My friend, Isabel, gave me a start of mint from her garden because I love mint.
I love to munch on mint or add it to my iced tea. Smelling it makes me happy. Because I am high on mint, I’m going to tell you a Minty Myth and a share a few minty Odd facts with you.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Greek nymph named Minthes who attracted the attention of Hades, the God of the underworld. Hades was a married God, wed to the beautiful Persephone. However, Persephone had a demanding mother, Demeter, who insisted she spend half the year with her husband, Hades, and the other half with her mother. While Persephone was off visiting mom, Hades decided to engage in a little hanky panky with Naiad Minthe.
Naturally, Persephone found out about the affair between her husband and the water nymph. And so, true to Greek mythological form, the spurned Goddess took revenge on her husband’s mistress. Persephone turned Minthe into an herb that would forever be trampled under people’s feet. To keep people treading on Minthe forever, Persephone gave her a delightful scent and this how mint received its name.
With its hard-to-miss fresh scent, mint was one of the earliest herbs discovered. It has been found on Egyptian tombs dating back to 1000 BC. We can only imagine how long it has been a part of the Chinese pharmacopoeia.* The Romans believed eating mint would make them smart. Royal ambassadors carried mint sprigs in their pockets, hoping the scent would help diffuse angry outbursts. Mint was one of our earliest air fresheners, helping to sweeten the often rank smell of medieval halls.
Recent research conducted at the University of Cincinnati has shown that sniffing mint improves concentration, and several Japanese companies now pipe small amounts through their air conditioning systems to invigorate workers and improve productivity.
Peppermint is one of the oldest and best-tasting home remedies for indigestion. Munching on those after-dinner mints are good for you! Mint is believed to calm, soothe, and refresh the mind. My friend, Cynthia, over at Young Living Oil can tell you all about how to get the most out of peppermint!
Now that we are moving into the season when mice like to move indoors, here is a very useful nugget of information: Mice hate mint! Mint is a mouse deterrent. Grow mint and repel mice.
One final mintion … If someone offers you a breath mint, accept it.
Please thank me for fascinating you in the comment section of Odd, or on Facebook or Twitter! Glad you were in my Odd neighborhood. Feel free to drop by any time. Odd Loves Company and odd loves you and you and you!
Katybeth
*Pharmacopoeia is one of the new words I just adopted from adopt a word and promised to love and use. It means a big book containing all the how-to’s for making different drugs.
Mint resources
I love the taste of mint. Will toss a few sprigs in a glass of water and the water goes into party mode. I also enjoy sticking it in vase’s around my house–makes a great air freshener.
Nice way to spruce up a dull glass of water–with a few sprigs of mint!
Thanks for dropping by Lucy!
I use to think my overgrown mint was pesky. Now I can do nothing but feel sorry for it. I don’t even use but like smell-maybe I will start to use soon.
Thank you for telling me this.
J
Thanks for dropping by Odd Joan. I hope you find many ways to enjoy mint!
Katybeth
so happy to provide ‘mintspiration’ for another Odd post! :)! And glad to see your mint start is thriving (how could it not where it is so loved!). Is that photo from the start I gave you? It’s beautiful — so clear and GREEN! Among its many other uses, it makes a great ‘green’ in cut flower bouquets too!
Mintspiratin? I must find a place to use it. I must.
My mint is not at the level of the picture YET but it is thriving and it is loved.
Isabel you are the Mintspiration beneath my wings!
I never knew the story about Hades! That’s awesome! Thanks for the education this morning!
Now—heading over to your site so I can learn more cool ways to cook with it!
Glad you were in our Odd neighborhood. Thanks for stopping by.
Try & find “Lime MInt”. I just discovered it at a farmstand in Wisconsin and it is just as you imagine. Unbelievable. I agree on all counts about just how fabulous Mint is.
Have never heard of Lime Mint! WIll have to look for it.
Persephone really should have changed Hades into a …. Oh, never mind.
Loved this mintspiration!
Thank you for not going there Cynthia….Glad you dropped by Odd.
Ever smell a mouses breath? Brutal. Not minty fresh at all.
You have been breathed on by a mouse? Did it have bait breath?
Okay, thank you Katybeth. for fascinating me.