ALOE VERA

ALOE VERA

LATIN NAME: ALOE VERA

HOUSEHOLD: ARABIAN PENINSULA AND WEST AFRICA

Blood of the Gods

The name “Aloe Vera” is derived from the Arabic words “Alloeh” meaning “Shining Bitter Substance” and the Latin words “Vera” meaning “Truth”.

The ancient Egyptians and Chinese were among the first civilizations to recognize and apply the medicinal value of Aloe Vera. Both communities used the plant to treat wounds, burns and reduce fever. In one old story, it is said that Alexander the Great conquered Socotra, an island off the coast of Africa, in order to obtain more Aloe Vera for soldiers wounded in battle.

Although information on its methods of use dates back to earlier times, the oldest record that can be considered a written medical document is found in the Ancient Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, thought to have been written in 1550 BC. This document is currently in the library of the University of Leipzig, Germany. In this medical manuscript, which was purchased and studied in Luxor in 1873 by the German Egyptologist George Maurice Ebers and announced to the world in 1874, it is written that among the 700 prescriptions containing information and treatment methods on various diseases, Aloe Vera is the plant of eternity that helps in reaching eternal life both spiritually and physically by stopping the physical decomposition process related to its effect on mummification. It is known from historical records that the liquid between the leaves of the Aloe Vera plant, called the "Blood of the Gods" in Ancient Egypt, was injected into the wombs of queens with the belief that it would give immortality to the newly born pharaohs, and that it was also the most important part of the daily care cures of Cleopatra and Pharaoh Akhenaton's wife Nefertiti.

The Aloe plant, different species of which grow in almost every part of the world with suitable climatic conditions, has been a part of both treatments and fantastic beliefs in all independent geographies.

In South American folklore, it is believed that the essence of the Aloe plant mixed into the bath water of bad-natured people cleanses the evil inside that person.

In the regions where it grows in Africa, it is kept in kitchens and workplaces because it is believed that a supernatural power in it prevents accidents.

In Himalayan folklore, the Aloe plant, which is both used as a medicine and believed to bring luck, is defined as the “God of Medicinal Plants”.

In Ayurveda, the word “Kumari”, meaning a beautiful young girl, is used for the Aloe plant, and all women are called the most perfect plant to use for beauty and health throughout their lives.

North American natives, on the other hand, accepted the Aloe Vera plant as a part of their culture as the “Mysterious Plant - Medicine Plant - Burn Plant”. Since they believed that the plant’s health and moisturizing properties came directly from heaven, they also called it the “Staff of Heaven”.