Mandrake

The Mandrake in Ancient Egypt

**Egyptian Name:**

//Rrmt// or //Reremt//

Imported sometime during the New Kingdom, the Mandrake was found frequently on Egyptian ornaments and was seen at banquets and festivals. Beads in the shape of the yellow mandrake fruit were popular in jewelry. F ormal bouquets seem to have been composed of mandrake, poppy, and cornflower.

The plant was linked with the dead - in the tomb of 19th Dynasty Senedjem there is a depiction of Osiris, whose crown seems to be topped by a mandrake. Mandrake fruits formed part of a garland found on the mummy of Tutankhamen.

The mandrake was also used for its medicinal qualities. The leaves were were applied externally to tumors, and the roots were used as a painkiller, narcotic, and aphrodisiac.

The Flowers of Ancient Egypt