Uwieńczy skroń, oczyści krew, ochroni przed piorunem. O wawrzynie poetyckim, magicznym i skutecznym

Laurel bay (Laurus nobilis) is a plant with a wide range of usage and interesting symbolism. It was Apollo’s favorite plant, and its leaves and stems were used to foretell the future. It was used to make sedative drops and aromatic oil. Bay leaves are considered, also in Polish cuisine, as an important spice, enhancing the taste of various dishes. From the Latin name of the shrub comes the names Laura, made famous by Petrarch, as well as Lawrence (Laurentius), and the Latin laureatus (from the act of crowning the winner in a competition with a laurel), exists in Polish as “laureate”, although laurel wreaths are no longer woven. Laurel has also been a literary and mythological hero, and figures in the repertoire of fixed phraseological compounds. The plant is therefore a multidisciplinary ‘phenomenon’ and will be treated as such here.