In the French Revolutionary Calendar today is Fenouil (Day of Fennel). 10 things you didn’t know about fennel:
The word fennel comes from an old French word, "fenoil" which in turn came from Latin faeniculum, meaning “hay”.
The Latin name for fennel is Foeniculum vulgare, and it’s related to anise, dill and Carrots.
The ancient Greeks and Romans used it as medicine, food, and insect repellent. Fennel tea was believed to give courage to warriors before battle.
It has a place in Greek myths, too, namely the story of Prometheus, who brought Fire to Earth from Mount Olympus. He stole a seed of fire and hid it inside a stalk of fennel. Seeing as carrying fennel stalks around in Mount Olympus wasn’t seen as suspicious, Prometheus could sneak the fire out easily. To this day, a fennel stalk is still used in the Greek islands for carrying light.
The Greek name for fennel is marathon, so the place of the famous battle of Marathon literally means a plain with fennel.
It is a great source of fibre, Vitamin C, Potassium, and manganese.
In China, it was used to treat Snake bite. It has also been used as medicine for digestive problems. The Emperor Charlemange believed in its medicinal properties to the extent that he made it law that imperial farms and monasteries should all grow it so that the medicine would be available to everyone.
The town of Funchal in Madeira is named for the wild fennel that grew there. The Portuguese word for fennel is funcho.
Florence fennel is one of the three main herbs used in the preparation of Absinthe.
During medieval times, Europeans used to hang it from doorways to keep out evil spirits.
The first in a new series! It has invading aliens, gladiator-style contests, rivalry and romance.
The six richest people in Britain decide to hold a contest to settle the question of which of them is most successful. It will be a gladiator style contest with each entrant fielding a team of ten super-powered combatants. Entrepreneur Llew Powell sets out to put together his team, which includes his former lover, an employee of his company with a fascinating hobby, two refugees from another dimension (a lonely giant and a drunken sailor), two sisters bound together by a promise, a diminutive doctor, a former Tibetan monk initiate and two androids with a history. As the team train together, alliances form, friendships and more develop, while others find the past is not easy to leave behind.
Meanwhile, a ruthless race of aliens has its eyes on the Earth. Already abducting and enslaving humans, they work towards the final invasion which would destroy life on Earth as we know it. Powell’s group, Combat Team Alpha, stumble upon one of the wormholes the aliens use to travel to Earth and witness for themselves the horrors in store if the aliens aren’t stopped. Barely escaping with their lives, they realise there are more important things to worry about than a fighting competition.
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