Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare

Historical tradition – not medical advice, and no health or healing claims. more

Historical botanical drawing: Fennel — Fennel

Tradition (Hildegard's writings)

In Hildegard's tradition, fennel was associated with digestion and the heart.

Ingredients

The ripe fruits, commonly called fennel seed, and the fresh herb.

Botanical background

Fennel belongs to the carrot family (Apiaceae) and grows anywhere from about half a metre to two metres tall; it is easily told by its thread-fine, two- to three-times pinnate leaves and by its compound umbels of many small yellow flowers. What is gathered are chiefly the ripe fruits, sold as fennel seed, and alongside them the green herb. Their essential oil carries above all the sweet-tasting anethole, together with the more bitter, camphor-like fenchone and further terpenes; in 2009 fennel was named medicinal plant of the year in Germany. Hildegard of Bingen sets it down in the first book of the Physica as pleasantly warm and neither dry nor cold, notes that it does a person no harm even eaten raw and makes them cheerful, and commends the seed in particular as an addition to other herb mixtures. Because the oil in the seed is volatile, freshly crushed material is generally held to be the better choice.

Sources & references

Strehlow, Wighard: Die Hildegard-Naturapotheke. Heilmittel und Rezepte von A bis Z. Knaur Verlag 2014.
Strehlow, Wighard: Der Hildegard-Kompass. Die wichtigsten Heilmittel und Anwendungen. Knaur Verlag 2014.
Hildegard von Bingen: Heilsame Schöpfung. Die natürliche Wirkkraft der Dinge (Physica). Hrsg. von der Abtei St. Hildegard, Eibingen. Beuroner Kunstverlag 2012 (4. Auflage 2024). Cap. 1-66.
Heepen, Günther H.: Das Heilwissen der Hildegard von Bingen. Gräfe und Unzer Verlag 2015.

The text of this entry is an independent summary in our own words, based on the works listed – not a verbatim reproduction. The page and chapter references document where the content comes from. A superscript number on a section heading points to the work that section follows. All rights to the original works remain with their authors and publishers.

More preparations using Fennel

Fennel and Dill Herbs Fennel and Galangal Tablets Fennel Drink (“Heart Juice”) Fennel Powder Blend Fennel Tablets

Historical tradition. The above describes how this preparation was recorded and used in the tradition of Hildegard of Bingen. This is cultural-historical information, not medical advice and not a health or healing claim, and it is no substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. If you have health complaints, please consult your doctor or pharmacy.

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