Abstract
A comprehensive account on the study of fungi in folklore and rituals, from prehistoric times to the present day, was given by Wasson (1968). The study of fungi in folklore, fiction and rituals from prehistoric times to the modern era is called the science of ethnomycology (see also Charaya and Mehrotra in this volume).
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“I have an earache…”
2000 BC: “Here, eat this root.”
AD 1000: “That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.”
AD 1850: “That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.”
AD 1940: “That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.”
AD 1985: “That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.”
AD 2000: “That antibiotic is unnatural. Here, eat this root.“
(New Scientist, 6 September 1997)
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Singh, J. (1999). Ethnomycology and Folk Remedies: Fact and Fiction. In: Singh, J., Aneja, K.R. (eds) From Ethnomycology to Fungal Biotechnology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4815-7_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4815-7_2
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