 Fantasy: November 07, 2007 Issue [#2047] |
  Fantasy
This week: Edited by: Feywriter  
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"An ounce of Yarrow sewed up in flannel and placed under the pillow before going to bed, having repeated the following words, brought a vision of the future husband or wife:
'Thou pretty herb of Venus' tree,
Thy true name it is Yarrow;
Now who my bosom friend must be,
Pray tell thou me to-morrow.'"
~ Halliwell's Popular Rhymes, etc.
“Much Virtue in Herbs, little in Men.”
~ Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Poor Richard's Almanac
"There's fennel for you, and columbines; there's rue for you; and here's some for me; we may call it herb of grace o'Sundays."
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
The world needs fantasy. It can be an escape from daily life, a means for finding the hero within, a landscape to inspire the imagination. Enter the world of Fantasy. In my newsletters you can expect thorough looks at different aspects of fantasy writing, and a publisher spotlight.
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In medieval times, whether in Europe, China, or elsewhere, the most common medicine came in the form of herbs. Though what was believed to work back then doesn't always hold up to modern research. An herbalist is a professional trained in herbalism (the use of herbs). A midwife, a woman who cares for pregnant women from prenatal stage through birth, would often use herbs in her craft. An apothecary is one that prepares and sells drugs and medicines, similar to a modern pharmacist.
Medieval folklore vs current research
Folklore surrounds herb lore. Angelica fennel and basil were said to protect against witches, and garlic would of course keep werewolves and vampires away. In some cultures, basil is associated with scorpions; they feared that scorpions would grow under pots of basil and that smelling the aroma would actually cause scorpions to grow in the brain. Yet in Italy, suitors signaled their love by courting with a sprig of basil in their hair.
Sage was considered the cure-all of medieval times, believed to cure anything from snake bite to mental illness. In truth, it doesn't help with all problems, but it does have many positive properties. It reduces excessive perspiration, helps digestive problems, sore throats, premenstrual cramps, and high blood sugar. It also helps prevent depletion of a neurotransmitter in the brain that is crucial to brain function and combined with ginkgo, biloba, and rosemary may help prevent or slow Alzheimer's.
Fantasy Purposes
In your own world-building, you can choose to use existing herbs, or create your own. I prefer a mixture. I'll use common herbs in many cases, but then make one up if I can't find one that has the properties I need. You can use the unproven folklore for your inspiration, or go with the proven properties. The most important part, at least in a fantasy or medieval set world, is that those treating the sick believe in the treatment, not whether that treatment is medically sound.
Whether using real herbs or invented, you'll want to make note of where the plant grows, what it looks like, and its medical properties. I keep a chart that lists the herbs I mention in my book along with their descriptive notes. There are many herb guides in both book and online form. A search for 'herbs' will come up with a good long list. If you're going the realistic approach, you will want to check the online pages to make sure it's not a role-player's or writer's list of herbs in their own created worlds.
Definitions
When thinking of herbal remedies, the first thing that comes to mind is herbal tea. But there are many different treatments for plants and other medicine. The following definitions were culled from their entries on Wikipedia.
An ointment is a viscous semisolid preparation used topically on a variety of body surfaces. An ointment may or may not be medicated.
A poultice is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. Poultice should generally not be applied over an open wound, as it may slow the healing process or cause infection.
An herbal tea, tisane, or ptisan is an herbal infusion not made from the leaves of the tea bush. (Varieties of "real" tea include black, oolong, green, yellow, and white tea.) Tisanes can be made with fresh or dried flowers, leaves, seeds or roots, generally by pouring boiling water over the plant parts and letting them steep for a few minutes. Seeds and roots can also be boiled on a stove. The tisane is then strained, sweetened if so desired, and served.
A potion is a drinkable medicine or poison. Usually related to magic.
A tincture is an alcoholic extract (e.g. of an herb) or solution of a nonvolatile substance.
An infusion is a method of preparing herbs in which 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb or 2 to 4 fresh herbs (flowers and berries are substitutable) is "infused" or placed in oil or boiling water, and then, after about ten minutes, is strained. Waiting too long before straining results in bitter tasting herbs. The herb/botanical is then removed from the oil and the oil is used in the many formulas that call for short-term infused oils.
When looking at descriptions of herbs, the following terms from an herbal glossary may help:
Antiseptic: This herb combats and neutralizes pathogenic bacteria and prevents infection
Astringent: This herb has a constricting or binding effect, for example: one that checks hemorrhages or secretions by coagulation of proteins on a soft surface
Hemostatic: This herb stop bleeding
Parasiticide: This herb kills parasites and worms
Tonic: This herb restores, nourishes, and supports the entire body; it exerts a gently strengthening effect on the body
To use herbs effectively in your fiction, you'll want to do your own research to decide which ones fit your purpose. Even with a world where all the herbs of your creation, it would benefit you to be familiar with the terms I've mentioned.
