525] (ditto). What would you
>recommend?

I don't know that it's that easy to narrow down. Different books for
different purposes. The publishing of printed herbals was fairly
incestuous, if you will, during late period. There's a definite
lineage/tree of sorts you can follow. What you're trying to
accomplish will, to a very great extent, decide which book you
choose.

At one point we listed the fav 5 in our collections and it was very
obvious from that thread that we all had different choices. The
Grete Herball, Gerard's Herball, Macer Floridius, the Agnus Castus,
Turner's Herbal, even Platina's work, Markham's work, information
from Digby, Aristotle, Pliny, and scads of other might be appropriate
for a beginner all depending on what you meant by beginner and what
topic they were beginning in.

*grin*

Can you be a little more specific? I don't mean to make it so difficult,
but I really and truly couldn't just pick one period reference and say
"hey, this is the best beginner's book there is." I'm fairly confident
one single book doesn't exist. I'd love to be proven wrong.

Jasmine
Iasmin de Cordoba, gwalli at infoengine.com

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