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Henna's Secret History
Marie Anakee Miczak
There certainly is a secret history to henna, and a fascinating one
it is. Much more than just the hand adornment we typically see as
Mehndi, henna has a extensive and splendid history. It was used by
Cleopatra to seduce Mark Anthony, it has been used to treat
infections and headache, the Egyptians used it to protect their skin
from the sun, and even Lucille Ball's vibrant red locks were
attributed to henna. Every part of the henna plant, Lawsonia sp., has
a use; essential oil is distilled from its flowers to produce
perfumes, dye is produced from the leaves and medicine from its
roots.
Although there is much confusion surrounding henna primarily due to
the many names and misnames it has gone by, Marie Miczak examines
them all to determine which references can actually be attributed to
henna and which are other, related plants such as alkanet. Henna
also has produced rich literature from Bible passages to ancient
poems, many of which are printed in this book.
As can anything, henna has side effects that are potentially
dangerous. Part of its mysterious past in involved in poisonings.
Besides its natural toxicity, dangerous additives can be found in
henna to improve its dyeing ability. Since it is not an FDA approved
substance there is no regulation of its quality. Countries that
produce a lot of henna today include the countries of India, Egypt,
Pakistan, Iran and Sudan. The author of "Henna's Secret History"
suggests that today henna should be used to bring light to the
mistreatment of women in India.
Marie Anakee Miczak has painstakingly sorted truth from the fiction
to present a well-researched, accurate and academic portrayal of
henna through the ages. As a result, this book can and should be used
by historians, archeologists, and Egyptologists as well as
herbalists, Mehndi artists and those curious about henna. What may be
most important about henna, however, is its future and this book
convinces the reader that research on henna should continue. It is
currently being investigated for uses in cancer prevention, infection
and memory loss. The author's web site is www.anakee.com.
Cindy L. A. Jones, Ph.D.
Author of "The Antibiotic Alternative" http://antibioticalt.tripod.com
previously published in "Bloomsbury Review"
Henna's Secret History: The History, Mystery and Folklore of Henna
By: Marie Anakee Miczak
ISBN 0-595-17891-X
6 x 9 Softcover, WCP, New York NY 2001, $21.95
Most people know that henna produces a brilliant red dye that can be
used on the hair or skin for beautiful artwork. But that use just
touches the surface of henna. Henna's Secret History: The History,
Mystery and Folklore of Henna by Marie Anakee Miczak is a well-
researched, accurate and academic portrayal of henna through the ages
that discusses its use in medicine, perfume, ritual and body art.
Henna was thought to be used first by the Egyptians including by
Cleopatra to seduce Mark Anthony. The Egyptians also used it to treat
headache and to protect their skin from the sun. Henna has also been
featured in poetry and scripture, much of which can be found in this
book. Unfortunately, it is a tender plant and cannot be grown as a
perennial here, but the author who lives in New Jersey, has
successfully grown henna (Lawsonia inermis) indoors in a pot.
The author's web site is www.anakee.com.
Cindy L. A. Jones, Ph.D., author of "The Antibiotic Alternative"
http://antibioticalt.tripod.com |
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