Fern

Folklore Fact Friday

Next up in our series of Midsummer magical plants is, naturally, the mysterious and ancient fern.

Fern’s magical use is mainly for protection, whether planted by the doorstep or placed in a vase inside the house. Dried fern can be thrown upon hot coals to exorcise evil spirits and drive away snakes, and if burned out of doors, will cause rain to fall. Carried or worn, it will lead you to hidden treasure, and if you break the first fern frond to sprout, good luck will surely follow. If you bite this first frond, you will be guarded from toothache, at least until the following spring. Drinking the sap is said to confer eternal youth. Standing in a spot covered by ferns at midnight will make Puck appear and give you a purse of gold; doing this intentionally is known as “watching the fern”.

The lore that associates the fern with Midsummer is the legend that on the summer solstice, a magical fern will bloom, and whomsoever finds this flower will have all their wishes granted and be blessed with good luck for the rest of their lives. In Lithuania, people will still take a midnight walk in the forest on Midsummer eve in search of this magical flower. Picking the seeds on midsummer could also grant powers, such as invisibility, but they were considered so powerful that picking too many (even by mistake) was said to turn the whole world around for whoever carried them.

Two species of fern have been commonly used in folk medicine. Picking leaves on Midsummer and placing them under the mattress was said to cure rheumatism, and the roots were used in treating internal parasites. One species, known for the sweet flavour of its roots, was used as candy for children and lactating women, and a decoction would cure colds and chest pains.