Cunning Folk and Their Hidden Herbal Knowledge
20th October 2025
words by the Seed SistAs
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the eerie chant of the three “weird sisters”—eye of newt, toe of frog—is all too familiar. These lines have helped cement the image of witches as sinister figures stirring grotesque brews. But as ‘witchy herbalists’ ourselves, we became curious about these phrases. After a little digging and some reading around the subject, we found some brilliant information. Now, when we hear these words, we hear echoes of a rich, symbolic language used by generations of wise women, midwives, and cunning folk—our predecessors in the art of healing with plants. Even in today’s modern world, many of us working with herbs, especially women, are still affectionately (or occasionally suspiciously) called witches. It’s a term loaded with history. But far from casting spells in dark corners, those witches of old were often community healers—people like us—who used the natural world to support health, nurture life, and protect others.A Coded Language of the Land
In the early modern period, long before medical care was institutionalised, people turned to cunning folk for their everyday health needs. These herbalists and midwives offered everything from pain relief to protection from spiritual harm. Their knowledge, passed down orally, was often wrapped in secrecy—not only to safeguard their craft but also to protect themselves during the growing tide of suspicion and persecution. To outsiders, their language sounded like magic. In reality, it was a form of botanical code—both poetic and practical. Familiar plants were given symbolic names, often based on their appearance or energetic qualities. It was a tradition that veiled knowledge in metaphor, honouring the mystery of plants while guarding recipes from those who might misunderstand—or misuse—them.Decoding the Witches’ Ingredients
The witches in Macbeth famously recite:Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Adder’s fork, and tongue of dog…To many, these sound like the tools of dark sorcery, we recognise something else: the language of coded herbalism. Here’s what these ingredients likely referred to:
- Eye of newt – A name for mustard seeds, used to stimulate circulation and relieve aches. Their size and shape resemble tiny eyes.
Mustard Seeds (close up)
- Toe of frog – Thought to be buttercup (Ranunculus), particularly marsh varieties growing in damp places frequented by frogs. Once used in poultices for rheumatism.
Toe of frog
- Adder’s fork – Likely adder’s tongue fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum), named for its forked “tongue” and used to treat wounds and snake bites.
Adder’s tongue
- Tongue of dog – Refers to hound’s tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), with its soft, hairy leaves, traditionally used for coughs and cuts
- Hounds’ tongue
Plant Power, Practical and Mystical
As practising herbalists, we continue to see plants as more than compounds in a bottle. They’re living beings with character, history, and—yes—a touch of magic. The use of symbolic language was not just about secrecy; it was part of a worldview in which the natural and spiritual realms were intertwined. Take mandrake, for example—a plant also mentioned in Macbeth. We’ve cultivated and worked with mandrake for years. With an eerily human-shaped root and powerful sedative properties, this herb straddles the boundary between the practical and the mythical. Prescribed traditionally for pain relief, muscle spasms, and sleep, mandrake is also steeped in folklore as a protector, fertility charm, and plant of the underworld. For us, mandrake is a teacher—reminding us that some herbs carry both power and mystery, deserving respect on every level.
