June 16: Thyme

Every day in the French Revolutionary Calendar was dedicated to a plant, a tool, or a substance. June 16 is dedicated to Thyme.

1. There are more than 100 varieties of thyme. The most common is Thymus vulgaris.
2. Thyme is related to Mint and oregano.
3. Thyme plants are hardy and can survive frosts and mountain climates. Along the Italian Riviera, it is found from sea level up to 800m.
4. The Ancient Egyptians used it as part of the mummification process. In the middle ages, thyme was used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals, as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.
5. The ancient Greeks believed thyme was a source of courage, so they would sprinkle it in their baths and burn it as incense. Medieval ladies believed that, too, and would give knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves, for the same reason.
6. Druids believed thyme could treat depression and ward off negativity. A study in 2013 suggests they may have been right. An active chemical in thyme is carvacrol, which was shown to affect neuron activity in ways that boosted the subjects’ feelings of well-being.
7. It's also an antiseptic, because of another chemical it contains - thymol. Thymol, an antiseptic, was isolated in 1725 by the German apothecary Neuiuiann and is an active ingredient in various commercially produced mouthwashes and hand sanitizers. People of old knew about this, too - oil of thyme was used to medicate bandages.
8. Thyme is good for you. It’s a good source of Copper, fibre, Iron, and manganese, and an excellent source of vitamins C and A. A study found that an extract of thyme was able to significantly reduce heart rate in rats with high blood pressure, and it was also able to lower their cholesterol. Thyme tea is good for coughs and bronchitis.
9. A property which science probably hasn't proved yet is that thyme attracts fairies. If you want fairies at the bottom of your garden, plant beds of thyme. Oberon, the king of the fairies in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, says, “I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,” referring to the bed of thyme in which Titania, the fairy queen, sleeps. A 17th century recipe with thyme as one of the main ingredients claims to enable people to see fairies. It's also said to ward off nightmares if placed under your pillow.
10. There is a genus of fish, the graylings, which smells like thyme - and was given the Latin name Thymallus because of this. However, When the Greeks said that someone “smelled of thyme” it meant that the person was elegant, refined, and stylish, not that they smelled of fish!