For centuries, the fragrance of herbs have been captured in pillows and sweet bags to purify and scent the home. They were known by European mothers anxious to lure their offspring into tranquil sleep, by those seeking relief from headache or depression, and by the solitary who yearned to find true love. Fragrant herbs were sewn into pillows and placed at the head of the bed or between the linens. Often, their scent would be carried from open doorways and windows where they were carefully hung. During medieval times, herbal pillows and sachets were actually more of a necessity than mere fanciful decorations. They were actually designed to mask the consequences of poor sanitary conditions of the time, when fresh air was considered potentially dangerous.
It was the lady of the house who took pride in making these preparations and spent considerable time doing so. One can recall perhaps, grandmother's rose jar lovingly placed in the "best room" where her guests would benefit from the jar's sweet aroma. When visitors came to call, the lid was lifted and the contents stirred to release the soothing perfume. In all probability, she also made sachets or sweet bags to scent her linen and fine articles of clothing. She may even have placed small pillows of fragrant herbs near her head upon retiring to prevent nightmares and assure a good nights rest. Today, herbal pillows are all but neglected as sleeping aids. But, if you're willing to take a chance on this simple indulgence, they stand a good chance of resurrection.
Remember those anxious European mothers of restless babes? They frequently fashioned small pillows of dill (Anthuem graveolens) to encourage their children to enter sleep. The word dilla, from which the herb eventually took its name, is Norse meaning "to lull." Agrimony was also a popular herb to use in pillows since it was also believed to be soporific, or sleep inducing. An old English writing tells us that "If it is leyed under a mann's head, he shal sleepyn as he were dead; He shal never drede ne wakyn till fro under his head it be taken."
The fictional potion given to Juliet by the Friar to make her appear lifeless, was prepared with belladonna (Atropa be Uadonna) and merely brought on a deep sleep. How fortunate that was for our Juliet, since belladonna is extremely toxic, and a good dose usually does more than make one appear lifeless. However, a 16th-century practice of placing the moistened leaves of the plant one's forehead was performed to safely induce sleep. Another sleeping aid was the dew collected from the leaves of lady's mantle (Alchemilla vulgarus) which was administered by a generous sprinkling on the bed linens.
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