Herb Collection

Hero of Lore Seals Wounds with Yarrow

Achilles’ astringent herb

Image by Robert Mertl via Shutterstock

Native to the entire temperate north, humans employ yarrow to clot bleeding. The story goes that Achilles treated his severed tendon in part with a yarrow poultice, and Christendom incorporated this into the story of St. Joseph. Likewise, Navajo use it as a ‘life medicine’ to treat headaches, toothaches…