Gathering old wives tales

Put fresh Horse Chestnuts around windows and doors to keep spiders from coming in for winter

 

Not sure what the widows would have to say about being surrounded by horse chestnuts.

 

Look again I did say windows

 

Horse chestnuts keep widows away? So that's where I've been going wrong I'll have to tidy away my champion conker collection.

 

Surprisingly I have just read a scientific article about this horse chestnut thing a couple of days ago and it does not work. Spiders were found to climb over them. Funny what people are paid to do.

 

Some interesting myths on here but why are they called Old Wives Tales ? I'm willing to bet that some were invented by Old Husbands too .
Garlic was often said to be a deterrent against "evil". Didn't work for me altho I never actually tried chewing raw garlic and then breathing over the cause of the trouble

 

That was ages ago.
In 2010, pupils from Roselyon Primary School won an award from the Royal Society of Chemistry for conducting their own investigation, which showed spiders are not bothered by conkers. A 2018 study also found that while some spiders may avoid chestnuts, the effect is not significant enough to be a reliable deterrent.

 

They may have been, but while every neighbourhood had a Wise Woman to consult about things like spiders and such like. Very few had a Wise Man for such consultation.
Also the typical male response to such questions was along the lines of "don't bother me I'm busy" or "go away silly woman". And when was a man around the house enough to notice things like spiders avoiding conkers.

 

my mom used to do this lol..it didnt work !

 

basil is one of the herbs symbolising love. At one time young girls would place a pot of basil on their window sill to show that suitors would be welcome.

According to my folklore book, basil will grow well only by a good looking lady lol.

 

'a pinch of yarrow, wrapped up in a piece of flannel and placed under the pillow at bedtime, was supposed to bring a vision of a future husband or wife lol

 

Right I grow excellent basil every year and I grow really good rosemary so what does that make my gender? Note I've never ever been a good looking anything.

 

according to my book, Henry the VII ruled that hops should not be added to beer as they were believed to be 'wicked weeds that should spoil the taste of the drink and endanger the people'

 

my book says, basil has in legends been connected to curses the Romans were convinced of it' contrariness' since it was said they trod the ground under foot with curses after they planted the seed, calling on the gods to make sure it did not florishes ! So my question, what happened to the beauiful women who grew it lol

 

The Romans were obviously a bit stupid if they sowed Basil and then decided it was an evil plant. Perhaps Basil was grown along what we now know as Hadrians Wall ...... the women of Scotland ( both wise and beautiful ) knew what was what
Saying that, Basil is one of the easiest plants to grow - even a man can manage it as @NigelJ has proved.