Historical Significance of Monkshood in Regency Era (1795-1837)

Monkshood (Aconitum Napellus) is a beautiful and heavy-looking flower that was noteworthy in the Regency Era. This article will describe what Monkshood is, how it got its name and the historical significance of monkshood in the Regency era. Monkshood can be a deadly poison if ingested. We’ll also discuss monkshood poisoning and its symptoms. If you plan to include this flower in your novel or write about the flowers in a bouquet, you might need to familiarize yourself with this plant. However, this article is not for medical purposes and should not be taken as medical advice. It is simply to explore the historical significants of the Monkshood in the Regency era from 1795 to 1837. 

What is Monkshood? (Aconitum Napellus)

Monkshood is a poisonous plant that should never be picked without wearing protective gloves. You should also avoid getting the juices on your skin if you cut the flower. This plant’s roots, leaves, seeds, and flowers are all poisonous. 

Even if you do not eat or touch it with your hands, aconitine can be absorbed through other parts of the skin and cause severe respiratory and cardiac problems.

Monkshood is also known as wolfsbane, aconite, or blue rocket. It is a perennial flowering herbaceous plant native to Europe and Asia but now found throughout the temperate zone in many parts of North America as well.

What is Monkshood Poisoning Like?

Monkshood poisoning is like a nasty bout of food poisoning or over-consumption of alcohol. The onset of symptoms occurs within minutes to a few hours after swallowing, and they can include:

• Severe nausea and vomiting
• Slow or fast heart rate
• Numbness and tingling in the hands or feet (peripheral neuropathy)
• Respiratory paralysis

Monkshood can kill animals or people who ingest or absorb it through their skin. However, accidental Monkshood poisoning is rare. 

What Does Monkshood Look Like?

Monkshood is a perennial plant that grows to 12-18 inches tall with dark green leaves and purple flowers. The flower stalk can be as long as 60 inches, with the individual blooms being 3-4 inches across. They usually have 2 petals and 2 sepals, but sometimes they may have just one or three petals instead. 

The seeds of Monkshood are white, oval berries that are about 1/2 inch long each.

Monkshood has been used for centuries in bouquets and floral arrangements because of its striking color combination when paired with other flowers or plants. It is also planted in gardens for its big, bold statement and vibrant colors. In a bouquet, want to use Monkshood sparingly, so you don’t take away from your other flowers’ beauty. It’s best suited for bouquets where you want an accent color rather than the main attraction. 

History of Monkshood

Monkshood is a perennial plant that is native to the Northern Hemisphere. It has been cultivated in many places, including Europe and Asia. The species was commonly known as ‘wolfsbane’ or ‘devils helmet’ but also went by other names such as aconite, blue rocket, and of course, Monkshood.

In the nineteenth century, Monkshood was a common symbol of death. It was also often used in funeral wreaths and bouquets. By the Victorian era, Monkshood was widely associated with poison and war.

As well as being poisonous to humans, wolves were also poisoned with an extract from this European plant. In fact, by 1760, wolves were driven to extinction in England. This eradication of the wolf population was due to the destruction of their habitat and bounty programs that paid hunters to get rid of them. 

It is rumored that Monkshood was also used as a component in witches’ brews (a mixture of herbs used for magical purposes). However, this was a little before the Regency era, as “witches” were also hunted to extinction by 1750. Between 1484 and 1750, it is rumored that over 200,000 witches were killed in Europe. 

Ancient Romans supposedly also used Monkshood as a form of execution. They would tie the prisoner down and burn the leaves over them so they would be slowly poisoned by their own blood poisoning – dying within two hours! 

Symbolism of Monkshood

In literature and art, Monkshood has been used to symbolize despair, grief, mourning, poison, and war.

According to the June 1819 issue of La Belle Assemblée, a popular British Women’s magazine, Monkshood was considered a sign of stupidity. If plants had significant meaning in one’s life or told something about those around you, then Monkshood was an emblem of stupidly, like a bad omen.

It was also used as a French slang term of the day to say “a bundle of monkshood” when referring to a situation or person who was not very bright.

You can view the full article about the significance of flowers in the Regency era in this magazine snipping from Le Belle Assemblée: Or, Court and Fashionable Magazine!

Putting Monkshood in Your Regency Romance Novel

Putting Monkshood in your romance novel is a great way to add historical accuracy and some tension to your story. Adding it as part of your bouquet would make it even more period-appropriate. But how do you use it in fiction? Well, commonly, flowers are woven into fiction during courtship settings. However, poisonous flowers may want to be avoided. You could weave this one in during funerals or mourning wreaths on doors. 

The most common poison during the Regency Era was arsenic, which was commonly added to food and drink; however, there were plenty of other toxins that could be used by an antagonist or villain in this period. Monkshood (Aconitum napellus) is also known as wolfsbane, devil’s helmet, leopard’s bane, queen of all poisons, and blue rocket. You could use this flower as your poison of choice within your Regency romance novel. 

Sadly, Monkshood was also called women’s bane because legend has it that only women were able to use this herb for medicinal purposes due to its poisonous nature. But it also was used to kill women. 

In the Regency era, poisoning was a common enough murder because it was a way for men to get rid of unwanted wives where the divorce was tough to come by and rare in the culture. 

Depending upon the circumstance, someone in the Regency era could also blame death by poisoning on an accident because they did not have the medical testing we do today. But how common was it? 

Well, there is a murder trial that lasted three days for a commoner in 1821 who was found to be poisoned and strangled by her husband. The husband had fallen in love with someone else and wanted out of the marriage. Mary Biggadike was 20 years old at the time of her death and was married for almost three years. She had two children. One died shortly after it was born. However, she also had a healthy son. The boy went on to live a full life, though his father was executed for the murder of his mother. 

So, you could have Monkshood take on a very dark connotation in your romance novel. However, you could make it more light-hearted and pull from its symbolic meaning of “stupidity.” You could use the slang or make up your own storyline surrounding this emblem. 

Historical Significance of Monkshood in the Regency Era

Monkshoods remain a popular garden flower in modern Britain and its native region, the cool temperate regions of Europe and Asia. They are particularly associated with gardens situated in the mountainous parts of Spain. In England, Monkshoods are most commonly grown as ornamental flowers by amateur gardeners. Incorporating flowers into your writing adds another layer of historical significance while keeping it simple. If you are new to Regency-era writing, then check out the five things you must put into your regency romance!

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