What Is Woad?

[jason01]

I heard it suggested on a recent TV programme bout the Mary Rose that Copper somehow used in the glue of the English arrow tips (maybe accidentaly) was poisoning French, I think it causes accelerated infection in the wounds somehow. Similarly you wouldnt want to be stabbed by a copper knife. Not that you'd want to be stabbed by a steel or any knife :roll:

Jason

 

[match]

Not sure I'd want to eat woad - its incredibly bitter, and would probably need soaking or boiling first to remove the bitter taste and astringency.

I also have never heard of it being psychoactive in any way - and it is not listed as such in common references.

Also, I don't believe that the blue colour in woad is in any way related to copper sulphate - the blue colour comes from the fermentation of a family of molecules to give Indigo (2 Indoxyl molecules bound together with oxygen) - in woad, Indoxyl is mainly produced from Isatan A, via enzymatic action during fermentation (chemistry hat off again ) Copper (sulphate would be suitable) can be used as a mordant to fix Indigo as a dye, but this would be toxic if used internally or externally in large quantities.

Plants for a Future - Isatis Tinctoria

Chemistry of Indigo Dyes

 

[bambodoggy]

Guys,

I tried to make woad this weekend and all I can say is that whatever I thought woad looked like...clearly it doesn't! Does anyone have a piccy of a woad tree/bush please?

Cheers,

Phil.

 

[match]

This is woad in full flower in its second year:

Before it flowers, it really just looks like it does in the bottom of that picture - a rosette of long thin leaves, rounded at the ends, measuring up to about a foot or so in diameter, and about a foot or so high.

When making woad, it is important to pick the leaves just before flowering, as that way the plant has maximum nutrients and 'energy' and will contain most of the active ingredients necessary (flowering is a big step for a plant, and significantly weakens it).

For information on processing and dyeing with woad, I would recommend the following page:

Woad

 

[bambodoggy]

Hey! Nice one, many thanks....I was most definately not using the right plant....lol...feel a bit daft now! :?: My wife thought I was mad anyway so I won't be helping her theory by telling her I was using the wrong plant!!!!

Many thanks Match...

 

[BorderReiver]

Correct!

Unfortunately, William Wallace was around over 500 years after the celts stopped using woad as warpaint. :?:

:roll:

and before tartan was used.

Still,according to the American movies,the Americans captured the Enigma machine :shock: .

 

[match]

My wife thought I was mad anyway so I won't be helping her theory by telling her I was using the wrong plant!!!!

You got any pics of the plant you WERE using? Might be able to identify it for you, then you could come up with some other use for whatever you created - save getting hassle for your efforts

 

[willie]

Inappropriate comments

 

[bambodoggy]

Many thanks for the offer but my digital camera is knackered at the moment so I can't....

May well take you up on the offer when I get it sorted though....

Cheers......

 

[Not Bob]

Still,according to the American movies,the Americans captured the Enigma machine :shock: .

BorderReiver
Thought this might amuse you:

www.commondreams.org/views/050300-106.htm

 

[Chopper]

And here's me thinking that I had just driven me landy down one :shock:

Silly me ):