Walnut Lore and Legends
According to Roman lore, the gods feasted on walnuts while their lowly subjects subsisted on lesser nuts such as acorns, beechnuts, and chestnuts.Walnuts were thrown to Roman wedding guests by the groom to bring good health, to ward off disease, and increase fertility. Young boys eagerly scrambled for the tossed walnuts, as the groom's gesture indicated his passage into manhood. In Rome, the walnut was thought to enhance fertility, yet in Romania, a bride would place one roasted walnut in her bodice for every year she wished to remain childless.
During the Middle Ages, Europeans believed walnuts would ward off fevers, witchcraft, epileptic fits, the evil eye, and even lightning. The Chinese believe crickets to be a creature of good omen, and would often carry musically-trained crickets in walnut shells covered with intricately-carved patterns.
More about Walnuts and Walnut Recipes:
• Walnut Selection and Storage• Walnut Varieties
• Walnuts and Health
• Walnut History
• Walnut Lore and Legend
• Walnut Recipes
Walnuts Photo © 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Cookbooks
| • | The Walnut Cookbook |
| • | The Totally Nuts Cookbook |
| • | Party Nuts |
| • | Nuts: Sweet and Savory Recipes |
| • | More Cookbooks |
