Who was Osmund?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
August 23, 2002
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
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No one is certain of the derivation of the botanical name, Osmunda. It appears the use of royal fern (Osmunda regalis Linnaeus) to treat wounds and deep bruises dates from at least the time of the Jutes, Angles, and Saxons.
These Germanic peoples settled in Britain around 446 CE and brought along their belief in the Teutonic gods. According to Gray's Manual of Botany (1950), royal fern was "Named, according to some writers, for Osmunder, the Saxon equivalent
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A graceful cascading fern that reaches up to a majestic 7' and spreads 5' wide. A great solitary plant that needs plenty of space. In spring it appears chartreuse, then turns emerald green and finally bright yellow in fall. Zone 3 to 9. Osmunda regalis
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of the god Thor."
The Teutonic religion was divided; the noble class worshipped Wodin (Odin), the independent warrior tribes worshipped Donar (Thor). Thor was "the very apotheosis of the warrior, rude, simple, and noble, always ready to face combat...a hero without fear...the favorite god of many tribes...fearless... invincible...whose protection one hoped to obtain." (Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, 1989) Osmund or Osmunder is thought the Saxon (Old English) name for god (os) protector (mund).
Mrs. M. Grieve (A Modern Herbal, 1931) offers another possibly taken from Latin, "Others have traced its derivation for os (a bone), and mundare (to cleanse), in reference to the medicinal uses of the Fern." Just as the royal fern grows in or near water, the name Osmund is linked to legends about water.
Mrs. Grieve related one of the legends, "...its old English name is Osmund the Waterman...There is a legend that the wife and daughter of Osmund, a waterman of Loch Tyne, took refuge among the Osmundes during an invasion of the Danes." Whether this legend actually dates to the Viking invasion of 789 CE or a later invasion is not known.
As Christianity spread across Europe, the royal fern became known as St. Christopher's herb. The Christopher legend states the saint carried travelers safely over a river including the Christ-child as a test of faith. St. Christopher is the patron saint of watermen, seafarers, and boatmen, and hence, all travelers.
Trevena Cross Nurseries in the U.K. has a wonderful photograph demonstrating large growth of the beautiful Osmunda regalis. To view the photograph, click on the link:
http://www.trevenacross.co.uk/shop/pics.asp?plantid=99
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
How was Osmund the waterman used? Herbal Folklore - August 19, 2002
What fern loves arsenic? Weird Plants - November 15, 2001
Give this fern a brake What's in a Name? - January 17, 2003
What fern only looks like it's dead? Weird Plants - August 9, 2001
Macho Fern (Nephrolepis biserrata) Plant of the Week - March 13, 2006
Wart Fern (Phymatosorus scolopendria) Plant of the Week - February 13, 2006
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