Hittite
Calendula officinalis
Calendula · Pot marigold · Ringelblume · Aynısefa
The healing flower — recorded in Hittite plant tablets, still cultivated along the Black Sea today.
Calendula is the gold of the Anatolian apothecary. Hittite herbalists prescribed it; the Black Sea hinterland still grows it. Its old Turkic name carries the colour: altın — gold.
On the skin, calendula is the gentle healer — soothing, restorative, calming inflammation. The Anatolian apothecary has kept it close for this reason: a flower for the body asking quietly to be calmed.
Properties: skin-restoring, anti-inflammatory, mild. Traditional uses: salves, oils, baths, post-sun and post-exertion balms.
A fuller reading of this plant — etymology, documentation, ritual, the aktar tradition, regional specificity — will follow in time. The Journal carries one long-form piece each month; this plant will receive its own entry in the editorial rhythm.
A monthly letter follows on this plant — subscribe in the footer.