** Image ID #1092573 Unavailable **
 Publisher Spotlight
Publisher: Sputnik57
Location: Canada
Website: http://sputnik57.ca/
About: The new science fiction, fantasy and horror imprint with the focus on the female. Print and e-book form are published simultaneously.
Guidelines: They are looking for a broad spectrum of short stories and novels that feature a strong female protagonist.
 Author must be 18 or older.
 Open to all subgenres/themes within speculative fiction (especially with a humorous slant).
 No previously published or simultaneous submissions.
 Send only one story at a time to rocketdog57ATgmailDOTcom, as an attachment. (Entire short story or first three chapters of completed novel.)
 Include your name, contact details, title, genre, and length at beginning of email. No cover letter or synopsis required with initial submission. Short story submission should also include a short bio of 50-100 words.
"We try to respond to all submissions within one week. If you have not received a reply within a month then please email the Editor."
No submissions read Dec. 1 through Jan. 15.
Always remember to read the guidelines (http://sputnik57.ca/?page_id=3) for more info and to check for updates.
Length: short stories between 1,000 and 15,000 words; novels between 55,000 to 100,000 words.
Payscale: advance and royalties for novels. specifics not listed on website
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Reader Commentsfrom my last newsletter, "Fantasy Newsletter (September 12, 2007)" .
From andromeda :
I have been thinking about drawing maps for my stories, but I'm not very good at it. Thanks for the tip on distance though.
From SilverGryphon :
Thank you! Having average speeds in one place is hard to find for reference.
A note though: Thoroughbreds WERE bred for speed. They are built as runners: e.g. the long legs, deep chest. Their ancestors (Barbs, Arabians) are much better for the distance running. (Hidalgo)
Quarter Horses were bred as roping horses, as well as their namesake "quarter mile sprints".
Plus, assuming that this is an alternative world fantasy, none of these breeds are going to be in existence. You could just say that a sprinter horse can get up to 40 or so mph for a short time, but they're only going to be able to keep that up for about an hour at most. Then they are going to have to drop to a walk for a while before starting again unless you want to kill them. Your best bet is a steady distance horse.
~SilverGryphon
Thanks for the clarification. Goes to show that research can be faulty. I agree that a steady distance horse would be best in most conditions.
From Theino :
This is information is invaluable, thanks!!
From emerin-liseli :
Hi,
Thank you so much for highlighting my novel! What an unexpected but pleasant surprise!
-Em
P.S. The newsletter was great, too. I've never considered distance and travel methods.
From Ladyoz :
Thank you for a fantastic newsletter - I love this travel information as I'm always trying to plot how far my characters can travel on their horses. This is a great help!
This newsletter ["Fantasy Newsletter (November 1, 2006)" ] was issued before I joined W.com, so thank you for the link to it. I just purchased Campaign Cartographer 3, after reading your suggestion here and then doing some research on the product. I love fooling with maps, and I'm going to have a ball with this program. Thanks again!
From Rohen: oh for a day to write :
Thanks for the great info on travel. Distance and time is always a pain for me, but your tips and measurements will definitely help. Now I just have to figure out how to make those long journeys less boring. :)
From Joshiahis :
Great tip. I have a scaled map, but I always thought of travel in straight lines and I never put that much effort into calculating travel. So, now that I have a better method of tracking travel, what do you do when your characters are traveling along their merry way and absolutely nothing happens? You can't write about walking and sleeping and eating?
To answer both Joshiahis and Rohen: oh for a day to write , writing about the actual journey is a weakness of mine as well. What I've learned so far is to only show what is necessary, highlight important or entertaining conversations and events, and skip the boring parts. If nothing happens, it's perfectly okay to have a short summary about their journey – one of the few instances when telling is better than showing.
From Seisa-sleepingcatbooks.com  :
Great newsletter, Emerald Enchantress! I agree that readers will pick up on any inconsistencies/impossibilities in travel sequences. I've written four chapters of a novel set in ancient Greece, and I've tried to be careful to make the travel reasonable. I did my own research about average number of miles a human can walk per day, the distances between points he's covering, etc. Later on, they will be traveling by boat, so I had to research the type of boat used at that time, and details about its speed and seaworthiness. Thanks for providing some of this data in your newsletter for easy access in the future!
You're welcome! I'm glad so many readers found it helpful.
Thank you for all the comments. Remember to leave feedback or ideas for future newsletters.
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